by John O'Riley
“It just might be possible for you to become part of the magical network through him.” Mark wondered how likely that the enchantment would work. “I’m concerned about waking up the White Knights. If the enchantment doesn’t work and we don’t form links with each other, they will suffer burnout. In fact, since their condition had already begun to deteriorate, their abilities will be hampered.”
“You’re right. It’s a great risk. I would much prefer to have three or more White Knights in their prime to help us but I don’t see that happening.” Hermina’s expression was troubled.
Chapter 31
Josephine turned her head to gaze at Alice when her friend began to stir in the confines of her chair. She had no way to measure the passage of time but it felt like she’d been trapped here for about a day. Her body was stiff and sore from immobility. She struggled against the straps that held her down until she was forced to stop and rest. She breathed heavily with exertion. She checked on Alice who finally began to stir from her deep slumber.
“How much sleep do you need, anyway?” Josephine scowled at her with annoyance. “I woke up almost a day ago.”
Alice groaned and flinched as she tried to move. “What’s going on?”
“Ludovic captured us.” Josephine was glad to see her friend had revived. “We need to think of a way to break out of here.”
Alice opened her eyes and looked down at her restrained body. She took stock of her surroundings then met Josephine’s gaze with a moody frown.
“Could this get any worse?” Alice asked.
“I wouldn’t tempt fate.” Josephine shot her a sardonic look.
“I’m trying to think of situations that were more dire,” Alice said. “There was the Lorcan debacle but we were never captured.”
“What about the time you were a vampire possessed by a curse?” Josephine said.
“Point taken,” Alice acknowledged. “Although if I were a vampire, I bet I could break out of this stupid chair.”
“That would be the perfect solution. Becoming a being of pure darkness is such a small price to pay if it means defeating the likes of me.” Ludovic strolled inside the room followed by five guards. He took up a position in front of Josephine. “I just learned something very important about you.”
Josephine watched him with wariness and a sense of dread. “What would that be?”
“You’re linked with Mark.” Ludovic’s face shone with triumph. “You and Alice are both part of a magical network that includes him so he will definitely attempt a rescue no matter what the cost to himself. It also means that you can track him down no matter where he’s hidden.”
“I would never help you kill him,” Josephine said.
Ludovic’s cerulean eyes glinted with malevolent glee. “You will have no choice in the matter. It’s time for you to become a loyal subject.”
“What are you doing?” Josephine asked as her body chilled with fear.
“Proceed with the mind control enchantment.” Ludovic swept his gaze over the guards and took a step back.
The guards pulled out wooden wands and lined up on either side of Josephine. She knew had no chance of preventing them from casting the mind spell on her but she would do everything in her power to make them exert as much time and effort as possible. She relaxed as best as she could under the circumstances which helped to increase her natural resistance to mental invasion. The guards pointed their wands at her and she closed her eyes to shut out the sight of them. She could see the glow from the tips of their wands against the back of her closed eyelids. A powerful presence shoved forcefully against her mind and in spite of her best efforts, the spell seeped in through the cracks of her defenses. Flashes of memories sparked inside her which indicated the mind control enchantment was working its way deeper into her thoughts and emotions. Josephine’s heart pounded as terror flooded through her. She hadn’t even slowed them down.
Josephine felt a tear slide down her right cheek as despair and anguish dominated her thoughts. She’d come here to save Mark but instead she would be the weapon that would kill him. She couldn’t stand it. The memory of her first day with Mark at the Italian restaurant solidified in her mind. She remembered that evening with vivid detail. She hadn’t expected to fall for him but he’d surprised her. Mark had recognized the special connection between them from the very start. She wondered why it had taken her so long. Mark sat at the table facing her and she caught herself staring at his beautiful brown eyes. After losing herself in the moment, her attention shifted to the tall man standing behind him. He was completely bald with an elongated head and his gray skin looked smooth and tough as if made of plastic. His black eyes reflected the flickering flame from the candles resting on the tables in the restaurant.
Josephine stilled and the memories flowing in the back of her mind dissolved. She couldn’t move as if there was some mysterious supernatural power that absorbed all of her thoughts and emotions and focused them on this stranger. She flinched when the man unfurled large, white wings from his back and stretched them out at his sides as if ready to take flight.
“I am the gray angel. I’m here to protect you against all harm. You’re perfectly safe with me, little Josephine,” the man said in a soothing tone that was layered as if several people spoke at the same time.
Josephine found herself instantly believing the stranger. Everyone in the restaurant disappeared except for her and the gray angel but for some reason, this didn’t bother her. After a moment, she became aware of a vibration that quickly grew, jostling the candles and rattling odds and ends throughout the restaurant. The haze of calm that had settle over her mind lifted and renewed fear took hold as she became aware of the mind control enchantment surrounding her and ensnaring her will.
“You must surrender yourself to me so I can protect you.” The gray angel held out his hand for her to take.
Josephine rose from her chair with an expression of obstinance. “I surrender to no one. If you want to control me, I’ll make this as difficult as possible.”
“I serve the greater good,” the gray angel said.
