Cast Out (The Red Enchanter Book 1)

by Mary Swift

  Killian agreed and he could think of one thing in particular it would be useful for.

  Henry pointed a finger at him. “Anything you write that we don’t authorize would get you exiled, it’s part of the Founders’ Code.”

  “Actually that wouldn’t be a violation of the Founders’ Code” Logan said. “The Founders said that any enchanter who casts a spell not authorized by the council must be exiled. The spell on the pen is our idea, if Killian uses it he wouldn’t be breaking the Founders’ Code, however if he wrote something without permission it would be against the council’s rules.”

  “For which exile is still a punishment.” Henry said.

  “But exile isn’t mandatory for breaking a council rule.” Logan argued. “That would depend on the infraction. We would have to decide that.”

  “Guess which way I would vote?” Henry griped. He looked at Killian. “Are you getting any of this Cramer?”

  “I understand.” Killian didn’t mention that he could use the pen to modify the council’s rules so that exile wasn’t an option at all.

  “You’ll cast Saturday at dawn.” Henry told him. “We’ll do it outside of the circle wall.”

  “Outside of the wall?” Spells were always cast in front of the council hall which was inside the circle.

  “We’re not sure what will happen.” Logan said. “You’d better leave your daughter at home.”

  Killian wasn’t about to leave Lucy with Talia.

  “You are dismissed.” Henry said to him.

  Killian stood up, he and Lucy left the council hall. He took a deep breath as he crossed the circle. There was nowhere for him to go except home. Lucy was getting fussy; she needed to have her lunch and then a nap. He and Talia lived in a small thatched cottage that her father had given them as a wedding present. He opened the door as quietly as he could.

  “What did they say?” Talia was standing in the front hallway with her arms crossed.

  Killian took Lucy into the kitchen and put her in her highchair. He looked in the icebox to see what he could make her for lunch. There was an enchantment on the icebox that allowed it to constantly refill with fresh food. On the top shelf were some peaches. He grabbed one.

  Talia grabbed his hair and yanked his head out of the icebox. “I asked you about your spell.” she hissed.

  “I’ll tell you in a minute. I want to get Lucy’s lunch first, she’s hungry.”

  Talia slapped him hard across the face. Lucy started crying. “Tell me now!”

  Killian stumbled and dropped the peach. He picked it up and put it on the kitchen table. “I’m going to enchant a pen, whatever I write will come true.”

  Talia’s eyes narrowed. “How come you are able to do that?”

  “I don’t know, they told me I could.”

  “When do you cast?”

  “Saturday.”

  Talia shook her head. “You’re so stupid; I can’t believe they think you can do that.”

  “It’s just what they said.”

  “What about me? Did they tell you what my spell is going to be?”

  “No.”

  Talia hit him on the side of his head. “Why didn’t you ask?”

  “I didn’t think they would tell me.”

  “You’re my husband, why wouldn’t they?” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “Why are you so stupid?”

  “I don’t know.” He took the peach from the table. “Can I make Lucy’s lunch now?”

  “I suppose.”

  Lucy was crying as she always did when she saw her father being struck. It was one of the reasons he didn’t hit back. He didn’t want her witnessing any more violence than she already did.

  “After you make her lunch I want you to go into town and get me one of those raspberry pastries from the cafe.” Talia told him.

  Killian grimaced. The woman who owned the cafe was always staring at him.

  Talia smirked. “You’re afraid of that woman aren’t you?”

  “She doesn’t like me.” Killian took a knife from a drawer and began cutting the peach into tiny pieces. It would be so easy to simply turn around and plunge the blade straight into Talia’s chest. He had often fantasized about it. Lucy cried out and brought him back to reality. He slid the fruit onto a plate and put it in front of Lucy. He opened the icebox to see what else he could give her.

  Talia punched him in the shoulder. “I said to go get me a pastry.”

  “I have to find something else for Lucy; she can’t just eat peaches for lunch.”

