Spectrum of Magic Complete Series - Spell Breaker - Fate Shifter - Cursed Stone - Magic Unborn - Libra

by D. N. Leo

  “No. I broke my promise, and that was the end of that deal . . . But that red box is my only connection to them. You are their subject, and they will save you, whatever it takes. I wasn’t sure you’d survive the bullet at the house, so I went to retrieve the box . . .”

  They heard the sound of the rescue helicopter hovering in the air.

  “Father, you’re going to be fine.”

  “Take care of your mother and Keeva, Lorcan.”

  “No, that’s your job. You said I don’t belong here.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do it anymore. Press the button in the box and find out your origin, but please try to maintain contact with your mother and sister. You’re all they have now . . .” He closed his eyes to catch his breath.

  “One more thing . . . I didn’t drive off the road . . . There was a large puma . . . It jumped out right in front of the car . . .” he trailed off, and then he was gone.

  “No, no! Don’t die, don’t leave me!” The pain was unbearable – as if he was losing a part of his soul. This was the family he had always taken for granted. Now he’d just learned that it had never really been his. Something was tearing at his heart. It hurt. He wagered the human part of him was reacting to the situation.

  The other part of him was heating up. Whatever it was, it was eating at him right now. Uncontrollable. He saw sparks of electrical waves in front of him. The energy surging inside him was unstoppable. More sparks and energy erupted everywhere like lightning in a storm. He heard Riley said something, ask him not to do something.

  What was he talking about?

  The air around him was chaotic. His mind was a mess. The helicopter hovered, but was being flung back and forth in the air as if it were a toy dangling from a rope in the wind. He heard the others yelling from the top of the cliff, and he could make out shouting coming from the helicopter and from Riley behind him.

  Was he sending out that electric current again?

  He looked around and saw large patches of rocks tumbling from the cliffs nearby.

  More yelling. Were they yelling at him?

  The helicopter approached. He watched as a wave of electric current hit it. There was screaming as it spun and dove downward. But then the chopper regained balance and flew back up again. Lorcan realized it must be him. But he couldn’t control the electric current emanating from him. Riley called out again for him to stop.

  He turned to tell Riley he hadn’t done anything, and all saw was Riley staggering back and rolling off the edge, hanging on to the ledge by his fingertips. In a haze of confusion, he grabbed Riley’s hands and hoisted him back onto the rock.

  “Look away from me!” Riley shouted.

  Lorcan didn’t understand, but he obeyed. He turned away, facing his back to Riley. More patches of rocks at a distance where his eyes landed thundered down the cliffs. He felt a punch at his temple from behind, and then the world went black.

  Chapter 23

  Orla worked her mind frantically for a way out of the situation. She had sent Maeve to Lorcan with the message, but she couldn’t totally rely on that. Lorcan might have gotten the hint from her before, but to act on it wouldn’t be easy. He didn’t have any experience in doing magic, and he didn’t know the lay of the land in her part of the woods at all.

  Uncle Tony seemed to be the one in charge now that Uncle Daly was gone. There were countless of others in the family that she didn’t recognize or remember. They sat quietly in the house, waiting for Tony’s instructions. Her magic class had had several kids, but the elite group had only a handful groomed for the leadership position. Now that she recalled , Bradan hadn’t been in the elite group at all. But he was second in line after her.

  How had this leadership line-up been determined? she wondered.

  “We have only six days until the full moon. We can’t afford any mistakes, or it will be another ten years of waiting,” Tony said. “We don’t have a choice now that Bradan is gone—we have only Orla.” He turned toward her. “I’m sorry, Orla, we don’t want to be rough on you, but I hope you understand the situation. You do have a track record of running away.”

  “What will happen if you don’t have me?” she asked.

  “We don’t even want to consider that possibility now, dear,” Aunt Anna said.

  “I don’t want this, so I’m going to be a very bad leader—or even worse, do something that harms the family!” Orla said.

  Tony chuckled. “Thanks for pointing that out. But don’t worry. You don’t have to manage anything.”

