Council of Magic

by J. L. Hendricks

  It looked more like an old-fashioned calling card. His name and a logo was on it along with a phone number. No company name or address.

  Kat pocketed the card and thanked Jeeves again. We were on our way, hopefully to finding a way of stopping the coming vampire war.

  22

  Kat

  I had a blue ball of magic swirling in my hands. It looked like a mini hurricane with bolts of electricity blowing through it and shaped in a circle. I hurled it at a vampire who was coming at Damien’s wolf form.

  “Bullseye!” I yelled when it splattered against the demon’s chest. He got off one short scream before he went poof and was a pile of ashes.

  A pair of hands grabbed me from behind. I had been so focused on Damien, I didn’t think to pay attention to my own surroundings. My amulet protected me like it always does. She didn’t even get a chance to sink her teeth into my neck before her hands were wrenched from my body.

  An electrical charge flew the girl back over one hundred feet, and she hit a tree with a loud thunk. When her head hit the wood, she was immediately knocked out. I threw another magic ball at her, and she also went up in dust.

  I surveyed the scene around me, and there were wolves as well as vampires on the ground. Some were writhing in pain, and some were on the brink of death. Too many wolves wore a blank expression, staring into the unknown.

  The vamps on the ground were missing limbs. I would come back and end their existence as soon as my friends had the upper hand in this battle. We were outnumbered, and I was worried we might actually lose the battle.

  Those still fighting were getting tired. We had been at this for several hours. Thankfully, the non-combatants had left the compound before the vampires showed up. I knew they were two states away by now being protected by another wolf pack. They had sent as many warriors to help us as possible, sadly it wasn’t enough.

  I was shocked at how many vampires had come to kill us all. When did they have time to gather so many to their cause? Did a call go out to all of the rogues of the world or something? Hundreds of vampires to our barely one hundred wolf shifters wasn’t going well for us.

  I threw another electrical ball at two vampires who were working together to bring down Luke. The one with his teeth in Luke’s neck was my target. I got him in the back, and Luke was free to fend off the vamp in front of him.

  Looking around the field, I noticed four vamps on Jose. At least two had to have their teeth in him. I ran toward them while charging up two fireballs in my hand. As soon as I was close enough, I threw both balls at two of Jose’s assailants. They both went up in smoke.

  Another one looked at me with a chilly smile right before he sunk his teeth into Jose’s neck. Instead of drinking the blood, he yanked out a chunk of my friend’s neck and spit it on the ground.

  When the vampire looked up at me, I was ready with another magical death ball. I threw it and got the evil thing in the face. His short-lived scream couldn’t be heard over the sound of the fighting. My target died too quickly in my opinion.

  As soon as I was close enough, I realized I was too late for Jose. The fourth vamp just kicked my friend’s body to the ground and turned to run before I could kill him. I dropped to Jose’s side, tears in my eyes, and felt the other side of his neck for a pulse. Jose was still in human form, and his eyes already had the vacant expression of death.

  One moment I was crying over Jose’s dead body, the next I was screaming and waking up in a dark room. Someone came running down the hall and threw the bedroom door open.

  “Kat! Are you alright? What happened?” Damien flicked on the light switch and sat next to me on the bed. He took me in his arms while he scanned the room for intruders.

  “It was a dream…a nightmare. We’re all still alive.” I was panting and sweat was dripping from my brow.

  It felt so real, not like any other nightmare I had ever had. I felt almost like I transported through time instead of waking up from a dream. I could still smell the stench of death in the air.

  “Damien, we’re going to need more help. Can you call another wolf pack to send reinforcements?”

  “What happened? Did you have a nightmare, or see a vision?” Damien still held me in his arms and rubbed my back. It was working to calm my heart, which was beating out of control.

  “I think it was a vision. Do witches or shifters get visions in their dreams?” I pulled back and looked in Damien’s face as I bit my lower lip.

