by John O'Riley
“We definitely need to destroy APU 81,” Josephine said.
“It occurred to me last night that there may be an enchantment that already exists that can help me to scan for terramezic energy at a much greater distance. I found several templates in high level clearance archives for military research and applications. Based on those templates, I came up with an idea for my own enchantment. It would involve an interlocking set of enchantments that would connect with a power vortex to boost the signal. I think I can make it work but it’s going to involve some risk.” Maggie’s tone was determined.
“What kind of risk?”
“It will generate unsafe levels of energy. Only a category five or six could use the enchantment and it would take at least four of them to do it. As you know, when too much power is involved, a spell is volatile and unstable. If any of the wizards become out of sync with the others, it could cause an explosion that would kill everyone in the vicinity.”
Josephine wondered if there was any way to perform the magic safely. “Is it possible to minimize the risks somehow? What if the wizards have extra shielding while they do the spell?”
“Personal shields will interfere with the scan,” Maggie explained.
“If there are more than four wizards, will that help make the enchantment less volatile?” Josephine asked.
“No. In fact, the more people that are involved, the greater the instability but the wider the range of the scan. With four wizards, I feel we would be able to reach approximately half the country. Five wizards would allow us to reach about three-quarters or more of the U.S.”
“Do you think Virginia would be able to get approval for us to do that kind of spell?” Josephine asked.
Maggie’s lips formed a grim smile. “The government officials are going to be a bit panicked after their only Ancient facility was destroyed by APU 81.”
“You’re probably right.” Josephine wondered if she could allow herself take such a grave risk for just a scan. If it were a weapon that could destroy APU 81, that would be different. “How long do you think it will take to come up with an enchantment and for us to complete it?”
“I’m sure I’ll have a design made up by this afternoon.”
Josephine regarded her with surprise. “That’s very fast. Are you sure about that?”
“I’m positive,” Maggie confirmed. “Once I have the design ready, it will take us a few days to make the enchantment. We’ll have to be plugged into a vortex to make the process go fast; otherwise, it would take a month or so.”
“It sounds like a plan,” Josephine said.
“Maybe a safer approach would be better.” Mark appeared at the doorway with a mug of coffee and a frown of concern on his face.
“I’ll make the enchantment as safe as I possibly can,” Maggie assured him.
“But it will still be extremely dangerous.”
Maggie shot him an annoyed look. “Do you have a better idea?”
“I’m wondering if I can create a long range scanner using white magic,” Mark said.
“That’s an interesting idea.” Josephine perked up at the thought of a plan that didn’t involve the possibility of blowing up.
“The only problem is that white magic doesn’t follow the same principles as mainstream magic. It’s wild magic and therefore you can’t depend on the design to work as it’s intended,” Maggie said.
“Nevertheless, I’m going to try. I’ll need to study the information that you have on detecting terramezic energy.”
“We’ll need Virginia’s authorization for that.”
“That probably won’t be a problem,” Mark said.
It turned out Mark was right. Virginia didn’t hesitate in approving his work and hiring him to complete the enchantment. Mark received permission to hire two helpers because he planned on asking Perry and Helen if they would assist him. Virginia also gave the go ahead for Maggie’s idea. Another team on MADA was doing a similar enchantment but had advised it would be at least a week before they could implement their plan. Josephine hoped that Mark finished his white magic terramezic scanner first. It was a long and grueling day preparing the enchantments. Josephine was exhausted as she lay in her bed beside Mark in the dark. A sliver of moonlight peeked through the closed curtains and illuminated the side of Mark’s face.
“Do you really think you can make a terramezic scanner?” Josephine asked.
“I think so.” Mark turned on his side to face her. “I had to try something. I couldn’t stand the thought of you and Maggie taking such a grave risk.”
“I suspected as much.” Josephine leaned closer and brushed her lips against his.
Mark wrapped his arm around her and moved closer to snuggle. “I love you more than words can say.”
“I love you, too.”
It was hard to believe that just a week ago, life had seemed almost perfect. Now, she had APU 81 trying to murder her and it would probably target Mark and Helen since they were White Knights and close to her. And she also worried about Yvonne and Charlotte. Even though they had been reassigned from Josephine to Arthur Gallagher, she felt sympathetic towards their plight and wished she could help them. She hoped the two young women were healed of their K Syndrome and the mind control enchantment.
Maggie was the first to come over the next morning for coffee. Josephine opened the front door and arched a brow at Maggie’s professional yet stylish navy-blue outfit and her perfectly applied makeup. Maggie looked ready for another twelve-hour work day.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a slave driver?” Josephine stepped aside so Maggie could enter her home.
Maggie’s expression turned stormy. “I was told that many times while I was inhabited by APU 81.”
“We’re not starting work right away. I need my wakeup time.” Josephine offered a wry smile.
“Of course.”
The two women gathered in the dining room with their coffees. Helen and Alice arrived a short while later and they played Rummy although Maggie declined the offer to join them.
“I can’t believe you play cards first thing in the morning,” Maggie remarked.
