The Iron Seal

by J. M. Briggs

  “I will, and thank you again for helping him,” he said softly. The words were difficult. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost him.”

  Merlin nodded slowly, his eyes growing distant for a moment. Dobiemir wondered if Merlin was seeing him or someone else at that moment. A sad and all too understanding smile appeared on the man’s face. Nodding in understanding, Merlin stepped back and adjusted his pack. Morgana was watching him with soft eyes. More history that he didn’t understand. That was alright. He had what he needed: his son and his home were safe. The mages then started to walk down the road, away from his farm and the village.

  Dobiemir stayed next to the animal yard, watching as Merlin and Morgana departed. Relief welled up inside him. It was over. This strange year was finally done. His eyes jumped to the distant trees. He couldn’t see the lake, but he knew it was there. Chernobog was there and yet, Merlin and Morgana had explained that if he were to dive into the waters, he would never find him.

  It was one more thing that didn’t make sense — one more thing he didn’t understand. Yet somehow, it was the truth. His seal had put the mad Old One to sleep, and with luck, Chernobog would rest for a long time. Nodding to himself, Dobiemir gave the road one last look just to be sure that Merlin and Morgana were gone. They were, and his life could finally return to normal.

  Slavko came running up with a wide smile on his face. Dobiemir’s shoulders relaxed, and he reached out to put his hand on his son’s head. At least he had a healthy child to prove that the darkness that had taken over this valley had been lifted. There wasn’t anything more that he could ask for. Looking towards the trees, Dobiemir knew that he’d be going to that lake from time to time to check on Chernobog. But for now, he followed his son into the house for some lunch, at peace with the world and his life.

  34

  Battleground

  The commons food court was packed. Almost all of the tables were filled past capacity, leaving next to no room for Alex to navigate to the corner table that Jenny had somehow found. If it had been one of her mage friends she might have suspected the use of magic. As it was, she didn’t think that Jenny was that far along yet. Setting her tray down, Alex plopped down into her seat and tore open the small ketchup packages.

  “Burger again?” Jenny teased.

  “I like burgers,” Alex said. She shrugged and then took a sip of her sofa. “They make good ones here. Surprisingly. And the fries are top of the line.”

  It was a bit difficult to get comfortable in the wood and metal chair. Cathanáil was secure on her back, and while the sword wasn’t that long, the tip of it still hung off the edge of the chair. Alex shifted a bit until she found a reasonable position. She sort of missed being able to lean back in chairs, but the sword was very much in the way of that. At least the spell hiding it was holding strong.

  Lance came over a moment later with his burger and handed Jenny a small basket of onion rings. She kissed his cheek and alternated between eating her salad and the onion rings. Bran and Aiden joined them a bit later with their Asian rice bowls, and Nicki bounced over with a sandwich. Avani arrived last with her salad and a stack of books that filled one corner of the table.

  “So, what’s up with the Professors?” Nicki asked.

  “Profess Yates had a sub today,” Alex said. “He’s out sick.” She stressed the word sick and made quotes with her hands. Lowering her voice, she added, “He and Morgana are probably scrying for the Queen.”

  “You said she’s dead.”

  “Yes, and I’m sure she is, but those two will be trying to verify it.”

  “Which does make sense,” Aiden said carefully. “No offense.”

  “None taken.” Alex took another sip of her soda. “I get it. But that wasn’t a dream. I felt my magic working. She reached out to me. Besides, the look on Arthur’s face when they fled... I could tell that he was angry with her. Something had changed.”

  “Too bad this doesn’t mean he’ll leave us alone,” Nicki grumbled.

  “No, he won’t,” Alex agreed. That much she was certain of. “He’s too obsessed at this point. He’s not crazy; that would be too easy. I think there’s something else at work.”

  “You said he wants to be king,” Jenny said. Her voice was soft, and she shifted towards Lance. “And lately he’s been outfitting the Fae with modern weapons. That may indicate that he really is setting his sights on Earth. On conquest.”

  “If he could get rid of us that would make it easier,” Bran said. He tapped the end of a pen against his lower lip. “No one else with magic would be around.”

  “I’m not sure if that would be the end of it,” Alex said. “Merlin and Morgana could…” she trailed off.

  “Could what?” Jenny asked.

  “Uh… I’m not sure,” Alex said. “I had this stray thought that they could… never mind. Not sure where it came from.”

  “Maybe a memory,” Bran suggested gently.

  “Maybe.”

  Alex sipped her sofa and slumped in her chair as much as Cathanáil would allow. It scraped against the wood and a student at a nearby table turned to see what the noise was. There was nothing for them to see of course, but Alex straightened up, reminded that even Nicki’s brilliant scabbard had limits.

  “I need to figure out a way to hide the hammer,” Nicki said. Her eyes were tracing the scabbard. “I know that Arthur wants the sword… well, actually, does he still want it?” Frowning, Nicki looked at the others. “I mean, the Queen wanted to open the gates, but if Arthur isn’t interested then do we think he still wants the sword?”