The invasive enchantment weighed heavily against the restaurant and Josephine abruptly realized this stranger had given her a short reprieve. She wasn’t sure where he’d come from but he wasn’t part of the mental invasion. Josephine didn’t entirely trust him but she reached out and grasped his hand which was cool and smooth to the touch. His energy flowed through her mind in a type of spell that mimicked her own thoughts and emotions like a chameleon. This memory vanished as streams of various energy flowed through her mind, scattering and confusing the mind control enchantment. In the blink of an eye, Josephine found herself standing beside her grandson Jake when he was just four years old. Jake held a bag containing a partial loaf of bread. About a dozen ducks swam with languid grace close by with their eyes glued to Josephine and Jake with eager anticipation for more food. A thick forest of trees surrounded them. Josephine remembered taking her grandson to the park when they visited Seattle to escape the summer heat of Florida.
Josephine ruffled Jake’s hair with her left hand and rested her fond gaze on him. She savored the peaceful, tranquil feeling of this memory. She laughed when her grandson threw more breadcrumbs into the water and the ducks swam with incredible speed to gobble up their treats. A few of the ducks flapped their wings with outrage when they missed their opportunity to eat anything. Josephine watched the ripples flow across the surface of the water as the birds swam farther away but kept a close eye on Jake to prepare to pounce on any additional offerings. A reflection of the stranger with the bald head and gray skin made Josephine gasp with startlement and broke her out of her daze. She abruptly realized this was just a memory and spun around to confront the man.
“Who are you?” Josephine demanded.
The gray man’s large, black eyes glinted in the sun. “I serve the greater good. You don’t have much time, little Josephine. If you surrender to me, I can save you from the mind control enchantm
ents.”
“Who exactly are you?” Josephine scrutinized him with suspicion. Memories she’d long forgotten floated to the surface in wisps and disjointed images. Her eyes widened with sudden recognition. “You used to come into my house at night! You put a glamour on yourself so I wouldn’t be able to identify you if your amnesia spell wore off.”
“That isn’t important. We must act quickly in order to save Mark.”
“What?” Josephine couldn’t endanger Mark’s life.
“Once Ludovic has seized control of you, he’ll make you kill Mark.” The man slowly brought his right hand out towards her. “Take my hand. Let me save everyone you care about before it’s too late.”
Josephine retreated a step. “You’re a mind control spell. You were planted in my subconscious when I was just a child. What do you want? What’s your purpose?”
“I serve the greater good.”
“That doesn’t tell me anything!” Josephine glared at him with frustration. “I’m not going to cooperate with you.”
“I can’t hold them off forever.”
“You told me that you have the power to stop them. So do it!” Josephine snapped.
“You misunderstand. I’m not the one who can defeat them – it’s you. But you don’t have the skill. I can control the talent that lays dormant inside you but only if you give me your consent.”
“I refuse!” Josephine wouldn’t trade one mind control spell for another. “I’ll find some other way out of this mess and then I’m going to get rid of you!”
“When you awaken, I won’t allow you to remember any of this.”
“I don’t think you can make me forget this again,” Josephine said.
Her surroundings darkened and she sensed the heavy weight of the mind control spells digging into her. The stranger faded then vanished as he blended into the background and went deep into hiding again. Josephine’s surroundings shredded into pieces to be replaced by jumbled memories that flashed in chaotic confusion. She pushed back against the invasive tendrils that burrowed deeper into her mind, powerless to stop them. Terror over losing control of herself and becoming a puppet for something evil made her wonder if she’d made a mistake in refusing to allow the gray angel to take over. She could still sense a hint of his afterimage that he’d intentionally left behind in case she changed her mind. She was running out of time. The tendrils of the invasive spells had almost reached the core of her being. Josephine shoved against the wizards with all of her strength in one last ditch attempt to keep them out. Surprisingly, she managed to push them back just a bit.
Elated by her small victory, she continued to beat against the tendrils of the mind control spell. A surge of power rushed through her and she could feel herself gaining the upper hand. Josephine couldn’t waste time figuring out where this extra boost had come from. After a long moment, she could see that she’d almost completely expunged the invasive magics. She opened her eyes as her mind cleared completely. The sight of the black-uniformed wizards surrounding her with the eerie green glows from the tips of their wands startled her. Josephine channeled a huge burst of telekinetic energy from all of her major chakras. The guards hurtled backward across the room like rag dolls and smashed into the walls. The strap around her right wrist tore loose. Josephine channeled an intense telekinetic wave to free herself of the other wrist then made short work of the other straps.
She jumped to her feet as the guards recovered. Ludovic had already activated his protection but Josephine’s scan showed most of his guards hadn’t. She kept her gaze centered on him as she tuned into the closest unshielded guard. Josephine knew she didn’t have much time. She located the protection enchantments and used telekinesis to yank them from his pockets. They fell into her outstretched hand and she immediately activated them, deflecting the telekinetic blast Ludovic fired at her. Josephine drew the protection of another unshielded guard as she rushed over to Alice. She extended her protection to cover her friend as she tore the straps loose.
