by Sarah Noffke
Manx awoke, sat up, and scooped the olive from the couch, eating it happily. Laurel shook her head at the pooka. “I don’t get it. Why would anyone care?”
Ever took a sip of his martini. “Social media allows everyone to be obsessed with what everyone else is doing. There’s a lot of posting, and maybe a little less living because of their need to document everything. It’s become an addiction. Another reason I prefer Oriceran—things are simpler here.”
Monet pulled his wand from his robes and waved it, and a potion bottle on the far side of the room lifted into the air and poured its contents into a scrying bowl. When the bottle was empty, the bowl flew across the room and landed on the coffee table beside Monet’s feet.
“That looked so incredibly hard. Are you all right?” Laurel asked, mocking the wizard.
“I’m fucking exhausted, but I think I’ll survive. The author of this story hasn’t killed me off yet,” Monet said, sitting up. Confusion covered Laurel’s face, but Monet ignored it, stirring the potion with his wand.
“Oh, Gill-gill! Where are you?” Monet sang, looking into the scrying bowl.
The green potion swirled as shapes took form in it, then the liquid turned gray and Gillian’s head swam into view. “Monet, is that you?”
“It is.” He tapped the side of the scrying bowl with his wand and the image sharpened.
“Oh, now I can see you,” the gnome said, looking as he normally did with his brown bowler hat pressed onto his bald head.
“How’s it going there, Shorty?” Monet asked.
Gillian ignored the joke. “We’re out of creaseworms and rat spleen. I put in a new order, but we have some grumpy customers who don’t want to wait a few days.”
“Give them a dose of flubber scum. It will make them forget their troubles,” Monet advised.
“How’s Blisters? Is he of help to you?” Ever asked, leaning forward to peer into the bowl.
Gillian gave him a long cold look. “I think we all know the answer to that question. You thought I needed assistance running the shop so you assigned Blisters to help me? Really?”
Monet covered his laugh by taking a drink. “I thought of it as a teambuilding activity. He assists you, and Buzz Buzz assists him.”
At the mention of her name the pixie flew into the frame, her fists shaking in the air and an angry look on her face. She let out what sounded like a series of complaints, but none of her words were understandable. As she whirled in a circle she pointed dramatically at her back, where her wings fluttered wildly.
“What’s the fairy going on about?” Monet asked.
“Apparently Manx glued her wings together the morning you left. She couldn’t fly for a whole day, which meant she had to walk around Virgo. She was nearly trampled several times. I figured out a potion to unstick her wings, but not until more damage was done,” Gillian explained.
Laurel popped Manx on the nose. “You mean old pooka. Why do you have to be so rotten to that pixie?”
“It’s a fairy thing. You wouldn’t understand,” Manx said, stretching and shaking his black fur.
“More damage? What happened?” Ever asked.
“Well, Blisters felt bad for Buzz Buzz, so instead of finding a reasonable solution he decided to drink an entire bottle of shrinking potion,” Gillian said, looking at something beside the bowl.
Monet laughed loudly, nearly doubling over.
“Oh, no, an entire bottle? Is he okay?” Laurel asked.
“I think so, but that’s the thing. I don’t know for sure, because I can’t find him,” Gillian said with a shrug. “Buzz Buzz was there when he drank the potion, and then he disappeared. I could give him the antidote, but for that I’d have to be able to see him.” Gillian looked around, searching the shop for the microscopic unicorn.
Through his laughter Monet said, “He’s a speck of dust, but don’t worry. The potion will wear off in a couple of days and he’ll slowly start to get bigger. By next week he’ll be able to sit in the palm of your hand.”
“That’s awful. Will he be all right?” Laurel asked, shock on her face.
“He’ll be fine. Just watch where you step, and don’t give him the antidote. Unicorns are sensitive to potions, which is why it had such a dramatic effect on him. They amplify the potion’s magic with their own,” Monet explained.
Gillian scratched his head and nodded. “Okay. So yeah, Blisters hasn’t really been a problem since I can’t find him. The shop has mostly been quiet since you left. How is the trip?”
“It’s great. I’ve been drunk since I woke up. Laurel has taken on your role of offering me disapproving stares, and Azure went through a tear to Earth-Egypt because we’re being hunted by vampires.” Monet ran through all this pretty quickly and matter-of-factly.
“What did you say? Hunted by vampires? Is Azure okay?” Gillian’s green eyes widened with sudden shock.
“I also said that I’m drunk, so I can’t really remember what else I said,” Monet said, emptying his glass.
“Azure’s not with you?” Gillian asked.
“No, the ditz left us behind to find a cure or something for vampirism,” Monet said in a monotone voice. “She apparently can see the tears between New Egypt and Egypt, and has a magic necklace from Mage Lenore. And she’s getting all this attention from the coven here because the vampires want her. It’s all quite boring. How’s the slow-brew potion I was working on coming along? Is it bubbling yet?”
Gillian looked at Ever. “Is all this true? Tell me everything.”
Monet waved his hand at the gnome and sat back on the couch.
