Flicker and Flame: Magic Bound Book One

by Willow Hayes

  “Spitfire, I do seem to remember that you liked when Luka said watching us was hot, so I don’t think your Chosen are complaining at the moment.” His hand caresses my neck, and his thumb runs along my jaw.

  I can’t argue with his logic, so I say nothing. I sit up straight to see every single eye on me. I give them a small smile and turn to look out the window because I can’t keep looking at them for another second without combusting. Then I start to daydream about what it would be like to have any two or more of my Chosen at the same time, and by the gods, my imagination is a dirty, dirty place because I find that I quite like the idea. I smile to myself, and that’s when I realize that Teo completely distracted me from my worry. Sneaky, sneaky wolf.

  The trial site isn’t at all what I expected. For some reason I assumed the test would take place in some state of the art facility, so when we pull up to an empty field and an ancient stone archway that seems to lead to nowhere I think we have the wrong place. “Are you sure this is it guys? That arch leads to nowhere.”

  “Oh man, you’re right. We must have the wrong place. Guess we’ll have to put it off till tomorrow.” Luka grins and winks at me. I roll my eyes and flip him off, making him grin wider.

  Callum chuckles. “It is magic, Ómorfos. The location can only be accessed by the heir and her Chosen.” My face flushes with embarrassment. I guess being raised a human leaves me still looking for human answers. Note to self, remember magic exists. I roll my eyes at my inner pep talk and turn to get out.

  After I get a look at all of us when we pile out of the SUV and assemble our chosen weapons I can’t help but think we look like a badass group of assassins. Well, I might look the part, but they could play the part. Shit, they did play the part. We’re all decked out in black with our weapons now strapped on and ready to go.

  Wearing my swords crossed high on my back feels odd, but the fact that they are there is comforting nonetheless. Nakoa has his huge sword strapped diagonally across his back with the hilt above his right shoulder. He has knives of all different kinds strapped to almost every surface his of body, making him look truly deadly. Callum has his beautiful quiver and bow slung over his shoulder and a short sword at the ready secured to his lower back. His thigh is wrapped with throwing knives, each as beautiful as his bow.

  Luka has his short swords crossed on his upper back, the same as mine and has attached a variety of other knives wherever there was room. A satchel is secured to his other thigh that I know holds bottles of magic. Teo has his weapons too, but his plan is to fight in wolf form because that is when he is most powerful. We practiced fighting with him in human form because his wolf would do too much damage, so even with worry plaguing me I still feel excitement at the idea of seeing his beautiful wolf up close.

  I start to bounce on my toes the way I do before a fight with a new sparring partner, when all the nervous energy hits me. Once we are all ready to go we walk towards the ancient, gray, stone arch. As we approach, I begin to feel the tingle of magic in the air. Once we’re standing in front of the stone arch it feels as though the magic reaches out and kisses me. The sensation is odd and somewhat unsettling, but while I continue to look at the arch I see a ripple, and the view transforms into a massive cavern, where there was once only landscape. Together we step through.

  Forty-Five

  Kenna

  Upon entering the cavern we’re greeted with a massive stone slab table, made of the same stone as the arch. There is no one to greet us and eerie silence blankets the place. A basin of shimmering liquid sits on the table. We approach as one, warily eying the cavern for any threats. Carved on the table are the words:

  “The one destined to be Vasílissa,

  Need not fear what the basin holds here.

  She must touch the magea that glows bright,

  With the magea her Eklektós she must set alight.

  Touch the place where magea resides

  To keep her Eklektós by her side.

  If your bond shall stand the test of time,

  Three trials you must pass to take your place in line.

  She who is strong, smart, and full of heart,

  Shall have no fear, for her Eklektós are her equals in every part.”

  “What the heck does Vasílissa, magea, and Eklektós mean?” my voice full of confusion as I ask the question.

  “Vasílissa means queen, magea means magic, and Eklektós means Chosen,” Callum quickly translates the unfamiliar words.

