by John O'Riley
“The Great Wizard War is what caused humanity to lose everything and revert back to primitive times.”
“But one could argue that this war was caused by a civilization that became unstable due to exploding technology and greed.”
“I don’t agree but I see your point,” Josephine said. “I’m surprised others haven’t made this discovery. It would be very profitable.”
“Eventually it will happen but not for many years.”
“I’m wondering if light energy enchantments have a built-in power source that allows them to recharge. I’ll have to mention this to Mark.”
“His enchantments recharge themselves?” Cyril regarded her with stupefied amazement.
“White magic is stronger than anything,” Josephine said.
“I wonder how the charging mechanism works with white magic.”
“Mark discovered it by accident when he was going to make more teleportation enchantments. When he was about to start working on them, he realized the enchantments were already powered up and ready for use.”
“Interesting.” Cyril’s expression was contemplative before he flashed her an amiable smile once again. “I hope you’ll consider my offer for employment. We can always use a talented six like you. New employees always start out with mostly maintenance work like I described. When you become proficient at it, you will be given other assignments to help grow our sales or to manufacture enchantments.”
Josephine was only a little tempted by this offer. She would be safe and make far more money that she ever conceived possible; however there were serious drawbacks such as living in Seattle. She also knew that Mark’s family drove him crazy.
“It’s a great offer but I would need to talk this over with Mark.”
“Take as much time as you need.”
Cyril gave her a brief tour of the opulent mansion. When they reached the library, Josephine was blown away by the beautiful and spacious room. The shelves were comprised of polished oak which lined the walls and formed aisles. There were small areas throughout the library where the bookshelves formed a boxed-in room with large stained-glass windows and a sofa or a couple of arm chairs. One of the rooms had a large teleportation mirror.
“If you ever need to access the library, this is the entrance.” Cyril gestured at the massive mirror which had rubies ensconced in the silver trim.
“It must be hard to keep your privacy with portals in your homes and workspaces,” Josephine commented.
“It’s not a problem.”
Impressions from those who’d used the library whispered in Josephine’s mind.
“There are other families like yours with advanced magical knowledge,” she said.
“That’s true.”
“I can’t believe there’s all this potential to improve society and it’s locked away in secret like this,” Josephine said with disgust.
“I have important matters to attend to. You’ll find library content location stones on a table in each of these rooms. Just activate the enchantment and think about the content you’re looking for. The stone will guide you to the appropriate books.” Cyril turned to leave her.
“Wait! How do you have the books organized?”
“There’s no organization. We rely on magic.” Cyril didn’t pause or look back as he responded to her question and was gone before she could ask anything further.
Josephine frowned with annoyance then her gaze rested on a small flat stone with a rune symbol etched on its surface. It was lying on the small table situated beside a plush armchair. A second table just across the room had half a dozen similar stones scattered across the surface. Josephine picked up one of the content location stones and pulsed some energy into it. The enchantment activated and she thought about the construo letalis curse. The rock radiated with a soft blue glow and the location of forty-three books popped into her head. She made her way down the aisles to the closest book and pulled it from the shelf. The enchantment in the rock went dormant but she knew she could use it again when she was ready for the next book. Josephine found a room with an armchair and began sifting through the pages. It took her awhile to find anything on construo letalis curses. The book suggested using niveus imperium enchantments to weaken and slow down the curse. Josephine snorted with derision as this strategy would only delay the inevitable.
She decided she’d better work on creating more niveus imperium enchantments. Luckily, she’d brought two empty wands with her and since the mansion boasted a mini vortex, she should be able to finish two of these spells while doing her research. She searched through a variety of books but found nothing helpful when it was time to leave. Josephine’s body tensed with frustration and she took a couple of deep calming breaths so she could focus clearly and formulate some sort of plan. She couldn’t believe she’d wasted all that time reading all that information just to end up empty-handed. Josephine took out her cell phone and placed a call to Mark.
“Hey, Josephine. Is everything okay?” Mark’s tone was concerned.
“I was going to ask you the same question.”
“Alice, Helen and I are perfectly safe. None of the construo letalis curses attacked us. You know what that means.”
A mixture of relief and nervous tension surged through her at this news. “It looks like I’m the only target. I’ve been looking through the Freeman library for any useful information on how to fight off these stupid curses and I’ve come up with nothing.”
“I’ve got some good news. I’m completely recovered and I spent the day in your garden making three more niveus imperium enchantments. That’s enough to eliminate at least one. You and I can work on making more together this evening,” Mark said.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. I can’t wait to see you but I’m running late. I’m going to keep searching through these books. I want to be completely thorough just in case one of them has an effective solution,” Josephine said.
“I understand completely. I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Josephine disconnected the call and dialed Jake’s number.
“Hey, Grandma. How’s it going?”
“I’m fine, sweetie. I just wanted to let you and Alex know I’m running late and need a couple more hours. I know this means you’ll be working an extra long shift today and I’m very sorry about that,” Josephine said.