Ever leaned forward. “Yes, it’s true. There’s an epidemic of vampirism here. The coven covered the whole thing up, afraid of scaring people away from New Egypt. There’s at least one founder vampire that we know of, who is creating followers. The river has been telling this coven things about Azure and the vampires. Apparently, by going through the tear she’ll find something that could aid in the battle against the vampires. Do you have any idea what that could be?”
Gillian’s rubbed his face anxiously and nodded. “This isn’t good. The queen should have come back immediately upon learning of these vampires. If she’s bitten, it will ruin the kingdom.”
“Magic necklace, remember?” Monet said in a sing-song voice, pulling the knife Azure had given him out of his robe’s inner pocket.
“Right…Mage Lenore. I remember now,” Gillian said, sounding breathless. “And yes, I’m sure there’s something in the Book of the Dead that explains how vampirism works and how it can be cured. However, the pages that document that were lost long ago. Vampires were suspected to be behind it. Obviously they didn’t want that information found, so they stole the pages and now they are rumored to be lost forever.”
“Well, Azure went through to Egypt. She might find something,” Ever said hopefully.
“And even if the pages from the Book of the Dead were found, it’s incredibly difficult to read.” Gillian continued to speak as if he hadn’t heard the Light Elf, his eyes distant.
“Could you interpret the pages?” Ever asked.
Gillian’s eyes shot straight forward, shock covering his face. “Me? I’m not sure, although I guess I could try. I might be able to call in a favor from the Light Elf library.”
“We’ll let you know more when we hear from Azure. We’re hoping she’ll return soon, but she has to find another tear to get back here,” Ever said.
“Yes, these tears between the worlds… I’ve heard of them, and they worry me. You do understand how they work?” Gillian asked.
“I don’t think we understand much at this point,” Ever related, now watching Monet as he twiddled the knife in his hands.
“Tears are the vampires’ method of travel between the sister kingdoms,” Gillian began. “They can’t take portals because they have no magic, but in the Egypts they can create tears. That’s the only place they can create these passages between the worlds. You see, when the gods fought over the v
ampires, there was a certain balance struck. Ra, the sun god, said that vampires couldn’t walk in the daylight. Osiris, the god of resurrection, brought the vampires back to life and gave them immortality. Geb, the god of Earth, decided they shouldn’t be confined to that world, so he made it so they could pass through but only in the kingdoms where they originated, Egypt and New Egypt. Isis, the goddess of magic, took their magic from them. Horus, the god of war, made them hungry for blood. You see, the Egyptian gods control all aspects of the vampires, making the Egypts the best and worst place for them.”
“That was what Chibale said. They are most powerful here, and also it’s where their greatest weakness lies,” Ever said, thinking.
“And if Azure can see tears, which continue to show up even after a vampire has left, then she’s in essence following their path,” Gillian said, his voice shaking.
“Which means she’s bound to run into one,” Ever said, his voice suddenly rising with fear.
Someone rapped at the door, making Laurel start slightly.
“Our pizza is here. We’ve got to ring off, old buddy. I’ll follow back up with you later about the shop,” Monet said, pushing the knife back into his pocket and picking up his wand.
“Wait! You have to let me know about Azure. The queen mother will be worried, and—”
“Easy solution—don’t tell Gran about this. Catch ya later,” Monet sang, tapping the side of the scrying bowl to make Gillian’s image disappear.
Again the knock sounded at the door, this time a bit more forcefully.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Azure muttered under her breath, running through every spell she could remember to find one that would free her from Ata’s restraints. She peered at the corner where her bag lay. She was fairly certain that if she could get her wand she could free herself, but that was ironically not how this all worked.
The lamp!
The idea occurred to her so suddenly it made her heart skip. The lamp was in her bag, along with her wand.
She pulled in a deep breath and quietly whispered, “Bob?”
For a moment nothing happened. Azure was just about to say the genie’s name a bit louder when smoke poured from her bag and shot straight over to where she lay on the bed. Bob’s coughing started to fill the air.
“Shush,” she urged, trying to shake her head but unable to. “Please stop coughing.”
“Is that a wish?” Bob asked, his voice hopeful.
“No, it’s a request. If you keep that up, a bad wizard is going to take you away from me,” she said in a terse whisper.
“Bad wizard, you say?” Bob stroked his chin.
The door handle clicked before turning.
“Hide,” Azure urged as the door swung open.
The smoke and Bob shot under the bed, disappearing at once. Ata’s face appeared in the opening of the doorway, his eyes narrowed with anger.
“What’s going on in here?” he asked.
Azure pretended to cough. “The dry desert is getting to my lungs. I think I need a glass of water.”
“You may have nothing until my masters return,” Ata said, crossing his arms on his chest.
Azure staged a coughing fit, really exaggerating the scratchy, hacking sound. “Imagine how pissed they’ll be when they find out I passed out due to dehydration. I haven’t had any water all day, and in the desert that can be lethal, am I right?”
Ata considered Azure for a moment, then held his strange crook up and flicked it. A glass of water materialized on the bedside table.
“Perfect. Now can you allow me to use my limbs so I can get to it?” she asked.