  Orla narrowed her eyes. “You just want a puppet leader? Maybe a sacrificial lamb?”

  Tony laughed. “You can choose to be a puppet if you don’t want to be involved or you’re lacking in talent. As far as being a sacrificial lamb, don’t worry, we don’t kill our own.”

  “What exactly does the position require?” Tony glanced at Anna, and then back at Orla. She continued, “I’m entitled to know. You should know by now that I’m stubborn, and I have nothing to lose here.”

  Tony nodded. “All right. You’re going to know sooner or later. This full moon is not like any others. This is the cycle when the full energy will be loaded onto the current leader. And of course, it will later be distributed to us.”

  “You want me to serve as a vessel?”

  “You will be a pure channel to receive the power from our God. You will be powerful, and you should consider it an honor.”

  “What if I keep the power to myself?”

  “You will always keep the power. Part of the power will be transferred to us via ceremonies because we are family, but the transfer will not weaken you as it doesn’t take anything from you.”

  Orla smiled. “You will receive the power, as long as I stay with the family forever, right?”

  “Yes. That’s the one condition. I’m glad we are coming to an understanding.”

  Orla smiled. “I’m afraid I can’t help you with the mission. I’m no longer a part of this family. If I receive the power, I will not be transferring to you naturally.”

  A few uncles and aunts stood up, and the room hummed with discussion.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was married to Lorcan in front of God. I belong to him and to his family. You can give me the power if you like, but you know where it will be transferred.”

  Tony’s face turned red. “Why did you marry a man you don’t love?”

  “I love Lorcan.”

  Tony swung his arm, and a beam of fire hit the ceilings, burning a large hole. “If you love him, and you married him, you would be dead. Either you lied to us just now, or you didn’t swear in!”

  A young man sneaked into the room and whispered something into Anna’s ear. “Hold on,” Anna interrupted before Tony continued his rant.

  “The potion is missing,” Anna said.

  “What potion?” Tony asked.

  “The one at the temple. The one.”

  Tony’s hiss was audible. “It wasn’t in plain sight. Only the entitled can see it.” He fired a deadly look at Orla. “You took it?”

  “I took what?” Orla asked.

  “You took the potion from the temple. The one for the ceremony,” Tony growled.

  “I don’t even know what it is—why would I take it?”

  Tony roared and blasted another stream of fire into the wall. “I can make another one,” Anna said.

  “There’s not enough time,” Tony roared again and paced the floor.

  “I said I can make it—if I go now, and if you can handle the other housekeeping matters.” Anna shot a look at Orla and scurried to the door. Chatter filled the room.

  “Quiet!” Tony demanded. The noise died down instantly.

  “How can I be sure that you were married in front of God,” Tony asked Orla.

  “You can’t. But you can risk it and go through with the ceremony and see if the power is transferred to Lorcan’s family.”

  “Someone has to ask Lorcan to denounce their marriage in front
of our God at the temple,” Tony said.

  “I can do it,” Alana said from the corner. “I don’t want to be her warden. I’ll deliver the message for you.”

  “You do know that you have to cross to that side of the woods to do it, right?” Tony asked.

  “I know.” Alana bit her lip slightly. “Can I take a man with me for protection?”

  Tony shrugged and pointed to a tall man standing next to the window. “Sam, go with her.” Then he turned back to Alana. “Tell Lorcan to be at the temple tomorrow at noon—or else.” Then he moved toward Orla. She maintained a stern stare. In a flash, she saw Tony’s hand come at her, and then the whole world went black.

  Chapter 24

  Lorcan groggily opened his eyes and saw the blurry ceiling and the headboard of the bed looming over him. Images of furniture and other decorative items floated in the air, flickered, and then settled. He blinked to clear his vision. His limbs didn’t seem to belong to him, and each of his movements felt as if he was trying to move a mountain.

  He remembered it now—the incident at the cliffs, the death of his father, and what his father had said before he died.