“We don’t mind. We just want YOU to be safe. Take all the time you need,” Jake said.
“Tell Alex ‘thank you’ for me,” Josephine said.
“I will.”
Josephine tucked her phone back in her pants pocket and reached over for the next book stacked in her to-read pile. Cyril came to check in on her a short while later.
“Did you need any help in your research?” Cyril asked.
“Not unless you know a sure-fire way to find a way to defeat those curses that are after me.” Josephine’s lips curved in a tired smile.
“I just wanted to let you know if you end up in a tight spot, you are welcome to use the teleportation mirror to travel to this mansion. It’s protected by dozens of different wards and some of them are designed specifically to slow down curses like these. It would take some time for them to break through and I do have a collection of rechargeable niveus enchantments but they will only work for a clan leader or progenitor,” Cyril said. “I would gladly use them to vanquish these things.”
“That’s very generous but I don’t want to risk anyone else’s life. Would you consider appointing me a progenitor temporarily so I could use them?” Josephine asked.
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible. There is an enchantment in the scepter of the clan leader that senses those in the family and it will automatically appoint progenitors. It’s supposed to choose people who will best serve to protect the Freeman legacy but we don’t know how it makes that decision. There’s no way I can influence its choice,” Cyril explained.
Josephine regarded him with astonishment. “So
you’re saying that your family allows an ancient enchantment to decide who has top level security clearance to your most prized weapons and magical devices?”
“That’s correct and it’s a system that’s always worked well for us.”
“I’m astounded. It’s almost unbelievable.”
“Once you marry Mark, the enchantment may choose you as a progenitor. When a clan leader dies, the enchantment chooses the most worthy progenitor to become the new clan leader,” Cyril informed her.
“I feel like you’re trying to bribe me into marrying your son and it disgusts me.”
“You’re certainly blunt.”
“If you think this enticement is going to make me pressure Mark into marriage, you’re sadly mistaken. It will happen on its own when we reach that point in our relationship.” Josephine knew she could never marry again but she wanted to keep Cyril hoping so he would continue to assist her when needed. With all of these people trying to assassinate her, she wanted as many allies as possible.
“We’re just having a conversation. I’m not trying to bully you or anything. I respect your abilities and your value. And I hope you will consider working for me even if things don’t work out between you and Mark.” Cyril regarded her with an earnest expression on his face.
“Thank you, I appreciate the offer and will definitely keep that in mind,” Josephine said.
After Cyril left her alone, she mulled over his offer to use niveus imperium enchantments against the construo letalis. If they were linked to a power source and rechargeable, they may pack quite a punch and possibly vanquish her assassins. On the other hand, it was putting a civilian in harm’s way and so far, niveus imperium spells only slowed down the creatures. The best chance of success lay in confronting these curses at home. Her cursed house possessed the strongest wards she’d ever come across – even stronger than the ones here in this mansion. Josephine researched the rest of the books but found nothing to help her combat the construo letalis curses. She’d need permission from her boss to stay home tomorrow. Josephine dialed his cell number.
“Josephine, what’s the latest?” Ben asked.
“I’ve found nothing to help me with the curses so I’m thinking the best chance I have to live through this ordeal is to bring the battle to my house,” Josephine said.
“Those were my thoughts exactly. So you’ll be staying home tomorrow. Maybe you’ll be able to make more niveus imperium enchantments before you’re attacked.”
Chapter 11
Josephine was exhausted as she stumbled into her kitchen and started brewing a pot of coffee. She hadn’t slept well last night as she kept expecting her assassins to attack and she hadn’t had the opportunity to speak with Mark as he’d already fallen asleep in the backyard when she’d returned home. She also felt off kilter waking up alone in bed as Mark had slept over every night for the past several weeks. Now that he was camping out in her back yard, she missed his presence in the house. Josephine gazed out the dining room window and saw Mark sitting on the lawn with his eyes closed in the lotus position clad only in his boxers. She took a moment to enjoy the view of his toned body and the streams of sparkling energy that flowed between him and the plants in the garden. There was a complex series of enchantments comprised of a network of flowing light energy in a breathtaking array of colors. Mark was somehow enhancing this setup even as it served to strengthen him.
As if he could sense her watching, Mark’s eyes fluttered open and his gaze immediately sought hers. The subtle energy currents that always flowed between the two of them flared brighter and a languid sense of bliss washed over Josephine. Mark rose to his feet and she poured herself a cup of coffee with plenty of cream and sugar then waited for him in the dining room. Josephine took a sip as she sensed her boyfriend drawing closer. When he emerged in the room, the flow of energy currents between them intensified. Josephine’s body thrummed with pleasure as she stood and embraced him.
“I’ve missed you,” Mark murmured.
“Me, too.”