  “Probably,” Jenny said carefully. She paused and considered her words. “It’s not just a magical item, remember that. It’s also a symbol. In terms of mythology, that is Excalibur, the sword of the king.”

  “And he wants to be king,” Alex finished. “That makes sense, and he did have experience with this sword in his previous life, unlike the hammer.” A vague memory tugged at Alex, pushing its way to the front of her mind. Medraut had never seemed obsessed with the sword, but he had resented the respect that Arto had. “And Jenny’s right; add to that the modern ideas about the sword, and he probably does see it as something more. Plus, he saw me use it to kill Chernobog.” Alex dropped her voice for that last part lest they freak someone out.

  Everyone turned their attention to their food, and Alex held back a sigh. They didn’t know. She hated not knowing. Even scrying, if successful, could only tell them so much. Drenching some of her fries in ketchup, Alex glanced around lazily. People were chatting all around them. It was safe and public. In his seat, Bran suddenly shuddered and had to grip the edge of the table. Lance reached over and put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

  “Bran?” Aiden called. Then he lowered his voice. “Did you see something?”

  “I…I’m not sure.” Bran looked up with wide eyes, searching the area. “There was smoke or dust. I’m not sure where.”

  That wasn’t much to go on. Frowning, Alex checked their surroundings again. Bran was still shaking his head and trying to figure out what he’d seen. Suspicion crawled up Alex’s chest and settled in her throat. Exhaling slowly, she pulled on her magic. The spark in her chest burst to life. Alex cast it out, pushing the magic out around them.

  Closing her eyes, she focused on what was around there. There were so many people that for the first few moments it was all just a haze of outlines. The walls of the building took shape as the magic flowed over them like water. Still nothing strange. Then a black tangle drew Alex’s attention. Her eyes swept through the room. It wasn’t here. It was moving above them. Looking up, Alex frowned at the upper floors around them, surrounding the food court. Her magic stretched out further, trying to find the tangle that was eluding her.

  “Alex?” Bran called.

  “Something is here,” Alex said. “It’s one of those medallions.”

  “Shit,” Aiden hissed.

  They all stood up, and Alex froze, suddenly debating w
hat to do. It was the middle of the day. The Student Union building was full of people. If something happened… if there was another firearm involved, then this would get ugly very fast.

  “Jenny, Lance, I need to you get out,” Alex said softly. “Pull the fire alarms to clear the building and call Merlin and Morgana.”

  “You sure?” Lance asked. “I mean… pulling the alarms?”

  It was Bran who answered, “If there’s another gun here then people have got to clear out.”

  “You think the dust-” Lance began to ask.

  “I have no idea what I saw,” Bran snapped. “Just go.”

  Heading for the staircase, Alex was aware of the black tangle of magic moving. Not quickly. It was almost pacing. They reached the second floor, but it was still above them. Heart pounding, Alex led the others upstairs. Around her, the world kept shifting in color. Bright lines of magic outlined the staircase, and vague blobs of color were the people. Behind her, the other mages were distinct.

  Alarms went off just as they hit the third floor. Downstairs in the food court, students looked up and around in confusion. There was grumbling, but most people grabbed their things and started filing out the front doors. Around them the side rooms and offices opened as people headed for the exits. Alex didn’t and moved faster now. The black tangle wasn’t far now.

  A strong chemical scent hit her nose, filling her nostrils and making them burn. Magic hummed over her arms. Curling her nose, Alex shook her head. Her magic was flaring up. A sound of alarm behind her made her turn. Bran swayed, nearly stumbling into the wall. Aiden caught him, holding him up and swinging Bran’s arm around his shoulders. Alex turned, her vision clearing enough that Bran’s wide green eyes were distinct. They were filled with horror.

  “Bomb,” Bran gasped. “It’s Arthur. There’s a bomb.”

  That’s what it was, Alex realized with a jolt. At least Bran’s magic had made the warning clear. Swinging around, Alex narrowed her eyes and looked for the tangle. It was moving, but at least it was on the same floor. Dashing forward, Alex ran for it. The others were right behind her.

  “Alex, wait!” Nicki shouted. “We pulled the alarm! Everyone is getting out! We should too!”

  She stopped and blinked. Her magic was humming, but the black knot was moving downstairs now, probably using a back staircase. Nicki was right. Exhaling, Alex eased her hold on the magic. Her vision shifted back towards normal, and she turned back to the others. As soon as she nodded, they all headed back for the stairs. Rushing down them, Alex glanced around. People had taken the alarm seriously by the looks of it. A few people were moving slowly towards the door, apparently not thinking anything of it.

  Then she felt it. A sudden change in the air that made her turn back around. Out of the corner of her eye, something was flaring and sparking. Her magic shuddered. Turning and throwing her hands forward, Alex screamed. Magic flashed around her. Pushing everything she had forward, she thought of only one thing: stop the explosion. Air shimmered. Her hands were suddenly touching something warm and solid. A dome glowed in her vision before her magic started to fade. She couldn’t see the done now, but she could feel it. An ache in her chest added to her pain.