  “I can make her something; I’m her mother after all.”

  “I thought I would take her with me.” Killian said.

  “The woman at the cafe doesn’t care about seeing Lucy.”

  “No, that’s not it.”

  Talia shoved him and slammed the icebox shut. “Do you have a little thing for this woman?”

  “No.”

  Talia shoved him again, he fell against a kitchen chair and knocked it over. “Yes you do. You have a thing for this woman. Do you like her red hair?”

  Killian set the chair upright. “I don’t have a thing for her and I hate her hair. It’s ugly.” He had always disliked red hair; it was bright, garish and distracting.

  “You’re ugly.” Talia spat. “No woman is going to want you. I certainly don’t. My father made me marry you. If I had my way I would never see you again.”

  “Maybe that will happen.” he said quietly.

  “What?” Talia’s face grew red. “Don’t you even think of leaving me.” She kicked him in the leg and strolled out of the kitchen triumphantly.

  Killian ran to Lucy’s high chair and picked her up. She was screaming. There was fear in her eyes. He kissed her and held her close. “Just a few more days and we’ll be free of this life.”

  Chapter 8

  It was just after dawn on Saturday, it was time for Killian to cast his spell. He and the Wildbush council gathered outside of the wooden fence that surrounded the circle. Granny Jenkins was holding Lucy. Colonel Fitzwilliam was strolling about looking smug. Logan yawned as he handed Killian a long wooden staff. “Make a circle in the dirt with this.”

  Killian drew a circle in the dry dusty earth. He handed the staff back to Logan.

  “Stand in the circle and close your eyes.” Logan told him. “I’ll hand you the pen when you’re ready.”

  Killian did as he was told.

  “Go on then.” Henry said.

  “Go on and do what?” Killian asked.

  Henry rolled his eyes. “Help him Logan, he’s an imbecile.”

  “Step out of the circle for a second Killian.” Logan said.

  “I’m sorry I’m not very smart.”

  “You should have been taught this when you were growing up.”

  “I wasn’t taught anything.” Killian felt lucky he knew how to read and write.

  Logan looked at the side of Killian’s face. “That bruise looks pretty bad.”

  “It’s nothing.” He tried to move his head so that his long hair covered it.

  Logan pushed the hair away. Killian’s neck and the side of his face were covered in dark purple bruises. Talia had found a rolling pin in one of the cupboards a few nights before. She had used it on him after he put some of her jewelry away so Lucy wouldn’t put it in her mouth.

  “Did she do this to you?” Logan asked.

  Killian supposed he thought it was funny, a woman beating up a man. He didn’t say anything.

  “You can’t fight back can you?” Logan said. “If you do the rest of them will come down on you, you wouldn’t stand a chance. They could take your daughter away. You’re all alone here.” He lowered his voice. “I wish I had married Talia.”

  “I wish you had too.”

  “I love her.” Logan said. “I could help her; she doesn’t have to be this way.”

  “Maybe you’ll get a chance someday.” Killian said. “Now tell me what I have to do to cast the spell.”

  “Can you feel the
energy in the air? You use that, try and draw it towards you with your hands.”

  “I can feel the energy but it seems unfamiliar to me. I’m not from here.”

  Logan rubbed his chin. “In that case call on the Founders, that always works. Get in the circle and ask the Founders to enchant the pen.” Logan handed him the fountain pen. “Tell them exactly what you want it to do, be as specific as you can.”

  “And hurry up.” Henry shouted.

  Killian stepped into the circle he had drawn on the ground. He had heard of people calling on the Founders for help but he had never done it himself. He never felt he was worthy of helping. Henry had told him every day of his life that no one wanted him. Killian believed it. He doubted the Founders gave him a second thought, if they did they wouldn’t have allowed him to live such a miserable existence. Now he was going to ask them for help, it probably wouldn’t work. He took a deep breath and held the pen out in front of him. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to speak aloud or not but he didn’t want to ask another question. He already felt dumb enough as it was.