“It helps give you a little pick me up,” Alice advised. “You’ll understand when you get to be my age.”
Maggie snorted with disbelief and took a drink of her coffee. Alice won the first hand very quickly. Josephine shuffled the cards.
“Don’t pass any to me. I’m going to sit the next one out. I need to refill my coffee,” Alice said.
“We can wait,” Helen said.
“I’m almost finished with this cup and by the time we start, I’ll need to stop to get more coffee and then I’ll feel pressured to hurry up,” Alice said.
“Okay.” Josephine eyed her friend with incredulous disbelief. She’d never seen Alice pass up on a hand of cards before when she was in the middle of a game.
“I don’t like to be rushed.” Alice’s lips formed a moody frown.
Josephine and Helen played the next hand of cards without her. True to her word, Alice excused herself shortly after they started.
“What’s up with her?” Josephine asked quietly.
Helen shrugged. “Beats me.”
“Maybe she’s just grumpy this morning,” Maggie suggested.
When Helen won the next hand, Alice still hadn’t returned.
“Alice?” Josephine called out.
When she failed to respond, Josephine ventured into the kitchen and found Alice wasn’t there. She noticed her mug was filled with coffee though. Alice emerged in the doorway and halted with startlement when she saw Josephine.
“Where were you?” Josephine asked.
“Can’t a woman powder her nose without getting the third degree?” Alice scowled with displeasure.
Josephine could sense that her friend was hiding something from her. Faint impressions of guilt wafted to her mind. Because Alice was a category five, she didn’t generate much psychometric energy. Josephine could perform a scan but she never did
that to her friends as it was an invasion of privacy. She was sorely tempted to do so as Alice walked past her to the dining room. As the three women played their next hand of Rummy, Alice kept looking down at her lap. She was clearly distracted and Josephine scored a lot of points. When they started the next game, Alice continued to dart furtive looks down at her lap.
“What in the world are you doing?” Helen asked.
Alice stiffened with surprise. “I’m just checking my phone for texts.”
“Is something wrong? Are you expecting a message?” Josephine asked.
“I’m fine.” Alice offered a nervous smile.
They continued playing cards until the doorbell rang. Alice flinched while Helen, Maggie, and Josephine exchanged puzzled looks.
“Who on earth would be visiting me at this hour?” Josephine rose to her feet.
“I’ll get the door! I’m losing anyway.” Alice dropped her cards face up on the table and scurried out of the room.
Josephine and Helen stared down at the cards in shock. Alice had quite a hand and she’d just given up.
“I can’t believe she just did that!” Josephine exclaimed.
“Me, too.” Helen regarded her with astonishment.
“She’s acting very peculiar – even for her,” Maggie commented. “Could she be possessed by APU 81?”
“No, I would sense a complete absence of psychometric energy if that was the case,” Josephine said.
Alice returned with Jake and Alex.
“Hey, guys.” Jake’s lips curved in an amiable smile.
“What’s going on?” Josephine asked.
Jake and Alex blinked at her with surprise.
“Does this mean there’s no breakfast?” Alex asked.
Alice whipped her hand up high into the air to reveal she had Josephine’s cell phone.
“I sent Jake and Alex a text message, pretending I was you and inviting them over for breakfast.” Alice’s eyes glittered with stubborn resolve.
“Why on earth would you do such a thing?” Josephine regarded her with bewilderment and mild annoyance.
“This is an intervention!” Alice exclaimed. She set the cell phone on the table then pulled something out from behind her and held it up for everyone to see.
Everyone peered at the box in Alice’s hand which turned out to be a pregnancy test kit made by NEV-R-FAIL, Inc. which was the most reliable enchantment on the market.
“I’m tired of seeing you in denial! You need to admit the truth and start preparing for your baby,” Alice said.
Josephine and Maggie both burst out in hysterical fits of laughter while Helen smiled with faint amusement. Alex and Jake looked a bit nervous but they forced polite smiles on their faces. Mark appeared at the doorway with Perry perched on his right shoulder in the form of a white dove.
“You’re hilarious!” Josephine said when she’d finally started to contain her laughter. “So that’s why you were acting so strange this morning.”
“This is no laughing matter! I’m going to prove, once and for all, that you’re with child.” Alice opened the box and took out one of the clear, glass mini wands. She whipped up the wand with a flourish and held it out towards Josephine.
“I’m not taking that stupid thing.” Josephine eyed the test wand with amusement.
“You’re afraid! You must suspect the truth already or you wouldn’t be scared to get tested!” Alice taunted.
“For heavens sakes.” Josephine snatched the glass mini wand from Alice. She directed a trickle of power to activate the enchantment. The mini wand lit up with a radiant silvery luminescence. If the glass turned green, that meant she was pregnant but if it turned red it confirmed she wasn’t. After several seconds, the wand went dark to reveal it had turned red. Josephine chuckled again with mirth. She didn’t understand why Alice became obsessed over minor details like this but it made life interesting. “There you go, Alice. I’m not having a baby. I’ve been trying to tell you it’s extremely difficult for sixes to get pregnant in the first place and now that I’m well into my eighties, it’s impossible.”
