Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

  “Of course, I’d be happy to,” Amanda answered, feeling honoured that the Legacy came to her for this. She felt immediately keen to do her best for them.

  “Today, if possible,” Royston added.

  “Ah, well, that might be an issue,” Amanda replied. With the ball later tonight, taking on a mission like this could be problematic.

  “I know you have your ball tonight. Is there anyone you can send?”

  “I’ll go,” Gentle Water said.

  “Aah, now, don’t be an ejit, ye can’t miss the ball,” Amanda said.

  “I have been to plenty of balls, Amanda. You do not need me there. You will be fine without me.”

  “To be sure. That’s not the point, though. This is to celebrate the liberation of New York, and ye were a key part of that. I can’t send you away while we all have a drink and relax.”

  “You are not sending me away. I am choosing to do this.”

  “Are ye sure?”

  “Of course. Please, go enjoy yourself. I will be fine.”

  Amanda frowned. She wasn’t thrilled with her mentor not being at the celebration, but she also knew the stubborn ejit well enough to know when it was pointless arguing with him. He was just trying to help so she could attend her own celebration. However, she was keen to make sure that this mission from the Legacy would be done correctly, and there was no one better than Gentle Water for her to send. She trusted him implicitly and Royston trusted him too. She didn’t really see an alternative.

  “Okay, then.” She turned back to Royston, her mind filled with conflicting thoughts. She desperately wanted Gentle Water at the ball, but she also didn’t want to say no to the mission. She knew he was the right choice, and there would be plenty of other people at the celebration. She knew this was the right way to go, and did her best to make her peace with it. “Gentle Water will go.”

  “Excellent. Thank you, Gentle Water. Let me send you the details of where you need to go,” he said, and a brief flicker of Magic passed between them.

  “Thank you, Royston. It is a pleasure to serve. I will be in touch the moment I have anything.” Gentle Water said.

  The rest of the day went fairly quickly after Royston left. Amanda tried to convince Gentle Water to go after the ball, claiming that Royston would never know, but he refused. Not long after Royston left, Gentle Water Ported away as well.

  Most of the arranging of the ball had been left to the Arcanum. They’d booked the observation deck at the top of the World Trade Center and had carefully made sure that there wouldn’t be anyone there who would freak out if they saw something Magical. All it usually took was a little money and a few favours, but sometimes a bit of Magic was needed to grease the wheels, as well. Although, the Arcanum always tried to do things without calling in one of their resident Magi.

  Amanda had received regular updates about the progress of the arrangements, and everything seemed to be on track for a great night with plenty of guests. The only thing Amanda didn’t know at this point was what she would be wearing because she’d left that up to Maria. As the time for her to get ready grew near, she started to feel a little nervous about what Maria might have procured for her. Maria had informed her that she had something, and would be bringing it from Paris shortly, so Amanda took the opportunity to freshen herself up.

  She showered, wrapped herself up in her white robe, and stepped out into her room to find Maria waiting for her.

  “Feeling refreshed?” Maria said.

  “Much better, thank you.”

  “Would you like to see the dress?”

  “To be sure. I have to say, though, I’m feeling a little nervous about this.” What if she didn’t like it? What would she wear and more importantly, how would Maria react? She didn’t want to upset her.

  “Don’t be nervous. As a word of warning, it is a little daring, and it might show a little more than you’re used to, but I know you’ll look stunning in it,” Maria said as she reached into a large flat box on the bed and lifted the dress out.

  It was long and red with straps over the shoulders, and apart from a fairly high slit up her right leg and a plunging back, it would cover her up rather well.

  But that wasn’t the daring part. As Maria held it up and the dress swayed gently. Amanda could see that the dress was not only quite thin, it was sheer. When the dress was held before a window or light, you could see through it.

  However, the dress also had some quite lovely lace sewn onto it in a few strategic places that would protect her modesty.

  Amanda eyed the dress, feeling a little torn. She actually liked it, which was a huge relief. It was stunning and the delicate lace detailing was beautiful. She just wasn’t sure about it being so sheer. She felt reasonably certain that she would need to be nude beneath it in order to really sell it.

  “So, what do you think?” Maria asked.

  “I like it, and you’re right, it is a little more daring than I’m used to. But I think I need to try it on before I make my final decision.”

  “Then please,” Maria said, holding it out to Amanda, “because I’d love to see you in it.”

  Amanda took the dress and changed into it, slipping it over her head. It felt surprisingly soft and very light like she wasn’t wearing anything at all.

  “Ooh, it does feel nice,” she said as she turned to a mirror to look at herself, smoothing it out and making sure it fell just right. She turned from side to side and then looked at the back over her shoulder. Her confidence grew as she realised that you couldn’t actually see anything through the dress at all. The detailing worked to cover her in all the right places and she really did feel great in it.

  She turned back to Maria with a smile to find her holding up a pair of shoes and a clutch bag to go with the dress. The shoes were red and had straps that would wrap about her legs to just beneath her knees.

  “And?” Maria said. “What’s the verdict?”