  “Founders, make whatever I write with this pen come true.” Killian felt the air around him begin to vibrate.

  “You need to make sure that no one else can use the pen.” Logan advised.

  “Only I, Killian Cramer, can use this pen.” The air around him became violently agitated.

  “And you have to prevent others from taking it.” Henry shouted at him.

  “If anyone else, except for Lucy Cramer, touches this pen they’ll be burned, badly. And their fingers will swell up like sausages.” Killian smiled. He wasn’t used to having any control in his life. He suddenly thought of something else. “And the pen should never run out of ink.”

  A loud humming noise filled the air. A column of red light enclosed the circle. It was unclear where it had come from. Killian couldn’t see the council members or Lucy. His hands began to tingle. He looked down at the pen, it was glowing as though it was hot. The hair stood up on the back of his neck, he suddenly felt as though he wasn’t alone in the circle.

  “You’ll be one of us someday.” a voice spoke in his ear.

  He spun around but no one was there. The humming grew louder until it reached a crescendo. An ear splitting crack echoed through the air followed by three bolts of red lightening that lit up the sky above him. The column of red air vanished and the noise ceased. The Wildbush council was staring at him. Lucy giggled in Granny’s arms. “Daddy!” she shouted happily.

  “Very good.” Henry coughed and leaned heavily on his walking stick.

  The castings in the center of Wildbush were nothing like what had just happened. “Is it done?” Killian asked.

  Henry nodded. “Um, yes I think so.” There was a strange look in his eyes. If Killian didn’t know better he would have said it was fear.

  “Let’s try it out.” Logan said. “Step out of the circle.” Killian did as he was asked. Logan handed him a piece of paper. “Write something.”

  “Like what?”

  Logan looked down at himself. “Make my shirt green.”

  Killian wrote: Logan’s shirt is green. Nothing happened.

  Logan looked at the paper. “Try using my last name. I’m probably not the only Logan in the world.”

  Killian felt his face color. He was as stupid as they told him he was. Logan Hartsell’s shirt is green. Nothing happened. He sighed.

  “It’s because you’re left handed.” Henry grumbled. “Abnormal.”

  Killian let his hair fall over his face to hide his embarrassment. He was the only left handed person in Wildbush.

  “It’s not because of that.” Logan snapped his fingers. “You’ve got to be specific.” He touched his blue shirt. “You have to tell it that you want this shirt to be green.”

  Killian doubted it would work. He clearly couldn’t do anything right. The blue shirt Logan Hartsell is wearing at this very moment is now green. Killian looked up. His mouth fell open as Logan’s shirt went from blue to green.

  Logan grinned. “You’ve got it. You have you cast a multiple spell. No one has ever done that in Wildbush before. Wherever you are from, it must be a very powerful circle.”

  Henry pointed at the pen. “Remember you are to use that with our permission only.”

  “I understand.”

  Henry’s eyes narrowed. “If you do something unnatural with that pen-” He shoved the walking stick into Killian’s stomach. “If you do anything to hurt my daughter I promise you’ll regret it.”

  “I will abide by the council rules.” Killian said.

  Henry stared at him for a few seconds and then walked away.

  Logan leaned in close. “You can make the rules whatever you want.”

  Killian didn’t say anything. Logan seemed sincere. He was certainly kinder than Killian imagined he could be, but he wasn’t ready to trust him. He put the pen in his pocket. He had a lot to think about. He took Lucy from Granny Jenkins and went home.

  Chapter 9

  The day Killian cast his spell made Maeve nostalgic for Firesea. The red column of air, the lightening filled sky was just as it was in Firesea on a casting day. In Killian’s case the display was particularly spectacular. She watched out of the third story window above the cafe. On the ground below the mortals stared in awe. They were used to spells being cast behind the wall of the enchanters’ circle but this was something different.