A sadistic smile curled the edges of the wizard’s mouth. “No need for that.” He flicked his wand again and the glass floated through the air. Azure was pulled to a sitting position, and the glass tipped water into her mouth. Awkwardly her head went back, directed by the strange force that had laid her flat before.
Damn it! This fucking wizard wasn’t going to allow her any freedom.
After a moment the water floated back to the bedside table.
“You know they are controlling you with their minds, right? You don’t have to follow them. I could help you. I could return you to your coven. Chibale could help you. I know him,” Azure said, and to her horror she heard Bob under the bed humming quietly. That fucking genie. Was he trying to get her killed? Oh yeah, that’s right, she remembered. Of course he was.
“Chibale? He can’t help me. He wouldn’t. He’s the reason I’m in this position, forced to serve these founder vampires,” Ata said, his words on fire with vengeance.
“Chibale? The leader of the New Egyptian coven? Are you sure? He’s trying to fight the vampires,” Azure said, unsure what she was missing.
“Yes, I’m certain. However, he didn’t realize what sort of danger I’d be put in when he forced me out into the desert. You see, I was the leader before him, but he put a spell on me that made me lose my mind. I ventured out into the desert, forgetting who I was and where my home could be found. I was lost.
Chibale hoped that he’d grow in power while I was away so that he could take the throne. However, while I was lost my masters found me and made me serve them. Chibale got what he wanted, but has no idea that I’m the one who has been forced to help the vampires. It’s because of him that the vampires have taken over. It’s because of him that I have to hold you prisoner. With me in their service my masters are very strong,” Ata said, his voice haunted.
“These vampires are taking over your people.” Azure’s heart suddenly ached. How horrible this all was. The powerplays had been these wizards’ very undoing. Azure observed that Ata’s face was covered completely with tattoos, unlike Chibale’s, which was only partially covered. This wizard was much stronger than the current coven leader.
“Yes, and my brother will be helpless to fight the vampires because they have me. I’m bound to them, and my power is unmatched,” Ata imparted, his tone cursed.
“Brother?” Azure said. She’d observed how much the two looked like each other originally, but had dismissed it. “He’s your twin, isn’t he?”
“That is correct. We, like the Egyptian kingdoms, are connected, and he used that power to spell me with confusion. For weeks I roamed New Egypt, seeing it as the original Egypt looks. That was what kept me confused for so long,” Ata confessed.
“That’s horrible. Why would he do such a thing?” Azure asked.
“Because power is everything to our coven. Leaders die defending their claim to the throne. Chibale has always wanted to be king.”
Azure shivered. “And this twin power... Why is it so prevalent here?” She thought of Nenet and Nefertiti and the two kingdoms.
“It’s what the river deems. The river splits many things: the kingdom, our people, and vampires and bats. The magic of the river created the sister kingdoms. As long as the magic flows between them there will always be these splits,” Ata explained.
Azure thought of her other half, Monet. She had to get out of there and help him. Her heart felt like it fell out of her chest when she thought of Ever and losing him to vampirism. She had to help them before it was too late. “If your brother knew what had happened to you, could he help?”
Ata shook his head. “I don’t think anyone can help me now. As long as my masters are in power, I must do everything they say. There’s no releasing me from my role as their servant. Their mental control is too strong.”
Azure nodded solemnly. Ata was there in front of her. She could see the man, the wizard, under the shell he presented. Under the robot, forced to act, was the heart and soul of the once-leader of the New Egypt coven, but he had been buried by mind control and couldn’t escape. Not yet, at least.
“Thanks for the water,” Azure said, meaning it.
He nodded minutely, then pivoted and marched out of the room. When the door had closed the humming under the bed stopped and Bob rose, his eyes wide.
“That was a close one,” he said in a loud whis
per.
“Yes, you realize the severity of the situation. Is that why you were singing to yourself?” Azure asked, still unable to move.
“That’s what I do when I get bored, which is basically all the time. It’s quite tedious hanging around inside a lamp. However, you wouldn’t know about that, would you, master? You’ve got this big world to stroll around in. Actually, I hear you have two worlds. Must be nice,” Bob said bitterly.
“Would you stop the pity party for a moment? I need to get out of here, but I’m currently paralyzed. I need my bag and my wand, and I need to be released from this enchantment.”
“That sounds like a couple of wishes,” Bob said, gleefully. “I’ll grant those right away and then I’ll be gone for good.”
“Wait, no,” Azure whispered frantically. She wasn’t sure why, but she couldn’t release the genie yet. That was what using her remaining wishes would do. It would send Bob back to his lamp and then it would hide itself somewhere on Oriceran again. “On second thought, I only wish that you would release me from this restraining spell.”
Bob’s excited face fell with disappointment. “Oh, just the one wish…too bad. I’m starting to like you, and the longer I hang around you, the stronger the urge to kill you becomes. Call it a curse.”
“Bob, will you shut up and grant my damn wish already?” Azure whispered.
“Fine, fine. You want to be free from a restraining curse. Most people want fame, money, good looks, and big muscles. My master only wishes to get herself out of trouble. So very boring.” Bob rolled his turban-covered head on his shoulders, stretching his neck, then he flicked his head in her direction. