by John O'Riley
“Yes, that poor girl. She’s been through a lot,” Helen agreed.
Josephine took a sip of her coffee and nausea assailed her senses. Her stomach clenched and threatened to expel its contents. She adopted a stoic expression to mask her discomfort as she carefully set her mug back down on the table. It looked like she wasn’t going to have any coffee again this morning. She didn’t want her friends to hound her about seeing the doctor so she planned on dumping the coffee in the kitchen sink when no one was looking.
“Are you working on the case that was on the news last night?” Helen asked.
“I don’t know.” Josephine rarely watched the news or read the newspaper because it was too depressing.
“There was a major magical disturbance on Fruitville and Tuttle. People think it may be a terrorist attack or experiment that the Valituras are trying out,” Helen advised.
“The Valituras are no longer a coherent organization. I’ll be glad when we round up every last one of them. I’m so sick of those guys.” Josephine’s gorgeous brown eyes flashed with ire. That group had tried killing her more times than she could count.
“I don’t blame you.” Alice leveled a commiserating look at her.
“So what do you think caused that disturbance?” Helen asked.
“To be honest, I have no idea,” Josephine admitted. “It seemed like an out of control category six but there’s no reason to hide their ability.”
“Maybe they’re afraid the laws will change again and they’ll have to wear an aequitas enchantment,” Alice hypothesized. “Those things aren’t fun.”
Aequitas enchantments would knock out the wizard wearing them if they used more than a trickle of power. It wasn’t too long ago that it had been mandatory for every single category six to wear one at all times.
“I hated wearing those stupid things,” Josephine said. “It was so liberating when I figured out how to disarm them.”
“I was worried you were going to get caught,” Helen said. “Plus you were tapping into the Siesta Key vortex every day which was also illegal at the time. You had made me worried sick.”
“Sixes are drawn to vortexes like a moth to flame,” Alice remarked.
“I think it’s built into our DNA,” Josephine agreed. She excused herself and made her way to the kitchen. Josephine glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was still alone as she stood near the sink. After confirming the coast was clear, she took two quick steps and dumped the beverage.
“Aha!” Helen shouted.
Josephine froze with her mug tipped upside-down over the sink and a decidedly guilty expression on her face.
Both Helen and Alice stood in the doorway with their hands on their hips.
“I was just rinsing out my cup,” Josephine said.
“This is the fourth time you’ve done that,” Helen said. “You need to go to the doctor.”
“Absolutely not!” Josephine exclaimed. “I’ll just ask Mark to heal me.”
Alice leveled a smug grin at her. “You’re not sick. You’re pregnant.”
Josephine gasped with astonishment then glared at her two friends with annoyance.
“You’re as bad as Detective Whiney,” she said.
“So Alex agrees with us.” Alice’s eyes glittered with delight. “I knew it!”
“That’s not exactly something you should be proud of.” Josephine threw her a sardonic gaze before turning her back on them to wash out her mug.
“You need to get yourself checked.” Alice took up a position on her left side.
Helen flanked Josephine’s other side. “Go see a doctor.”
“You guys sound absolutely ridiculous! I’m eight-four years old!” Josephine exclaimed.
“You’re also a category six and you’re immortal,” Helen pointed out.
“When’s the last time you had a period?” Alice demanded.
Josephine shot her a disgusted look. “I’m not dignifying that with a response.”
“The last time she had a period was over a year ago in September,” Helen said.
Category six wizards only had their period once every year and due to their unique physiology, it was difficult for them to become pregnant.
“How did you know that?” Josephine regarded her with stupefied amazement.
“You mentioned it when you were drunk at the bar,” Helen advised.
“I don’t remember that,” Alice said.
“You were drunk, too. I had cranberry juice because I was the designated driver,” Helen explained.
“Poppycock!” Alice said. “WE are the ones who made YOU the designated driver because you’re such a stick in the mud that you never drink.”
Helen sniffed with disdain. “The point is that I was lucid and I had a clear head which is why I remember what was said.”
“You’re overdue by a month!” Alice pointed her finger at Josephine and her eyes glittered with excitement. “You’re pregnant!”
“Enough!” Josephine exclaimed. “If I hear another word about this, I’m leaving.”
“But we haven’t played cards yet,” Alice protested.
“Then you’d better choose your words with care,” Josephine said.
They gathered in the living room again. Josephine’s thoughts churned with chaos. A volatile mix of anger at her friends, vulnerability, and something else stirred inside her. She and her daughter, Rachel, rarely spoke even though she lived nearby in Bradenton. One of the problems was that Rachel’s job required a lot of travel and she was seldom home. Josephine suspected her daughter liked it that way. Josephine wished she could have had a closer relationship with Rachel but things just hadn’t turned out that way. She wondered how things would change between them if it turned out she was with child. Josephine’s thoughts shifted to Mark and her heart warmed at the thought of having a baby with him. He would made a terrific father. An instant later, panic flooded through her at the thought of giving birth when she was so old. This couldn’t even be possible. Josephine silently chastised herself for allowing herself to entertain such a ludicrous notion and stress out over nothing.
Alice began shuffling the cards and glanced pointedly at Josephine as if she wanted to say something but wisely refrained from doing so. Josephine pretended not to notice.
“How’s Jake doing?” Helen asked in a conversational tone.
“He’s doing well.” Josephine regarded her with curiosity. “How is my tenant doing? Have you heard anything? Is she treating my condo okay?”
“Try not to worry about it. That’s why you have a property management company.”
“This is a new experience for me. I wonder if I should have just let it stay empty.”
Alice cocked a bemused brow at her. “Why would you want to do that? You’re still making mortgage payments on it.”
“I can afford it now that I’ve got a good job. Have you thought about leaving retirement?” Josephine asked.
Alice started passing cards to everyone so they could play Rummy.
“It’s not going to happen,” she said.
Helen straightened in her chair as she reached for her cards. “Before my white magic powers became active, I was thinking I might try being an enforcer. It’s a scary idea leaving retirement to do something like that. I don’t know if I could do. And my psychometry isn’t nearly as good as yours.”
“It doesn’t matter. There are enforcers who’s primary duties are creating enchantments.”
“I know but I would still be called to assist in police investigations and it’s possible I may have to work for the feds sometimes.”
“That’s true,” Josephine agreed.
“If I revert back to mainstream magic, I’ll definitely revisit the idea.”
Helen had become a category six when she’d been cursed with immortality and turned into a succubus. Now that she was a white magic practitioner, the succubus nature was dormant because light energy was always stronger than dark energy. If she could avoid burnout and keep her white
magic, the curse would eventually unravel and she’d be completely free of it. Almost everyone lost their white magic within a year or two and there was no guarantee Helen would be an exception but Josephine was hoping that their magical connection would make the difference. Forming a magical network with others was very advanced wizardry and as far as Josephine knew, none of the other white magic practitioners had this advantage.
“I hope you’re not going to hog the aces this time.” Josephine pinned Alice with a grievous look.
“Thanks for tipping me off. I’ll be sure to save this ace with my last dying breath,” Alice goaded her.
“Hah! You’re bluffing,” Josephine said.
“Am I?” Alice’s expression was deadpan.
Helen rolled her eyes with exasperation. “Will you please take your turn already, Alice?”
“Fine.” Alice discarded one of her cards to end her turn.
Helen didn’t dawdle. She was done in no time. Josephine picked up a card and cringed inside. It was a three. She’d been hoping for an ace, king, or a queen. She wanted to rack up those points. Josephine had just one ace but hoped the other three were still in the deck lying at the center of the table waiting to be drawn.
“Mark sure is excited about turning nineteen,” Helen remarked.
“That’s because he’s sensitive about his age,” Alice said.
The three women played in silence for awhile until Helen took her turn and played three aces and four tens. Alice and Josephine both made sounds of protest as Helen discarded her only card remaining which ended the game.
“I can’t believe YOU had the aces!” Josephine exclaimed.
Alice leveled a shrewd gaze at Helen. “It’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for.”
“Hmm.” Helen’s lips curved in an amused smile.
Chapter 3
Myles was a portly man with black hair and blue eyes wearing jeans, a brown knit shirt, and a green jacket that was too insubstantial for the chilly outdoors of Sedalia, Missouri. He stood as still as a statue, transfixed by the two fist-sized crystal cubes resting on the ground at his feet. Swirling, mist-like energy spilled from the devices and sank deep into the dirt to the ancient structure far below. Myles was positioned near the far edge of the dying cornfield which hadn’t been tended to for several months. His body shivered but he didn’t care in the least. His attention was absorbed by the task at hand. It had taken weeks to find this place and now it was taking days to fix the remains of the facility buried underground. It was one of many similar structures containing advanced and powerful technology built by humans many centuries ago. Compared to the civilization now, it was hard to imagine humans had created such marvels. Not much had remained of this facility but it had been enough for the nanites of the crystal cubes to begin their work of restoration. Myles ignored the discomfort of his body as it grew colder. He simply didn’t care what happened to it. APU 81 inhabited this human and to its way of thinking, there were plenty of humans around to spare.
It took all of APU 81’s concentration to direct the nanites to work as efficiently as possible. The perimeter of the facility spanned several miles and APU 81 had set up a disruption field to prevent APU 4093 from detecting the terramezic energy in use. It was absolutely vital that APU 81 continue to work in secret until it seized control of this facility. Myles tore his gaze from the crystal cubes, known as NPX regeneration units, because he detected a human life form approaching. He still maintained most of his mental capacity on directing the nanites but resented the small portion of concentration it required to deal with the unwelcome guest. Myles watched the man stride over toward him. He was average height, in his forties, with thinning brown hair, a mustache, and green eyes. He wore a plaid shirt and jeans and his name was Ernest, the town sheriff. Sedalia boasted a meager population of about twelve hundred and Myles had recently purchased this abandoned farm that rested just outside of the border. APU 81 had believed the isolation of this area would afford him privacy but that was far from the truth. The nosy inhabitants of this town found many reasons to stop by. On the other hand, APU 81 figured if this had been a big city, the neighbors would probably be just as bad. Humans were a constant nuisance that it was forced to contend with.
“Greetings, sheriff,” Myles said in a pleasant tone.
Ernest leveled a curious look at him. “I’ve received reports that there are strange spells going on here.”
“Strange spells?” Myles flashed an amused smile. “I’m working on a revolutionary enchantment that will enhance the soil and result in faster and better crops in the area. It’s very important work.”
“Really?” Ernest’s green eyes conveyed renewed interest.
Myles hadn’t intended to gain further attention. He’d been trying to give a valid reason for his work here that would satisfy the curiosity of the sheriff without inspiring more interest.
“Yes and it takes many hours of observation and concentration. I really can’t take my attention away from my work without risking major setbacks,” Myles said.
“What are those things?” Ernest pointed at the NPX cubes that continued to radiate with a swirling, silvery mist as nanites continued to be produced.
“They are the source of the enchantment and they also record the results of the experiment,” Myles lied smoothly.
“I’m going to stay and watch. I need to make sure everything is on the up and up,” Ernest said.
“Is that really necessary, sheriff?”
“I’m afraid so.” Ernest regarded him with a look of resolve and his green eyes glittered with eager excitement.
He was obviously looking forward to gleaning any small nugget of information about this experiment so he could gossip to his buddies.
Myles cocked his head at a slight angle and offered a brittle smile. “Have you ever been forced to work with a bunch of incompetent morons?”
“From time to time.”
“I’ve had to contend with that sort of working environment for many years,” Myles said in a conversational tone. “I’m sure you can understand how frustrating that is.”
“I sure do,” Ernest agreed.
“There was one company in particular that I helped to build up with some major technological advances. It’s called Freeman Enterprises. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?”
Ernest shook his head. “Nope.”
“There is a young man by the name of Mark Freeman who I had such high hopes for. In fact, he did make the work I’m doing now possible. Unfortunately, he became a major impediment to my plans. He and Helen Pierce ruined years of painstaking drudgery. I was finally on the verge of accomplishing greatness and they stole it from me!” Myles clenched his fists with fury. Ernest blinked with surprise and took an involuntary step back. “You can see why I resent those two for their misdeeds against me.”
“Well, yes, I do. Why didn’t you report them to the police?”
Myles was stunned speechless for several seconds. Then APU 81 realized the human sheriff had mistakenly surmised that Mark and Helen had stolen his ideas and research. It was an understandable error based on the description of events.
“Believe me, I did.” The lie rolled easily off Myles’s tongue. “Unfortunately, they got away with their crimes against me. And because of what they’ve done, I’m going to make them pay dearly. I will make their lives a living hell.”
“It might be a good idea if you try not to dwell on it,” Ernest advised.
“Have you ever heard of the expression ‘Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger?’ Well, sometimes it’s true.” Myles’s lips formed a cruel smile. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to ruin them. I’m going to kill Josephine O’Connor. And when Mark is wallowing in his grief and despair, he’ll discover his white magic failing him and that’s when he’ll need it the most.”
“I’ve seen Josephine on the news. She’s one of the heroes that saved us from the Valituras!” Ernest exclaimed.
He activated
his protection enchantments and aimed his wand at Myles. A smug and sinister laugh exploded from Myles as if the sheriff had just told him the funniest joke imaginable.
“You’re under arrest,” Ernest said. “Put your hands behind your head.”
Myles continued to laugh as he raised his personal shield. Ernest fired a powerful telekinetic wave that smashed against the powerful protection.
“You’ve seriously underestimated me, human.” Myles’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Myles summoned a powerful stream of terramezic energy and created a swirling mass of fire that tore at Ernest’s protection. The thick, heavy flames continued to beat at the sheriff’s shield. Ernest unleashed another powerful wave of telekinesis from his wand which smashed against Myles’s protection but didn’t even come close to breaking it. The sheriff activated his backup protection with haste as his primary protection began to fail. The thick spinning mass of flames was like a small tornado. In mere seconds, Ernest’s shields failed altogether and his body was ablaze. He died almost instantly and his corpse hit the ground. Myles ceased the attack and all that was left of Ernest was a smoldering, blackened skeleton. The grass had caught fire in a circular shape around the body. Myles held his right hand out and used mainstream magic to issue a stream of water from his palm to extinguish the flames.
He strode back to his former position near the crystal cubes and resumed his work. It wouldn’t take much longer to restore this facility. The silvery glow of the NPX regeneration units reflected in Myles’s brown eyes as he focused on restoring the ancient and powerful structure beneath his feet.
Chapter 4
Mark was seated at a booth next to the window at Triple Play Burgers leafing through a French novel as he waited for Maggie and Virginia to arrive. A smattering of customers were seated at various tables and booths. The heavenly scent of freshly grilled burgers wafted in the air. Classic rock and roll played in the background but not loud enough to discourage conversation. Mark looked up and offered a friendly smile as his sister strode over and slid into the seat across from him. Maggie was a beautiful young woman with the same sultry brown eyes, aquiline nose, long lashes, full lips and silky black hair as her brother.