Mark’s lips locked with hers in a passionate, heartfelt kiss that took her breath away. Josephine ached to be closer to him. Magic cascaded between them and around them in vibrant blue, green and silver streams and sparks. Josephine sensed that physical intimacy would be no match for the energy exchange. She intuitively enhanced the power channels that arced between the two of them and tuned her energy to more closely match his. Josephine sensed Mark doing the same thing with his light energy. Josephine ran her hands down his arms until they had both their palms pressed together. She could barely think as pure pleasure, bliss, and power blazed between them when their hand chakras linked. Mark pressed his forehead against hers so their third-eye chakras met. Waves of pure joy and ecstasy cascaded through them. Josephine felt as if she was going to explode with pleasure. Something snapped into place, and the frequency of all of their chakras tuned into each other with perfect harmony. An explosion of power overwhelmed their minds completely.
Josephine abruptly realized she was lying on the dining room floor with Mark’s unconscious body draped partway across hers. She gently nudged his shoulders and he awoke with a start.
“What happened?” Mark asked with confusion.
“I don’t know.” Josephine’s lips curved with bliss.
“That was incredible.” Mark climbed to his feet and offered Josephine a hand.
“It was better than sex.” She accepted his help as she rose to a standing position in front of him.
A horrified expression dominated her lover’s face. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“My power feels different.” Josephine fully opened her senses and connected to the mini vortex of her house. She couldn’t perceive her own energy that well but she could see there was a link between her and Mark’s chakras. “Can you scan me?”
Mark nodded as he opened his own psychic receptors and focused on her. Surprise registered on his handsome face as he continued to watch her.
“There’s a trickle of light energy flowing into you,” Mark observed. “And you’re also linked to me.”
“I’ve heard of small groups of wizards creating a link between themselves to strengthen their power. It’s very rare and advanced magic,” Josephine said.
“When I saw you, I was just overcome with the need to be closer to you.”
“I’ve always felt a connection between us from the very beginning. It’s slowly gotten stronger and I intuitively strengthened it,” Josephine said.
“Maybe it’s a combination of our love, white magic, and your potent category six power that made this happen,” Mark hypothesized.
“I’m glad it did. I feel absolutely terrific.”
There was a knock at the door and Josephine leveled a puzzled look at her boyfriend.
“Do you think that’s Alice and Helen?” she asked.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t they come over for their morning ritual of cards and coffee?” Mark asked.
“I didn’t think they would want to hang out when I’ve got three deadly assassins gunning for me.”
“I’ll go take a quick shower.”
Josephine answered the door and found both Helen and Alice waiting for her. Soon, the three of them were gathered at the dining room table with their coffees.
“I’m surprised to see you here this morning,” Josephine said.
“With the country at war, there’s always going to be danger. Besides, we want to help,” Alice said.
“I can’t let you do that. These curses are extremely lethal.”
“If you don’t let us stay in the house, we’ll have to wait outside to keep watch.” Helen’s vibrant green eyes gleamed with obstinance. “That would put us in even greater jeopardy.”
Josephine exhaled sharply with frustration then a sense of warm camaraderie enveloped her as she gazed at her two friends who were willing to risk their lives to keep her safe.
“Thank you for doing this,” she said.
“You’re quite welcome,”
Alice said. “Helen and I have been working on niveus imperium spells. We’ve created two of them successfully.”
“That’s great news.” Josephine grinned at them with approval.
“There’s something different about you,” Helen observed. “You seem stronger somehow.”
Josephine explained about the link between her and Mark.
“And you did it by pure intuition?” Alice regarded her with awe and stupefied amazement.
“That about sums it up,” Josephine confirmed.
“I wonder if the spells you make will be mixed with white magic now,” Helen said.
“That would be a very nice benefit.”
They lapsed into a companionable silence as they sipped their coffees and mulled over this latest news. When Mark arrived with coffee, Helen still had her psychic senses fully open and was connected to the mini vortex in the house. She gasped with surprise and Josephine threw her a questioning look.
“Mark’s energy is so beautiful,” Helen remarked.
“He’s a gorgeous man…both inside and out,” Josephine said.
Mark blushed and averted his gaze with embarrassment but a pleased smile flitted across his face. He kissed Josephine on the forehead as he walked by and sat down beside her.
“So what’s the plan while we wait for the curses to strike?” Helen asked.
“We all make as many niveus imperium enchantments as possible,” Josephine said.
“Sounds good to me.” Alice grinned with approval then took another sip of her coffee.
They were still on their first cup when Josephine’s alarms sounded. They leapt to their feet and made their way to the living room to gaze out the window. The three construo letalis curses were lined up at the front door pressing their hands firmly against the wards which flared visibly with silvery luminescence that encircled the house.
“Damn. They’re already here,” Alice remarked.
Alice, Josephine, Helen, and Mark pulled out their niveus imperium wands and retreated a short distance from the window so they weren’t quite so visible to the intruders. Terror and guilt tore through Josephine as she worried that all of her friends would die trying to save her.