“It probably messed up the spell because I touched it first. Try another.” Alice held the entire box out for Josephine.
Josephine leveled an indulgent smile at her friend as she accepted the box. She set the used mini wand on the table and pulled a fresh one from the box. The wand lit up for several seconds as the spell activated. The glass turned blue.
“What on earth?” Josephine regarded the wand with puzzlement. “It’s only supposed to turn green or red.”
“Try it again,” Alice demanded.
Josephine pulled out another one which turned green. Everyone gasped with astonishment while Alice looked triumphant.
“Aha! I knew it!” Alice crowed.
“For heavens sakes! I’m NOT pregnant!”
Josephine pulled another wand out of the box and activated the enchantment. It lit up for several seconds and she held her breath as she waited for the result. It darkened to reveal it had turned red.
“There we have it. There must have been one faulty wand in the box,” Josephine said.
Alice fixed her attention on Jake and Alex. “Did you guys know that in the old days, women used to have to pee on sticks to see if they were pregnant?”
“You’re kidding me!” Jake regarded her with horror. “That’s so barbaric!”
“And disgusting,” Alice remarked. She turned to face Josephine. “You’re not out of the woods yet. You’ve got one that says you’re pregnant and one that says you’re not. You should try again to be sure.”
“Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?”
“You’re just afraid of the truth.” Alice’s expression was smug.
Josephine concentrated on the box in her hands and summoned a powerful burst of energy. The box drifted up off her hand and burst into flames. Josephine concentrated on controlling the fire and intensifying the heat. In a matter of seconds, the box exploded into ash and melted glass. The liquid glass and ash halted about a foot off the floor as Josephine used telekinesis to prevent it from ruining her carpet.
“That was mature,” Alice said silkily.
A trash can burst into the room and Josephine directed the glass and ash into it.
“That was impressive,” Maggie commented.
“She knows her stuff,” Alex agreed.
Josephine used telekinesis to put the trash can back into the kitchen where it belonged.
“You have amazing control when you’re tapped into the vortex,” Maggie said.
“Yes, I do.”
“I suspected you might do something like this.” Alice wore a smirk on her face as she pulled out another box from her pants pocket behind her. It was a much thinner but taller box containing NEV-R-FAIL pregnancy wands labeled ‘premium reliability guaranteed.’
“You are something else.” Josephine couldn’t believe it.
“These things were expensive and I expect you to use them,” Alice said.
Josephine stared at the box her friend held out to her as a mixture of annoyance and amusement washed through her. She finally accepted the test kit and pulled out a larger glass wand that measured approximately a foot. It lit up with a silvery white luminescence and in spite of herself, she held her breath with anticipation. When the spell finished, the glass turned green. Josephine was flabbergasted. This particular model of pregnancy testing enchantments boasted a sterling reputation. Josephine had never heard of a single false positive coming from one of these.
“I knew it!” Alice clapped her hands together and beamed with excitement.
“Not so fast! I’m using the other one.”
There was only one other wand in the box and Josephine pulled it out with haste. She activated the enchantment and it turned green like the other one. She gaped at it with utter astonishment and sank into her chair. Her mind reeled with shock and when she glanced at her family and friends surrounding her, she noticed Mark’s affectionate and ha
ppy smile. If she really was pregnant, she’d have a great partner helping her to raise the child. Josephine rested the palm of her right hand against her stomach in a reflexive gesture. A sense of wonder and hope welled inside her. She’d always wanted another child but had given up years ago.
“I can’t believe it,” Helen murmured.
“Congratulations, Grandma!” Jake leveled a warm smile at her.
“Thank you, sweetie.” Josephine still found it difficult to think coherently as her mind continued to spin with shock. Everyone else jumped in and congratulated her but she barely registered her surroundings.
“Are you all right?” Alex leveled a concerned frown at her.
“I’m fine. It’s just overwhelming.” Josephine sat up straight in her chair and forced a bright smile on her face. “I’m just having a hard time accepting this is real.”
“It explains why you’ve been generating more light energy and why you’ve got light energy nodes on your major chakras. They’re probably a temporary measure for helping the baby during the process,” Perry said.
“What process?” Josephine wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that.
Perry jumped off Mark’s shoulder and flew several feet into the air before he exploded in a sparkling cloud of mist. After several seconds, he coalesced into his human form.
“When a baby is born of the light, it needs source energy as it grows. By the time it’s born, it will be a White Knight,” Perry explained.
“Can’t it be a mainstream wizard?” Josephine asked.
“It is determined by chance. If the baby was going to be mainstream, it wouldn’t need light energy. This one is going to definitely be a White Knight.”
“How can you be so sure? You’re not even a year old yet.” Josephine leveled a doubtful gaze at him.
“I’m sure. Now that I know what to look for, I can see the baby. He’s only about a month old,” Perry advised.