  “I love it. I’ll wear it for you with pleasure, and I love those shoes! Wow. Thank you.” She hugged Maria and gave her a lingering kiss before pulling on the heels and finishing getting ready, fixing her hair into a simple half-up hairdo. Nothing too fancy.

  Satisfied with herself, she turned to Maria, who now stood in a long green satin dress that shimmered in the light. The top half was fitted to her body and showed off her curves, while the layered skirt had two slits up the front to show glimpses of her legs.

  “Wow, you look stunning,” Amanda said.

  Maria smiled. “Thank you, we’ll be the belles of the ball,” she joked.

  Amanda walked over to her and pulled her in for a kiss. Keeping their foreheads touching, they smiled at each other. “I’m excited for tonight. I want to have a really great time.”

  “You will, I’m sure. Shall we go and find the others?”

  They went downstairs and found Liz, Raven, Shaun, and Vanessa all looking fantastic in their finery. Liz had a gorgeous slinky white dress on and Vanessa wore a black mini-dress showing off her legs in a pair of very high heels. Both of the guys wore suits with a tailored cut that did wonders for them. Shaun looked very prim and proper, his Magical item hiding his vampiric features and giving him perfect skin and slicked back, short, dark hair. Raven’s hair had been tied back, while he chose to keep his suit more casual without a tie and the top couple of buttons of his shirt undone. Amanda still fancied him and enjoyed the glimpse of the top of his chest beneath his shirt.

  He smiled at Amanda as she walked over to the group. “Looking great, Mandy,” he said.

  “Yeah, wow, that’s a little daring,” Liz commented. “You look great, though.”

  “Thank you. I love it.”

  “You should. You’ll make quite the impression,” she said as she gave Amanda a hug.

  “Are we ready?” Maria asked. Everyone nodded or said yes and Maria worked her Magic, Porting them out of the house with a satisfying snap of air.

  - Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Tonopah, Arizona.


  Dust stood on top of one of the structures inside the central containment building of the plant. The noise was a little deafening, but Dust didn’t care. Around him, metal pipes and catwalks crisscrossed the room. They snaked around the reactor and other parts of the complicated building. The whole site had been put on lockdown shortly after his arrival, as he swept through the buildings, killing or capturing the workers on a whim.

  Now, on a large flat metal section of the reactor core, he’d daubed a summoning circle on the floor using the dried blood of his victims, some of whom lay in a pile to his left. Before him, thirteen workers from around the site, chosen at random, kneeled inside the circle. Some of them were silent, others wept and begged for their lives, but none of them wanted to be there.

  His Magic surged, pulling in energy from the Pooling created by the ley lines. The power strengthened the Aegis he’d erected around the circle. He pulled the Lazarus Scroll from his pocket and unrolled it, clearing his throat as he did so.

  He found the passage he wanted and started to read it aloud in the language of the Archons. A glowing green mist began to appear and swirl about the circle, causing a few of the mortals within it to panic or hyperventilate.

  Green lightning flashed within the circle, and suddenly the bodies of the thirteen people within were torn apart by an invisible force, covering the floor with their flesh and blood.

  “Come to me, Horlack, return to our world once more,” called Dust.

  Ball of Destiny

  One World Trade Center, New York

  Amanda appeared in a smallish side room on the one hundred and second floor of One World Trade Center next to Maria, Liz, Raven, Shaun, and Vanessa. The room appeared empty and had been the one part of the observation deck not protected by a powerful Aegis. It had been created for tonight’s event, to give any Magi who wanted to Port here a place to appear.

  A door led out of the room and into the main observation deck of this level, which basically ran around the entire building. People were already here and they stood talking or looking out over the cityscape below, while waiters circulated with trays of canapés.

  “Wow,” Liz said.

  Amanda watched as Liz skipped over to the windows to stare at the cityscape beyond.

  “That’s awesome. Amanda, come and have a look,” Liz said, beckoning her over.

  Smiling, she walked over, stood next to her apprentice, and looked out over the night-time view. Her apprentice’s excitement gave Amanda a warm feeling of pride within her chest. Night had already fallen and the city was lit up by thousands of lights that shone like stars in the darkness. Buildings were lit up from within by an orange glow while the white and red lights of cars on the streets below moved through the caverns of the city like rivers, giving it life and energy. The vista was breathtaking and she could have easily stood and stared at the view for the whole night.

  “It’s beautiful,” Amanda agreed. She felt a hand at her arm then and turned to see Maria smiling at her.

  “I think there are people who want to see you,” she said.

  “Of course. Come and find me if you need me, Liz, and get yourself a drink,” she said before walking with Maria towards the Magi already in attendance.

  She recognised most of them, including members of the Legacy, Liberty’s Children, and several covens who had moved to New York recently. She even spotted Celest in the crowd.

  Victoria approached her first, smiling as she walked up. “Wow, look at you. Out to make an impression, I see,” she said, greeting her with a kiss on either cheek.

  “This is a great party, Amanda. Well done,” Victoria said.

