Life Sorcerer: Life Sorcerer: Book One - Return of Magic: Book Two

by D. R. Rosier

  She blushed, and she wondered why she was even thinking of that. Other women didn’t attract her, or at least they never had before.

  So that was the root of her conflicted feelings. Living in this house, and travelling with them would be extremely distracting, and she felt another surge of guilt at her desires. He was taken already, and not for her. Still, she had faith in her goddess, and she’d always wanted to do more. She’d just never realized the way to do more was to do less of what others could do. It seemed obvious in hindsight, but she was just twenty-one, and the last five years had been hard if extremely rewarding in her faith and abilities to help and minister to others.

  She’d had many daydreams about finally meeting the man for her, in none of them had he ever been already committed to another woman for life. It was just impossible, and stupid. She hardly knew him, had only met him a few hours ago, it wasn’t like she wanted to jump right in his bed or anything. But the yearning to get to know him and spend time with him was alarmingly powerful.

  She’d prayed about it up in her room, but her goddess had been rather tight-lipped about the subject. That wasn’t too surprising, she knew and accepted there were limitations to what she could be told. In fact, what she could be told was usually restricted to matters of protection and healing, which was the goddess’s mantle under Gaia.

  Kim said, “Somethings bothering you.”

  She smiled, “Just… he wasn’t what I suspected. There are so many rumors about him, and from what I can tell most of those rumors probably originated from people that never met him.”

  Kim laughed, “True. Lin and my favorite pastime is gossiping about the master. If you’re to be his ally, and have any questions about his past, I wouldn’t mind talking about his history and what really happened. Of course, not personal things and the like. I keep his secrets, and you can just spend time with him and Cassie to find out about that stuff though.”

  She nodded, “Those two seem attached at the hip.”

  Kim giggled, “The only time they’re not together is if Cassie’s working on a magical project, or when experimenting on her enchantments. And that only happens when they’re at home, and we’re here to guard them.”

  She felt more than a bit guilty, when she actually felt jealous for a moment. What the hell was wrong with her anyway?

  They both turned their heads toward the cellar door as it opened, and she squirmed slightly as his intense eyes found her immediately. She felt pinned beneath that kindly intensive stare, but there was no leering or anything. He was just… intensely aware, and she wasn’t used to being the penetrating focus of a man like that. At least without a wicked leer which had always left her cold. She pushed that all down the best she could.

  Cassie came through and smiled, “So, what have you decided?” she asked as they sat down across from her.

  She said, “I like the plan to work together, as allies and perhaps friends in the future if all goes well.”

  He nodded, “Good. I’ll let my zombies know to look for emergency medical matters, and also inform the leaders of the communities so people get word to us quickly when there is one. I’ll also tell them to expect you once year to take care of non-critical problems and pass on the word of your goddess.”

  She smiled, “That would be great. Before I start that it might be a good idea to know where they all are. The leader’s names, and any information that might be helpful to know before I go there?”

  Cassie waved a hand, “That’s not a problem. We have all that information of course, being their absent rulers and all. Names of the leaders or councils, any unique or specialized trade items, community or village names, and of course locations.”

  Lin said, “Kim and I would be willing to take that on, we know a lot more than what’s in the official records we keep and will tell you anything we know. We should also discuss security precautions when out of the mansion. The four of us will be coming with you, besides it being good for them to see their leaders once a year, you’ll need protecting just in case. The communities are run by good people, but there’s always a rough element in a community of any size.”

  Mara replied, “That sounds perfect, and I’ll cast protection spells as well before we go. I’m not in any way a fighter, but I can help make that job easier for all of you.”

  Kim said, “What my sister means is rape and murder are death sentences, but lesser crimes are punished with hard labor under guard. Sometimes there are further incidents.”

  She replied, “I understand. There are ruffians in the communities I helped as well. Does a schedule of once every three day’s work for you, a tentative one since we’ll have to work around emergencies?”

  Cassie grinned, “That works for us. You might want to just be briefed on the villages one at a time, the day before we leave for one. It’s a lot of information to take in all at once.”

  She nodded, “Sounds good. I also noticed it got rather cool in here?”

  Cassie winked, “New enchantment, I just need to charge it ever two or three weeks, not sure yet.”

  She frowned, a niggling worry in her mind, “How exactly is guilt determined. I mean, what if a woman lies when accusing a man of rape, or she’s just mistaken, because she didn’t really get a good look at him. It’s difficult to un-kill someone.”

  At least for most people, she thought.

  Kim said, “Lesser crimes are handled by the laws of the town. Sometimes by a council, sometimes by a court where a burden of proof has to be met. Murder and rape are judged by master directly, so there can be no doubt of their guilt when they’re executed.”

  She asked him, “You can’t be wrong?”

  He exchanged a quick look at Cassie, who nodded in agreement. She was very curious what he’d say after that, when he turned his intense gaze back to her eyes. She ignored the butterflies the best she could at that gaze and his warm manly tenor voice that seemed to be connected directly to her libido.