“How did you do that?” Alice eyed her with awe.
“It’s a long story. I’ll have to tell you later.” Josephine grabbed her friend’s hand and pulled her toward the exit which Ludovic had planted himself in front of.
The remaining guards shuffled towards her with their shields raised. Josephine didn’t have any fire power except whatever she could summon and shoot at them. She knew she couldn’t possibly win in spite of the extra power. The element of surprise was over.
“You’re not leave this room until I have your mind secured.” Ludovic had two brass wands pointed at her.
An expansive, heart-warming sensation sparked to life in Josephine’s chest and she felt the energy currents of Mark’s presence. He must have teleported into the building. Her shield lit up with gold light as it deflected the attacks of Ludovic and the guards. The door to the room slid silently open to reveal Mark with his body encircled by a sphere of white luminescence. His gaze turned distant as he stepped into the room so that he ran into Ludovic and the three guards who flanked him. All four men were forced to the side but when the white energy field reached Josephine and Alice, it slid over them and offered protection. Josephine rushed over and embraced Mark.
She pulled back with an expression of urgency. “We need to leave now.”
“Agreed.” Mark held her hand as he turned and headed for the door.
Ludovic and the three guards now stood in front of the entrance.
“I’m so glad you could join us.” Ludovic leveled a triumphant smirk at Mark as he gripped a large black crystal in his hand which began spewing dark energy in the form of black smoke.
Josephine tried to stay calm, knowing her fear would weaken the light energy flow. She and Alice kept pace with Mark as he stepped slowly and deliberately toward Ludovic. The black smoke moved to escape the light energy shield but the shield began to shrink.
“Get closer,” Mark instructed in a quiet tone.
Josephine and Alice huddled against him as the sphere of white luminescence dimmed and shrank. Josephine realized she had more light energy than normal. It still wasn’t much but she directed it to Mark and hoped it would help keep them safe. Ludovic and the guards tried to push against the shield but they were forced to the side. Mark, Alice, and Josephine continued down the corridor with Ludovic and the guards throwing telekinetic blasts against their protection.
“Can’t you teleport us out of here?” Josephine murmured so her voice wouldn’t carry.
“I don’t have enough power right now,” Mark said.
Black smoke crept along the wall and ceiling as the dark energy attempted to surround them but their pace kept them far ahead of it. An instant later, alarms blared which caused Josephine to flinch with surprise.
“I need to tell you something important,” Josephine said as she remembered the gray angel.
Mark turned to face her with concern. “What is it?”
Josephine felt the energy of the gray angel’s mind control spell stirring within her, seeking out her memories. She opened her mouth to tell them everything but an instant later, she could no longer remember the gray angel at all. Josephine closed her mouth when she realized she’d spaced out.
“Spit it out, Josephine!” Alice exclaimed.
“I can’t remember.” Josephine frowned with frustration.
“We can talk about it later.” Mark patted her shoulder with affection. “Let’s get moving. We don’t want the dark energy to surround us.”
They quickened their pace to a brisk walk and soon encountered guards. Mark slowed down as his gaze grew distant. Josephine knew he was concentrating and needed the perfect state of mind to keep the protection in place while forcing the guards aside. If he allowed any violent or vengeful thoughts to escape, even just a little bit, it would probably destroy the shield. As the three of them approached the guards, the sphere of light energy shrank until it was form fitting around Mark, Josephine, and Alice. Mark didn’t slow down as much as before and the guar
ds were knocked aside. Unfortunately, a short distance ahead of them were another group of guards who’d already released dark energy which covered the floor, walls, and ceiling as it crept towards them.
“Mark, I’m stronger now. It feels like our network has somehow expanded.” Josephine kept a wary gaze on the black smoke that slid closer.
The three of them stopped their trek, unsure of what to do.
“We have four White Knights who are linked to us,” Mark explained.
“Is it possible you might be strong enough to keep going through there?” Josephine gestured ahead where the guards and the dark energy waited for them.
“No, I can’t do it. The shield’s already weakening.”
The guards in front of them and behind them pummeled the light energy protection with telekinetic waves.
Josephine peered at her boyfriend with despair. “And you still can’t teleport out?”
“No.” Mark’s brown eyes reflected dire concern.
Josephine didn’t see how they could possibly escape. Her brows furrowed in thought as flashes of red and green light from the guards’ attacks struck the white magic shield. The dark energy slithered closer to them. Josephine scanned the guards in front of her as an idea formed in her mind.
She turned to face Mark again. “Can you convert the guards’ protection ahead of us into light energy?”
“There isn’t enough white magic for me to do that.”
Josephine sighed with frustration but they would just have to make do with their current, limited resources. “The longer we stay here, the more guards will show up. It’s time for us to move forward again. We’ll run straight through that way toward the exit.”
“I’m not sure where the exit is,” Mark confessed.
“It doesn’t matter. I have protection I took from the guards. I’ll extend it around the three of us so that if your white magic fails, we’ll have some time,” Josephine said.
“Let’s do this.” Alice’s face set in a dour frown.