  If this was a vision, we were going to lose the fight. A lot of our pack was going to die. We had to do something to ensure we won.

  “Shifters don’t. However, there are a lot of witches who have the ability to see what’s to come. Some see it plain as day, others see snippets of the future. Rebecca said you would be powerful.” Damien kissed my temple and released me.

  He stood up and put his hand out for me. “Come on, I’ll make you some chamomile tea so you can get back to sleep. It’s not even three in the morning yet.”

  After I pulled the covers back, I stood up and took his hand. “Can we call Jeeves tomorrow and arrange to meet him? I have some more questions about my powers. In the dream, I created blue balls of magic. Sometimes it was a blue fireball, and other times, it was like a condensed storm cloud in my hand. I threw them at the vamps, and they went up in smoke. Is this a normal power?”

  “I don’t know if it’s normal. I do know those who can control fireballs aren’t also able to control weather. Maybe it was the same ball, and you just saw it from different angles or something? Either way, we’ll call Jeeves and see if he can meet up later today for coffee.” Damien led me out the door, and his calming presence did wonders for my peace of mind.

  I’m glad it was decided I should sleep in Damien’s spare room. Everyone, including myself, agreed I should stay at the compound, supervised, until I had a handle on my powers. Those with family didn’t want to take me in, and I couldn’t blame them. If my magic went haywire, it could be very dangerous for kids, or anyone really.

  Rico couldn’t take me in because he was always getting called away at the last minute to handle different matters.

  Luke and Jose both offered me their spare rooms. Damien nixed those offers very quickly. I think he was a bit jealous, even though they would have been totally sweet and not even flirted with me.

  Even though it wasn’t really appropriate for me to stay with Damien, since we had just started dating, it was the safest option. He promised he would be a perfect gentleman and never try to enter my bedroom.

  Well, I guess his promise lasted almost two nights. Although, he did think I was in trouble. I guess I could let him off the hook for entering my room in the middle of night.

  I sat at his kitchen table while he prepared the tea.

  “Do you want to tell me about your dream?” Damien had his back to me, so I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

  I would bet he wanted me to say something to prove it was only a nightmare. Something as scary as what I dreamt shouldn’t come to life.

  “I guess I should tell you all about it, since I’m asking you to increase the presence of wolf shifters based on what appears to be a nightmare.” I rubbed my face in my hands and took a deep breath. This was going to suck.

  Once the tea was ready I went into it and told him everything I could remember, including how Jose died.

  My body was quivering and on the verge of tears. I really did hope it was all a bad nightmare, but something about it felt different. Almost like it was a premonition. If I had the ability to see the future, then he had to take this seriously and get more help.

  “Could you contact the vampire hunters? Is there a way to get more of them in town? Maybe you could put some of them up here on the compound? Away from the main areas?” I was desperate to have more fighters. Even dealing with those who hated all paranormals would be worth having around for a while.

  “We can try. No guarantees. They generally don’t work well with us since they hate us and all.
” Damien finished his tea and put it in the sink. “Are you ready to go back to sleep? Do you think you can sleep?”

  I yawned. “I think so. I want to try. If not, then I’ll get up and read a book or something. Thanks, Damien. Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night.”

  “Don’t worry about it. If this was a vision, then we need to act on it now.” Damien walked me back to my room.

  I went to bed and slept until late in the morning.

  It was the scent of bacon sizzling in the kitchen mixed with coffee which woke me up. Damien must have been making breakfast. I quickly dressed and joined him.

  “Good morning. Do you have more coffee?” I greeted when I walked in.

  “Hey, you’re awake. I was wondering when you would get up.” He smiled at me and went to make me a cup of coffee.

  I took the offered nectar of the gods and sat at the kitchen table, right where I sat last night when we had tea. “Thanks. I think the smell of your bacon is what woke me up.”

  “There’s plenty of bacon, eggs, and hash browns. They’re almost done.” Damien must have known I’d need something extra today.