  “What language is that?”

  “It is the old tongue. Few still use it today,” Callum sounds almost sad at the idea that people no longer speak the old language.

  After getting Callum’s translated words I go back and reread the verse. “So…this is what I got from that: if you’re the real deal you are good to go, I gotta touch the glowing stuff in the bowl and touch your chests, but I got lost on the last part.” I look around to the the guys to see if they understood what I didn’t.

  “I think you are correct for the first part, and I think the second part simply meant that we are to work together to pass the test,” Callum suggests, and the rest mummer in agreement.

  “Okay, so I stick my hand in whatever the heck this is and hope that it doesn’t kill me. Goody.” Snark is my go to language when I feel pressure, and oh man am I feeling it. I shake my hands out and slowly reach towards the bowl. It hits me then that the magic in the bowl looks like my new magic from the day I was unbound, and I forgot to tell anyone about. Now is not the time though, so I turn my focus back to my task. My hand touches what I thought was liquid, but is actually pure magic. It hums when my hand touches it, and my magic does a little cha cha, apparently quite pleased. I pull my hand out to find that it’s glowing a beautiful white light. I turn to my left and face Teo who winks at me before I place my hand over his heart. I watch in fascinating as the magic absorbs into him. In turn I place my hand over each of my Chosen’s hearts, and when I finish with Luka the magic fades from my hand.

  The stone table vanishes, and a rumbling sound erupts from all around us. The guys and I move to stand with our backs to each other, just like we’ve been working on. I hear Teo stripping then feel the tingle of magic as he transforms. I glance back and see that in wolf form his shoulder comes up to my hip, his paws are huge and deadly looking, and his fur is a dark gray, almost black, with no other colors. He turns his golden eyes to me for a moment before turning back to face the room. I’m more than a little in love with his wolf, and make a note to spend time with him this way when we get back home.

  I turn away from my beautiful wolf and eye the room at large. My hands are shaking, but I refuse to let my guys down. In the blink of an eye, the room fills with men dressed in all black poised to attack. Some are holding weapons and others have magic racing down their fingers. “Ok then, let’s kick some ass,” I say, my voice filled with determination.

  We tighten our circle facing out and wait for the first attack. I draw on my magic to have my flames ready. When they come, they come without hesitation. I throw a flame, turning my first attacker into ash in a fiery burst. Well that’s interesting. I throw a shield in front of Callum as an attacker attempts to creep up on him, turning this second one to ash. I call back my shield and continue to throw more flames, but I can’t call them fast enough to keep up with the onslaught, so I pull out my blades and start to strike out.

  I spin away from an attack only to sink my blade into an attacker engaged with Luka. The attacker drops to the ground, unmoving. We dive, feint, and dodge to avoid attacks and cover each other. I’m shocked when the blades of my swords light with flames but roll with it and keep swinging. I’m delighted to find that when my flame-lit swords strike an attacker they also crumble to ash in a fiery burst the same way they did with my fire balls.

  But the attackers keep pouring in, as if from thin air, and we are quickly becoming overrun. I look all around and see that there are at least four attackers to each one of us. Then time slows and the edges
fade, so all I see is Nakoa taking a brutal hit. I call out his name, but he drops to the ground, unmoving. My heart stops, then I hear Luka cry out in pain, but I can’t turn to check on him because I’m facing three attackers of my own. We are vastly outnumbered, one of my Chosen is down, another is hurt, and my rage at the impossibility of our situation hits me.

  I call on my magic because fuck this shit! My Chosen are mine, and I protect what’s mine! I drop my swords, the flames extinguishing, and I weave my intention full of my righteous anger and throw up a wall to protect them. Without hesitation Fire answers my call, and a wall of flames erupts around the five of us, keeping the attackers at bay. Any attacker the wall touches as it springs up is turned to ash. Pushing my magic to hold the wall, I call out to my guys, “Is everyone okay?” I don’t want to move my eyes from the wall, lest it slip, so I ask for a progress report.