  He was officially an orphan.

  He must have drained all of his energy in electric waves at the cliffs in a haze of confusion and emotional pain. His human subconscious and the other part of him were tangled in a gigantic mess. He felt a tug at his hand and found Aris licking it.

  “Thank you, Aris,” he muttered. The door slid open and Noah walked in with a glass of water.

  Lorcan smiled. “Since when can you read my mind, Noah?”

  Lorcan sat up and gratefully took the water from him. The boy climbed onto the bed and hugged him. “I’m sorry about your father.”

  Lorcan held Noah in his arms and rubbed his back. “Me, too. Where is everyone?”

  “Downstairs. Your mother and Keeva just got back from wherever they went to make arrangements for your father. Keeva was okay. She didn’t cry much.”

  “Where’s your father?”

  “He’s with Keeva. Glued to her. He said he had to keep an eye on her. Showing support and all that. But I know he likes her.”

  “And do you mind that, Noah?”

  “Mind what?”

  “If Keeva took the place of your mother, would you mind that?”

  Noah shook his head. “No one will take the place of my mother. She’s in heaven. But I think Keeva saw my mother, and they might have an agreement between them for her to take care of my father.”

  Lorcan chuckled. “Now you’re weirding me out . . . What happened at the cliffs?”

  “You shot something from your eyes—like a machine gun or something. It took down a lot of rocks on the cliffs and some trees, and you would’ve shot down the helicopter if my father hadn’t knocked you out. I think he told the rescue people that you and he were trying to stop a special weapon that had automatically discharged. He said the weapon had belonged to your father, but it went over the cliffs.”

  Lorcan raised an eyebrow. “They bought that story?”

  Noah shrugged. “They must have. It was chaotic. Stuff was flying everywhere, and it was foggy. Nobody saw much.” Noah rubbed Aris’s ears. “I had a vision.”

  Lorcan stiffened. “What did you see?”

  “It was a happy one actually. I don’t get it, though. I saw a beautiful blue fox, a golden wolf, and a black tiger.”

  Lorcan rolled his eyes. “The blue fox is me, just so you know.”

  Noah’s jaw dropped. “Wow, really, Uncle Lorcan? It was magnificent!”

  “Is there a reason you think I can’t be a magnificent blue fox?”

  “No, it’s so cool. But what about the wolf and the tiger? Who are they?”

  “You don’t have any question about the fox? Why do you believe me that easily?”

  “Because you never tell me lies.”

  Lorcan nodded. “I think you saw a puma, rather than a black tiger. Before he died, my father said a puma jumped out in front of his car. That was why he veered off the road. I’ve seen the yellow wolf twice. I’m sure it’s some kind of magical creature.”

  “Werewolf?”

  Lorcan nodded. “Are you scared?”

  Noah shook his head.

  “You said they were friendly in your vision.”

  “Yes, but I only saw one at a time. I’m not sure if they’re friends or not. Was the yellow wolf friendly with you when you saw it?”

  Lorcan shook his head. “Not exactly. The problem is I don’t know what he wants. I think he might be friendly. He attacked me, but didn’t kill me when he had a chance.” Lorcan got off the bed, bracing his palms on the wall to keep balance and wishing he’d gotten a bit more rest to regain his energy. He shook his head to chase off his fatigue and went downstairs.

  The living room was still the same. The air in the house was still the same. He found his mother in a black dress standing in the middle of the living room. Keeva was bringing her some tea, and Riley trailed just behind her. Everyone turned to look at Lorcan.

  He just stood there in the hallway, finding his limbs useless. Jane stood up and approached Lorcan. She embraced him. That felt the same—his mother’s embrace. The feel of her body and the sound of her voice, a voice that had soothed his tantrums away when he was just a stubborn kid, were the same.

  At this moment, he needed Orla badly. She was the part of his life that he had never taken for granted. He had to fight for her. But his family—or what he had always thought was his family—he had taken it for granted. Now, he had nothing. He had no one.