  Yesterday it was just cereal and coffee. He said he doesn’t do much for breakfast, normally. Tomorrow I’d have to get up and make him a nice meal, as a thank you for all he’s done for me.

  “I should call Jeeves and see if he can meet today, even though I asked for a week before we met.” I pulled out my phone from my jeans pocket and ran back to my room to grab the card he gave me.

  Jeeves was old-school. Considering he had to be at least sixty, it shouldn’t surprise me.

  I dialed as I walked back to the kitchen. “Jeeves, this is Kat.”

  “Good morning, Mistress Kat. How are you today?”

  “I’m fine, I think. I was wondering if you would have time today to meet for coffee? Maybe lunch? My treat. I have some questions about my powers Damien couldn’t answer.”

  “Yes, lunch would be wonderful. Let me pay. I have an account with council and rarely get to take anyone out.”

  “Um, ok…sure. Thanks. Where and what time?”

  “Do you know K-Paul’s on Chartres? I can get us a reservation for noon. Unless you need more time?”

  I looked at my watch, and it was already ten in the morning. “How about a little later?”

  “Would two o’clock work?”

  “Perfect. Damien and I will meet you there.”

  “Very good, Mistress Kat.” Jeeves hung up, and I looked up to see Damien watching me.

  He had both plates in his hands and was about to set them down. “Did you just agree to lunch at K-Pauls? It’s a very upscale restaurant.”

  “He suggested it and even asked to pay for it. So why not? It’s on the council anyway. Jeeves has an account.” I wiggled my eyebrows and took my seat.

  “Alright then. I hope you aren’t spoiled for my cooking after this lunch.” Damien joked.

  “Something tells me I will never tire of your cooking.”

  When we arrived at the restaurant, I was already nervous. What if Jeeves didn’t show? Or if one of the council members insisted on joining us? I wasn’t ready for anyone other than Jeeves, yet.

  I shouldn’t have been worried. We walked up to the maître D’ and told her we were meeting Jeeves. She knew exactly who we meant.

  “Please, follow me.” Both Damien and I walked behind her. She took us to a back table, in a smaller room, where there wasn’t anyone else except for Jeeves at a table for four.

  When I sat down, I looked around and asked, “Will there be a fourth?”

  “Not unless you want him to join us. Marco was interested in knowing how you are doing. He asked me to let him know if you called. I haven’t said anything, yet. I wanted to see how you felt first.” So Jeeves was going to report this meeting to Marco. I wasn’t sure if I should be worried or not.

  “I would rather it just be us for now. I’m not sure how I feel about him, yet.” It was true. He was better than Rebecca, although I wasn’t sure how much better he was.

  I hoped, in time, he would prove to be a good ally.

  “So, what’s good here?” It wasn’t that I was hungry, it was more nerves. Plus, I wanted to wait to have our conversation when I knew we wouldn’t be interrupted for a bit.

  “Everything is fabulous. My personal favorite is the blackened fish. Do you like seafood?” Jeeves picked up the menu and began scanning it.

  “Yes, I do. I’ll give it a try. Thanks.” I had never been here before and had heard a lot about this place.

  It’s expensive, for sure. Since Jeeves was paying and charging it back to the council, I wasn’t going to worry.

  After we placed our order and had our drinks, I looked to Jeeves and wondered where to start.

  “Have you used any of your magic yet? Or shifted?” Jeeves started the conversation.

  “No, I haven’t shifted yet. I did try yesterday, and nothing happened. Damien said it would most likely take a few days for my wolf to wake up enough to take over. I’m not worried about her.” I paused and bit my lip.

  Before continuing, I took a long drink of my iced tea. “I’m worried about a nightmare I had last night. It didn’t feel like a normal one. It felt more like I was actually inside of it and living the details. I even remembered the entire thing when I woke up. The details are still clear as a bell. Everyone knows you don’t remember dreams this well.”

  Sighing, I continued, “Is it possible I have the ability to see into the future?”