  I feel the tingle of magic then hear Teo’s voice, “Koa is down, he was hit with Storm magic to his chest, but he’ll be fine. Luka took a blade to his thigh, Callum is fine, and so am I. Just a few minor injuries,” Teo’s voice is heavy with exhaustion as I hear the rustle of clothing.

  “Callum, can you heal the worst of the wounds?” My voice falters slightly with the effort to speak the words. My men need to be okay. There’s no other outcome I will accept. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to hold the wall though. The attackers got smart and are staying well away from it.

  “Yes, it will take me a few minutes though because the wounds are extensive.” My heart clenches painfully at the idea of Nakoa and Luka suffering so much pain.

  “I don’t know how much longer I can hold this wall, so we have to be ready when it drops.” My arms are already shaking from the excursion, and I struggle to keep my mind focused on maintaining the spell. I feel the tingle of magic and hear Nakoa groan, so I assume Callum is healing his injury. Another tingle and Luka is healed.

  I’m surprised when Callum appears by my side. “Are you hurt, Ómorfos?” He checks me over and finds the few nicks I have, healing them quickly. “I want you to try something. I will be right here with you, and know that I fully believe you can do this.” Oh gods, whatever he has in mind is going to suck. I nod for him to continue. “I want you to envision your wall moving out further. I believe you may be able to take out a few attackers simply by moving your wall.”

  “Callum, I don’t know if I can do that. My arms are shaking, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold the wall let alone extend it.” Luka appears on my other side, Nakoa at my back, joined by Teo.

  “We have you. All your Chosen know you can do this. Close your eyes and speak to your magic,” Callum’s voice is filled with certainty. I take his faith in me and hold it close.

  I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I can see my magic weaving the wall together as it moves through me. Ok Fire, here’s the deal. We are crazy outnumbered, and they just keep coming. We need to protect our Chosen. Help me do that. I feel her rise up to my call, and I weave my new intention into the spell. The wall moves a fraction, and the guys all speak encouragements. I continue to focus on growing the circle while the guys whisper fiercely in my ears, each touching some part of me.

  Their words and touches help me to push more magic into the wall, guiding it out again. This time I take out a handful of attackers and feel a boost in my spirit. This is working. My arms shake more heavily with the effort of maintaining and pushing the wall though. Then I feel a hand under both arms gently holding them up, offering me silent support. I push the wall out further and take out another dozen attackers. They are running out of space to back up. “I don’t know if I can keep this going. If the wall drops I need you to be ready to attack.”

  “Princess, you have this, I know you do, but if it does drop you know we have your back.” Luka’s words make a small smile appear on my face, and I try for one last push. I know the magic is there, it’s the casting of the spell and the effort of maintaining it that are costing me. My magic responds once more to my call, and I close my eyes to ask her to help give me the energy I need in order to protect my men.

  My magic caresses me as if to give me a hug of encouragement, and I feel a boost of not only magic for my spell but in my energy. My magic came through. I internally tell her thank you, and I begin to push this new wave of magic into the wall, giving the command for it to push all the way to the cavern wall. I feel my magic’s protectiveness of our men then the fire pushes quickly outward to the walls of the cavern. I watch with satisfaction as every attacker turns to ash.

  I nearly collapse with relief and from the energy the wall cost me. The guys catch me before I sag to the floor. I hear a chorus of praise, and I give a small, tired smile. Before I can say anything in response to what just happened the cavern changes again. We now find ourselves standing in front of a massive wall of stone. Before we move though, Callum turns me towards him and says, “Ómorfos, I knew you could do it. Are you alright? You used a lot of magic, and I know your energy is low, but is there anything else wrong?”