  There was a push, a hard shove against the dome, but it held. Opening her eyes, Alex saw the air darken in the dome. It swirled and shuddered. Behind her, Alex heard screaming and shouting. It wasn’t too close. She hoped it wasn’t too close. Her hands trembled. Then someone was behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

  More magic flowed into her chest. Inside the dome, there was dust and ash, curling in the air. The pressure kept hitting the dome, struggling to break free, but Alex held it. Another hand touched her right shoulder. Another jolt of magic reinforced the dome. It shuddered. Waves of pressure were bouncing inside the dome, slowly weakening, but every hit weakened her. More magic pumped into her body and Alex released a shaky breath. Her friends were here. But the horror of what was happening didn’t escape her.

  Arthur had planted a bomb. Right in the middle of the Student Union building. At the busiest time of the day. He’d probably even made sure that they were on campus for classes and lunch. Her hands quivered. The dome shimmered. Alex bit her lower lip. Tears gathered in her eyes. She wanted to tell the others to run, to leave, but she couldn’t

  Then the shaking stopped. The pressure eased, and Alex’s hands fell. Dust hit her face as the shield collapsed and she coughed weakly. The Student Union building was destroyed. Half-collapsed in a pile of rubble. Gaping at the destruction, Alex almost fell to her knees. Her magic was gone. Exhausted. She hadn’t stopped it; just contained it. Swallowing, she stared. How many students had been in there? Not everyone paid attention to fire alarms unless they heard smoke. More shouting echoed up behind her. Bran grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the doors.

  “Alex, come on, we have to go,” he said. “The whole interior is ripped apart. People are watching.”

  “But-” She coughed again and followed meekly.

  People were screaming outside. There were shouts and phones and cameras everywhere. A few other people were running away from the building. A crowd was gathering, and some were pushing towards the doors. Bran never let go of Alex as they maneuvered through the people now trying to investigate.

  They reached the grass. Alex’s stomach gave up, and she bent over as she started throwing up. Nicki pulled her hair back, and the others circled close to her. She didn’t release Bran’s hand. Distantly, Alex heard sirens. A bomb. Her mind was stuck on repeat. Arthur had used a bomb. He’d made a bomb and planted it in the school. How had things gone this far? Why was she surprised?

  “Easy,” Nicki said. She slowly straightened up, certain there was nothing left in her stomach. Grimacing at the taste in her mouth, Alex spit frantically on the ground. Nicki pulled her away from the mess. “Just keep breathing,” Nicki instructed.

  There were shouts now near the building for everyone to get back. Alex didn’t bother turning to see who it was. It didn’t matter. Everything would be chaos right now. Glancing around at the other buildings, she saw people flooding out of them. The crowd was thickening, but Nicki and Bran kept tight hold of her and kept moving them away.

  “Nicki!” Jenny’s voice called out. “Over here!”

  She blinked and looked up, still in a daze, but trying to fight free of it. Jenny was standing on top of a small retaining wall at the edge of the sidewalk. Lance was next to her on his phone. Expressions of relief flooded both their faces. Jenny jumped off the retaining wall and dashed towards them.

  “Oh god,” Jenny gasped. Throwing herself forward, she hugged Alex. “Oh, thank God, you’re all okay!” Pulling back, Jenny reached to touch the sides of Alex’s face. “If you hadn’t sensed him...he...it…”

  “They’re okay, Jenny,” Lance assured her. He gently touched Jenny’s shoulders as she trembled. “It’s okay. You pulled the alarm: people got out.” Jenny spun around and hugged him tightly. “I got ahold of Morgana,” Lance said. “She was nearby in class. She’ll be here soon.”

  “Good,” Nicki said. She finally eased her grip on Alex’s arm. “Good.”

  Lance studied all of them. Then he turned slightly, still keeping one arm around Jenny, and picked up his messenger bag. “There’s a bottle of water in here.”

  Bran nodded and dug it out, handing it to Alex. “Here, maybe it will help.”

  Saying nothing, Alex took the bottle and walked over to the retaining wall. Everyone was silent as she poured some water into her hand and rinsed out her mouth. There was dust on her hair. She stared at it as the water droplets on her hand turned it into a fine layer of mud. Her jeans were covered too. Jenny appeared at her side and extended a package of tissues. Taking them with a nod, Alex cleaned off her hand and then rinsed her mouth again.

  It helped — a little. Fire trucks were driving up onto the lawn alongside police cars. Officers were urging the crowd back and setting up a barrier. Alex wasn’t sure if it was smoke or
dust rising off the building, but another section collapsed, twisting inward and falling across the tables and chairs that had remained intact.

  “You did great,” Aiden said. He reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’s impossible to say right now how strong that bomb was, but you must have stopped at least half the explosion.”

  “If not more,” Nicki softly added. “We’re alive, and it took out only one building.”

  “You stopped it?” Lance asked. His eyes were wide. “Wow… I mean, that makes sense, but wow.”

  “A shield,” Alex said softly. Her voice sounded rough even to her. “I didn’t even think about it. Contained the explosion in a dome.”