  Jeeves smiled. “Yes, you most likely do. Your mother and your grandmother both had the gift. Sadly, Rebecca does not. What did you see, if you don’t mind my asking?” Jeeves sat up straighter, if it was even possible.

  I had never seen anyone with such perfect posture before.

  I told him my dream, and he kept nodding his head and never took his eyes off of me once. While encouraging, it was a little unnerving. I felt more confident in my assumption it was the future I saw as I continued telling him the story.

  Just as I finished, our waiter brought out our meal. It was almost like she was standing to the side and waiting for us to finish before getting near. Very eerie how perfect her timing was.

  Jeeves noticed me watching her as she left the room. “If you are wondering if she’s part of our coven, you are correct. She is a junior witch in training. One of the council members has a partial share in this restaurant, so we send witches here to learn about the humans, as well as to have someone we trust serving us our meals. This is a regular dining establishment for the council as well as other members of the coven.”

  I looked to Damien, and we both raised our brows in wonder. “Is everything we say kept confidential?” I didn’t want Rebecca hearing about any of this just yet.

  “Yes, of course. The only time someone would say anything is if they heard talk of rebellion. Otherwise, they are encouraged to stay quiet.” Jeeves cut into his fish. “Mmm. You are going to love this.”

  I tried a piece and realized Jeeves was right. This was probably the best blackened fish I had ever tried. It wasn’t the least bit fishy tasting like so many places are.

  “Sooo, if I come here again, will I be allowed to charge my meal back to the council as well?” My face lit up with anticipation.

  I really wanted to come here again. It just wasn’t a place I could afford very often.

  We made decent money from our real estate holdings, but it all went into a retirement fund. As soon as we inherited, we knew we needed to prepare for the future. We live off what we make from the shop and our gigs.

  The gigs mainly paid for our equipment, travel, and any costumes or outfits we might want for performances. It was expensive to rent time in a music studio. Everything we made from the sale of our CD’s went to renting studio time.

  On special occasions, we would splurge on ourselves. For the most part, we lived a simple life. If you could call being involved in a paranormal community, leading a band, and running a v
oodoo souvenir shop simple.

  “I’m afraid not. This perk is only for those who work for the council. Don’t worry, I can afford to bring you here once in awhile.” Jeeves winked and went back to his fish.

  “So, what do you think about my dream, or vision?” I took a bite and almost moaned as the fish melted on my tongue.

  The Cajun spices were just enough to perk up my taste buds. I licked my lips before taking another bite.

  “I think it was a vision. Did you recognize the field?”

  “Yes, it is on the wolf pack’s compound. They train there sometimes.” I looked over to Damien who nodded.

  I had taken Damien over there to check it out before we left to come into the city this afternoon. It was exactly how I remembered it in my vision. Some of the plants are seasonal. They were all in the same shape as my dream or vision. Which told me those vamps were coming very soon. Maybe even by the end of this month.

  There were some werewolves in my vision. Not many, but enough to cause confusion and death. I think I counted a dozen. We were going to need a lot of help. Too bad the witch’s council refused to help.

  “Then you have the place, and a general time frame. If there were werewolves, then it has to be on a full moon. I suggest keeping an eye out over the next couple of full moons. Practice your magic as much as you can. From your description, you will be taking after your mother. However, you are going to be much stronger than any of your family. None of them would be able to throw as many mage balls as you did in your vision.”

  “Mage balls? Is that what you call those fireballs I saw in my vision? Are there very many types?” Now I was getting somewhere.

  I wanted to learn as much as I could about my possibilities. How would I know what to try if I didn’t know what was possible?

  “Yes, there are multiple forms of power contained inside of the spheres. It sounds like you will have the ability to control fire and the other elements. You should be able to throw several styles of balls. All four elements can be made into a mage ball. Fire, water, earth, and air can all be used to form offensive weapons.” Jeeves was a library of information.