  “We tell everyone I use magic to determine the truth without doubt, which is actually true. What we don’t tell anyone else, so please keep this secret, is that my power doesn’t just steal a person’s life force or use it to raise dead bodies back to life. It can also read that life force, a person’s entire life, every thought, emotion, and action laid bare for my perusal, if I wish it. In short, I know they’re guilty, because I see them do it from their own memories. There can be no doubt of guilt, and no need for trials where lies, obfuscations, and corruption may come into play.”

  She shuddered, “How do you deal with that? Having all those horrific memories?”

  He smiled, “They do cause stress at times, and definitely anger at the misjustice, but not as badly as you’d think. The magic insulates my own mind, morals, and beliefs. Other people’s memories are at an emotional remove for me. It still gets to me, if I dwell on it, but it’s not a visceral thing where I have memories of killing people or raping people I didn’t kill or rape. It’s like… watching a documentary, it’s not like I feel their emotions as my own, or let it play out in my head from their point of view.”

  She nodded, “I understand, I think. That still sounds horrible.”

  He grunted, “Better than a rapist or murderer getting away with it to spare my feelings. Or worse, an innocent man put to death.”

  She asked curiously, “What do you do with false accusers?”

  He said, “It depends on why, and the town. If it’s done viciously, they’re often sentenced to serve their intended victim for a year as a servant of some kind. That can vary from community to community. The only global laws across every community are against murder, rapine, and abuse. If it’s a case of simple mistaken identity on their part they’re given help as the real perpetrator is sought.”

  She nodded, “I should look over the info on tomorrow’s community. We can talk more later?”

  He smiled, “Whenever you want. It’s time for us to practice sparring anyway. Lin?”

  The three of them stood up
and walked out.

  She got up when Kim waved, and she followed Kim to an office that had bookshelves, a desk, and a throw rug on the wood floor. There was also a map on the wall of California, Oregon, and Washington, with about a hundred blue dots and a hundred yellow. Lastly, there was a small table with two chairs by the window, which is where Kim waved for her to sit.

  She asked, “We can work up the coast maybe? The first farming village is about fifty miles south of here?”

  Kim nodded, “I’m sure that’s fine. They also have a winery and grow grapes. A lot of towns brew and export beer, but they’re the only ones making wine right now. I think you’ll like Diane too, she’s the leader of the community and a sorceress. She stayed with us for almost a year before she left us to take over that town and start a winery. We had… trouble with the old leader, who forgot to be grateful to master and got a little greedy. She volunteered to set the place straight again, and then stayed.”

  She tilted her head curiously, “Diane stayed here for a year?”

  Kim smiled, “Yes. Sean and Cassie have had four other women of power here the last five years, who all moved on after a time. Two other nature sorceresses, a witch, and a seer. They all left on good terms though, they just…” Kim shook her head.

  Then continued, “Three of them run communities, the seer didn’t have the temperament for it, and settled down on a farm to start a family. She left after having a vision of her life mate.”

  Witches were similar to sorcerers, but their nature magic was severely limited like elven nature magic, it was all about animals and flora. No control over the four elements or weather. Unlike elves, witches needed to use potions and other devices to control the magic, instead of just their minds like the elves.

  She frowned, “Why did they leave?”

  Kim sighed, “I probably shouldn’t tell you. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

  She raised an eyebrow, “Wrong idea?”

  Kim said, “They take in new women of power in the hopes of being stronger, safer themselves and able to do better for their people, but also for friends and equals. What’s the saying, it’s lonely at the top, and although they love each other they have no other true peers. Not even in Lin and I.”

  She nodded, “That doesn’t sound bad, and is one of the reasons I decided to stay. Yes, to do more for others was the true draw, but to have equals that didn’t fear me or see me as other, was also attractive. So, what aren’t you telling me?”

  Kim shrugged, “They grew to be more than friends over time, and then three of them found out they couldn’t handle the… unique relationship. The seer left because she’d be happier with her destined mate in this life.”

  Mara felt both a little thrill, and more than a bit of shocked disgust when she read into that statement.

  “They seduced them into their bed?”

  Kim sighed, then nodded reluctantly, “Although, it’s not as sordid as your tone just implied. They don’t want a plaything to enhance their marriage bed, or anything like that. It’s also mostly Cassie who did the seducing in the past. They want a triad, love in all directions kind of thing, an equal on all relationship levels. A larger family, more protection in a crueler and more dangerous world, more support, more love, and yes, I suppose a much spicier sex life as well. I think they’d want even more than that, but they’ve never found a third who could handle the lifestyle for more than a year.

  “They don’t want a fling, and never cheat on each other. They would also never want you to be uncomfortable, or to feel like it was part of your alliance. They won’t pressure you into it or anything, the most important thing for them is the mutual protection, alliance, the good you can do together, and building a friendship.”

  She frowned. That wasn’t as bad as it first sounded, not the same as an open marriage, swinging, or taking a third into their bed at a remove just for a little more excitement. They wanted a third spouse, or more perhaps, that felt love in all directions, and was an equal in every way.