  When he didn’t hug his mother back, she looked up at him. He said, “I’m so sorry. I tried to save Father. I tried to pull him back. But the . . .”

  Jane put her hand over his mouth to stop him from talking. “None of that was your fault. When you were six, you promised to build me a castle, and you promised to make me proud and happy. I’m still holding you to that.”

  “You don’t hate me? Father died because of me.” A tear fell from his eye. Jane wiped it and cupped his face.

  “You are my son, my treasure, whether you like it or not. Come sit with me. I want to talk to you, and it will be your decision whether or not you still consider us to be your family.”

  When everyone had settled around the table in the living room, Jane looked at Lorcan over the rim of her cup of tea.

  “We had been just married and were still on our honeymoon. Your father and I went for a picnic at the riverbank, the one he forbade you to go to. We were attacked by wild animals. At least that was the story for the official records. But I knew back then that it wasn’t just wild animals.”

  “Shapeshifters?” Lorcan asked.

  Jane nodded. “A whole pack of them. They were going to kill your father, and I couldn’t take it. I was on my own in the middle of the woods. I didn’t know what to do, so I begged and promised to do whatever it took if they’d spare his life.” A tear rolled down her face. “The head of the clan wanted a daughter, and he was going to rape me. I told him I would kill myself if he did, and then he wouldn’t have a child with me anyway. I don’t know the reason why, but he needed a girl, and he need her within a certain period of time. So I made him a deal.”

  Lorcan looked at Jane. The tears had dried on her face, but he could see the pain was still raw and fresh.

  “I told him if I got pregnant and our first child is a girl, he could have her. I said I would tell no one and lay no claim on the child.”

  Keeva gasped, and Lorcan saw Riley instantly grab her hand.

  Lorcan nodded. He admired Jane—she was a strong woman, and she was fearless when it came to protecting those she loved. “That’s how I came along?”

  Jane nodded. “I wasn’t pregnant at that point. We just had to make sure our first child wasn’t a girl. Ferris never told me how he got you. He said it was best if I didn’t know. And I always thought it was a closed adoption.”

  “Then you didn’t know about the ten-year limit?”


  Jane shook her head. “Not until a few months later. Had I known, I would never have accepted it. But the moment he brought you home, I fell in love with you. You became a part of my life the moment your father brought you through that door. The shapeshifter missed his chance, but he couldn’t touch us.”

  “What stopped him from coming and grabbing Keeva or hurting you and Father if he found out?” Lorcan asked.

  “It wasn’t just a verbal deal. It was almost like an oath. For magical creatures, that’s a big deal. We swore in front of his gods, and they gave me my protection. The lullaby that you always disliked, Lorcan, it would kill anyone in that clan if they broke their promise and tried to harm me or my family.”

  He remembered now—the lullaby had stopped the monstrous woman at the riverbank from killing him, the woman who had pretended to be Orla and then kissed him and controlled him to upset her. That woman must be from that particular clan of shapeshifters.

  “How did you know they attacked me at the riverbank? How did you know to sing the song?”

  “It was just gut instinct. I sensed you were coming home. I sensed danger. And the lullaby is the only protection I have for you. My senses when it comes to those shapeshifters are very strong. This time, it felt the same as it did so many years ago, when you came home after you kissed Orla.”

  “What?”

  “Not long before Orla left, you came home reeking with the scent of that shapeshifter clan. You told me you had kissed her for the first time that day. And I knew she was related to them. I knew they were coming for Keeva, but I couldn’t tell you why we wouldn’t allow you to date Orla.”

  “But Orla had nothing to do with shapeshifters. Yes, her family does black magic, but it wasn’t her choice to be born into that family. She wouldn’t have anything to do with the shapeshifter clan you mentioned. Who’s the clan’s leader?”

  “It’s Bricius.”

  There was a buzzing in Lorcan’s head. Bricius was one of the most dangerous sorcerers, the one who had cursed his parents and the reason he’d come back to Ireland this time. He was the one he had killed in another dimension.