  It seemed that every customer who came into the cafe wanted to talk about it. Maeve pretended she was as mystified as they were. Mortals amused and disgusted her. They were mostly useful for ordering around, especially her stepdaughter Allison who besides being skilled at following Maeve’s instructions was a relentless gossip. She seemed to always know what was going on in the circle and she gladly gave Maeve a nightly report.

  It only took two days for Killian to prove he wasn’t quite as dumb as he looked. Using his newly enchanted pen he rewrote the council rules and cast a spell that shocked everyone. He divorced Talia.

  No one was divorced in Wildbush, neither mortal nor enchanter. Divorce happened in other places, crowded mortal towns and immoral circles, not in Wildbush. But now two people were divorced, Killian and Talia Cramer. The pen had made it so.

  Everyone understood Killian’s desire to be free of his wife. Talia was an angry and disturbed girl who beat her husband mercilessly and most assumed that her daughter would be next. Killian did something else with his pen the day he granted himself a divorce. He wrote that Lucy would always live with him unless her mother loved her more than he did. That would never be true. As much as Maeve hated Killian even she could acknowledge that he was a loving father.

  No one in the circle knew what to do, and there was nothing they could do. Killian had changed the council rules to allow him to do whatever he wanted with the pen without repercussions. If he had been raised in Firesea he could have been a force to be reckoned with.

  After his divorce Killian created a huge three story brick house for himself which he inserted into the enchanters’ circle. In order to make room for it the circle itself became larger. That might have been the end of it all. Killian might have spent the rest of his days relaxing in his fancy house, but that didn’t happen. Talia was humiliated and furious and she cast her own spell the very next day.

  Chapter 10

  Killian woke to the sound of birds chirping outside of his window. He stretched his arms above his head. He was finally free. He and Talia were divorced. He looked at the pen on his bedside table and smiled. It was the best thing that had happened to him since Lucy was born. He never thought his life would ever change and then suddenly it had.

  He got out of bed and put on his robe. He went across the hall to Lucy’s room. She was sleeping in her crib. He slipped out and went into the bathroom. After using the toilet he washed his hands in the sink. He yawned as he looked in the mirror on the wall. Killian blinked, his hair was red.

  He ran to his bedroom and looked in the full length
mirror in the corner. His hair was still red. He pulled on the strands and checked the roots. Red. He tore off his robe and saw with horror that every hair on his body was now red. And not just any shade of red but a horrible bright copper, like a new mortal penny.

  His heart was beating fast. He didn’t understand what was happening. He grabbed his pen and started furiously writing on the pad of paper he kept next to his bed. Killian Cramer’s hair is not red. Killian Cramer’s hair is brown. Nothing happened.

  “No!” he cried. The Killian Cramer who lives in Wildbush does not have red hair and never will.

  His hair remained the same. The pen could not reverse the spell of another enchanter which meant his hair had been enchanted. He put his robe back on and went into Lucy’s room. He scooped her into his arms. She opened her eyes momentarily and then snuggled herself against his shoulder.

  Killian hurried down the stairs and out of the front door. His old house was across the circle. He pounded on the door, a few seconds later Logan opened it.

  “Where’s Talia?” Killian asked.

  Logan looked at his red hair but didn’t say anything. Talia pushed her way into the doorway. She started laughing. “Hello Red.”

  “Did you do this to me?”

  Talia pointed her finger at him. “It’s what you deserve. I made you into what you hate.”

  “You get one spell in your whole lifetime and you use it to turn my hair red?”

  “You used your spell to divorce me. You humiliated me in front of the entire circle and the mortals.” She looked at the top of his head and smirked. “It was worth it.”

  “I actually think it looks nice.” Logan said earnestly. “His eyes are so green; the red seems to compliment them.”

  Talia jabbed him in the ribs. “Shut up Logan.”

  Killian shook his head. “This is who you want Logan? She’ll treat you the same way she did me and you won’t be able to do anything about it.” He shifted Lucy in his arms and pulled up the sleeve of his robe. He had a burn from the last night of his marriage. “This will be you Logan.”