  The thought was more than a bit titillating to her, but she’d never imagined herself being part of something like that. She’d always wished and hoped to meet the man that would be for her, and only her. Still, it gave her a lot to think about, and before she made any decision, she’d have to get to know them both first.

  Regardless, and perhaps shockingly, it also gave her hope. There was a part of her at least, that found the idea very attractive, but she wondered if something like that could truly last. She was attracted superficially to both of them, shockingly enough, but the whole idea was kind of scandalous in her head. She’d have to think about it.

  In the meantime, she would be their ally, and become their friend. Who knew, that initial desire in her body could fizzle out as she got to know them.

  She smiled, “I think I understand, and I’m sorry I pushed it. I was just… worried. This is all so new, and it also seems a little too good to be true. I suppose I was looking for the other shoe, before it dropped.”

  Kim smirked, “I kind of caught that, it’s why I told you at all. I was afraid not telling you would be worse, and just feed those fears.”

  She nodded, “What else do I need to know about this community?”

  Kim looked relieved at the change of subject, “Diane is the leader. She instituted a court system of sorts, most of the singular rulers do. Most of the people work on the vineyard, and the rest work on farms that feed them all or making essentials for the community…”

  Mara listened as the briefing continued.

  Chapter Four

  Sean had gotten a lot better at combat the last five years. It took practice of course, there was a difference between knowledge and experience, but he’d sucked the life force out of a lot of people who knew various martial arts, boxing, ancient weapons, and such. He was a lot better at it than Cassie was because of that advantage, and Cassie wasn’t all that bad.

  Lin and Kim were the sparring partners. They were faster, stronger, and gracefully deadly, which helped as well. It was much easier to learn from failure than from success. More often than not though, neither of them fought with blades, but with their magic. It just made sense, but he wouldn’t be caught flatfooted the next time his magic failed him, like on the day Cynthia had sacrificed herself to protect his dumb ass.

  After a good workout and cleaning up via magic, they ended back up in the kitchen to share lunch. He wasn’t a blind or unobservant man. He still didn’t understand women, not really, or why his Cassie loved him so faithfully, deliriously, and fiercely, but he didn’t have to understand to see it or believe it with all of his being.

  Point being, he was painfully aware of Mara’s attraction to both of them. Or at least, he’d finally figured it out. During breakfast she’d seemed a bit distracted, and he hadn’t picked it up at that point because she’d obviously been fighting it and perhaps confused by it.

  Mara was an extremely attractive young woman. It was a slightly conflicted thing as well, at twenty-one she was almost half his age at forty, even if he looked twenty-five, he really wasn’t. Her lovely soft and exotically beautiful face along with her tightly petite killer body could be more than distracting if he allowed it to be. Point was, there was no doubt he returned that shallow attraction, and he knew his Cassie well enough to have little doubts she did as well.

  At the same time, he knew that wasn’t an invitation to start something, they barely knew each other. Plus, he left that kind of thing mostly in Cassie’s hands. A man trying to lure another woman into their marital bed would come off as creepy in his mind, whereas Cassie doing it was an entirely different matter. She’d figure out the timing on it, if they even went that way this time.

  After all, it had hurt them both, each time a lover had left them. They both had the kinds of personalities required for a polyamorous relationship, even if their third partners hadn’t, and they’d grown attached over the year they’d shared their love. That wouldn’t stop him, and it definitely would
n’t stop Cassie, but it would prevent them from jumping into anything too quickly.

  Despite the excruciating sexual tension in the room, as they had roast beef sandwiches and potato soup with bacon bits and cheddar.

  They discussed what village she’d picked. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing Diane again, but he got along with her well enough. They also got to know each other a little better. He knew people were complicated and three dimensional, but so far Mara seemed like a complete sweetheart. She was a goodhearted woman that served a loving and protective goddess. He’d had the thought earlier, he just couldn’t imagine not getting along with her, and she wouldn’t make it hard to grow a friendship or even deeper feelings he suspected.

  The important part though, was what they were starting the next day, or so he told himself.

  Mara asked curiously, “I noticed Kim’s and Lin’s swords are magical?”

  He nodded, “That way I don’t have to be present for every battle or execution. The swords take the life force of anyone they kill, and the zombie that does the killing holds it almost like a battery. I can spread it out at that point between them, or even heal myself.”

  She frowned, “What happens if someone alive uses it? Wouldn’t they gain more life?”

  He replied, “I considered that when I made them, some sick bastard could get their hands on it and go on a killing spree. Except, it would kill them, extremely painfully. Without my magic to handle the transfer only the undead can absorb another life force without harm. It’s only happened twice in the last few years. We also spread the word so people would know.”

  Mara nodded thoughtfully, “So what do you do all day, when you’re at home?”

  He said playfully, “I laze about.”

  Cassie snorted violently in disbelief.

  He shrugged, “There’s usually always something going on somewhere that needs my attention. Even if we don’t go there personally. I still monitor the thousand or so zombies I have left and issue orders when necessary. I also read a lot, when I can find the time, when Cassie’s buried in one of her magical projects.