  His sweet gesture has me lifting my hand to his face, cupping his check. “I’m fine, my sweet Callum.” Teo snickers and mutters something that sounds like, ‘sweet my ass,’ but I ignore him. “Just pretty drained is all, but I’ll be fine in no time.” He kisses my forehead and steps aside, so we can approach the next task. “Let’s see what crazy shit awaits us, shall we?”

  Forty-Six

  Kenna

  We move toward a stone pedestal standing in an alcove in the massive stone wall. The wall extends in either direction as far as the eye can see. On the pedestal is another ancient passage and a riddle:

  “Eklektós and Vasílissa united must be,

  for great dangers lie in front of thee.

  Division and strife may cut the cord,

  Can Vasílissa and Eklektós find an accord?

  Answer psevdís, lose the way you might,

  Answer alithís and you will see the light.

  When all are agreed as one,

  One must stand alone and it is done.”

  Below the ancient verse is a riddle written in our modern tongue.

  You have me today,

  Tomorrow you’ll have more;

  As your time passes,

  I’m not easy to store;

  I don’t take up space,

  But I’m only in one place;

  I am what you saw,

  But not what you see.

  What am I?

  “What the ever loving fuck? Why does it have to be riddles?” I whine to my guys and get a series of chuckles, pats, and mummers of encouragement in response.

  Callum translates the unfamiliar words with ease, “Chosen and Queen united must be. Answer false and we will lose our way. Answer true and we will see the light.” He pauses in thought before adding on, “The riddle emphasizes the idea of being united. I think we can expect something that will make that challenging.” Callum studies the words, concern on his face.

  Luka, puzzling it out, stares intently at the pedestal. “I think the first part is warning us that this test is dangerous. Although, that much, I think, is clear.” He chuckles at his unnecessary words.

  “It seems that if we get the wrong answer we may find ourselves lost. Maybe this trial is a maze?” Nakoa taps his chin as he stares at the paper which I find oddly adorable.

  When I reread the verse the last line stands out. I look down at the ground and see an intricate knot in the shape of a circle glowing faintly. “Hey guys, I think one of us is supposed to step on this knot thing here.” I point to the spot and the guys look. “The last line of the riddle says that ‘one must stand and then it is done.’ I think we are supposed to stand on that spot when we have the answer.” The guys give a chorus of agreements, and we move on to the riddle.

  “Let’s read the riddle again and break it down.” Nakoa’s ‘in charge’ face settles clearly in place, and it makes me smile.

  Callum contemplates the riddle, “Wh
atever it is will continue to grow because there will always be a tomorrow.”

  “But it seems it can be lost too because ‘as time passes I’m not easy to store,’ so excess is lost maybe?” Teo guesses.

  “What can accumulate but not take up space? So we aren’t talking something tangible then,” I ponder the line.

  “So something intangible that can exist in one place, but what does it mean ‘what you saw, but not what you see’?” Luka agrees with my guess and continues to work it through.

  “Something you saw, as in past tense, and things we see become tomorrow’s memories!” Teo’s face animates brightly with his guess. We all excitedly agree.

  “So memories we have today, we will gain more, we will lose some, memories don’t take up space, and are past tense. Do we all think it fits?” Nakoa goes through each point of the riddle. We all nod as he lists them off. “Are we all agreed?” Again nods. “Okay, so who is our spokesperson?” he asks and no one volunteers. He laughs a bit. “I’ll do it that’s fine.” He steps on the knot and clears his throat, “Memories.” A moment later the wall to the right dissolves, and the stone path leading through the now empty doorway lights up.

  “Does this mean we got the riddle right? The verse didn’t say anything about being able to tell the difference. Only that we would see the light. Is that a literal light? Because the path just lit up. I want to believe that it would be that easy, but with all this riddle shit, everything is confusing,” I ramble through my questions. Not that I think anyone else actually knows the answers, but with my nervous energy I feel the need to ask the questions regardless.

  “Guess we’ll find out when we reach the end. Don’t worry Spitfire, we got this,” Teo encourages.