  “Thank the Arcanum, not me.”

  “Of course. Well, just a word of warning, there are a few members of the Magi Legion here, most will leave you alone, but you might have a run-in with them if you give them a chance.”

  “That’s fine. I’m a big girl. I think I can handle them,” Amanda said.

  Victoria smiled. “I have little doubt of that.”

  Amanda continued to circulate around the room and exchange pleasantries with the people she met. A representative of the Arcanum approached to ask if everything was as she wanted. While a little later, Celest gave her a big bear hug and told her she was very happy in New York.

  Then a brown-haired girl approached and smiled at Amanda.

  “Hi, I’m Louisa Hunt. I’m from the Ordo Obscura Coven, from Europe,” she said.

  Amanda recognised her name and the name of her coven. “Nice to meet you, I’m sure I’ve seen your name on a few Magi history books before.”

  “You probably have.” She smiled. “Um, do you have a moment for some questions?” she asked.

  “I have a moment, and if I can answer your questions, I will,” Amanda answered.

  “I’d like to know a little more about Lucian’s death if you could shed any light on it for me. No one seems to know what really happened, but I’ve heard rumours that you might know something?”

  Amanda smiled, the woman was fishing for answers, and maybe she hoped Amanda would bite, but Lucian’s death was being kept a secret for the time being and Amanda had no desire to break that silence. She didn’t want everyone to know that she’d been the one to kill him, not yet, at least. “Thank you for coming to me, I really appreciate that, but I’m afraid I know about as much as you.”

  “So, you weren’t in the city at the time of his death?”

  “Have you spoken with Trevelyan at all? He knows much more about this than I do, and I’m sure he’d answer your questions.” Amanda hated not being honest, but she knew it was for the best. Best for her and best for the city. She didn’t want to give Nymira, or any other Nomad, a reason to come here. She had enough on her plate.

  “I haven’t spoken to him about it, is he here?” she asked.

  “I’ve not seen him yet. But he should be coming. When I see him, I’ll send him over,” she said before making her excuses and heading into the crowd.

  Suddenly, a figure stepped in front of her. She didn’t recognise the girl at all, but she eyed Amanda with an expression that did nothing to suggest that this would be a friendly chat.

  “Um, hi, can I help you?” Amanda said.

  “I doubt it, sugar tits. I jus’ wanted to see what all the damn fuss was about, but I’m not impressed. You aren’t all that,” she said in a Texan drawl.

  The girl’s rudeness brought Amanda up short for a moment. She wasn’t sure what she should say in return. The girl had big blonde hair and wore a tiny black dress that didn’t leave much to the imagination. She spotted a skinny man with a scruffy suit and a mullet behind her, watching the confrontation.

  She looked back at the girl and smiled, taking a breath. “Well, it’s lovely to meet you, too, and that’s such a cute outfit, very classy. You’ve left so much to the imagination, well done,” she said, her sarcasm bubbling up to take control of her mouth again.

  The girl looked a touch confused and glanced down at her dress before looking back up at Amanda. “Are you trying to be clever?”

  “Ah, no. Not me. You look manky, so you do. That’s Irish for gorgeous, by the way,” she lied.

  The girl opened her mouth to say something, but it seemed to escape her at the last moment. She gave a slight shake of her head as if to banish whatever train of thought she’d ventured down and looked back up at Amanda.

  “Look, ya might have the power here in New York for the time being, but we’ll be watching you.”

  “I don’t want power. I’m not the queen of this city.”

  “Say whatcha like, I know your kind,” she said, pointing at Amanda’s face before she turned and walked away, past the man she’d been with, saying, “Come on, Waylon, let’s find the others.”

  Waylon looked at Amanda as his girl walked off.

  “You’re a lucky man, she’s pure haunty, that one,” she said to him, again using Irish slang to confuse him. As he turned and walked away, Amanda couldn’t help but giggle to he
rself. She’d already guessed they were members of the Magi Legion, no doubt wanting to look big and clever in front of their coven.

  She’d spied the Legion across the room a few times already, occasionally catching one or two of them giving her a look of daggers from where they stood. She wasn’t sure they were even enjoying themselves. They looked like they were just brooding in the corner for most of the time.

  She spied Yoh standing by himself next to the windows and enjoying the view, so she wandered over to him. “How are ye?” she asked.

  “Good evening. I’m well, Amanda-san,” he said and put his arm around her for a hug. She returned the gesture and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “And you?”

  “Very well. Thank you for coming.”

  “My pleasure. I wouldn’t miss this.”

  They separated, and Amanda smiled as she looked over the view of the city. For every person who seemed to have a problem with her, there were always more who didn’t, and she felt fortunate to have such great friends who would support her.

  “I hope Reagan didn’t just ruin your night,” Yoh said.

  “That’s her name, is it? I wondered which member of the Legion I was speaking to,” Amanda said.

  “Hai, Reagan and her partner Waylon. Not the brightest of people and occasionally something of an embarrassment for Forest and Stella Ward, the leaders of that House.”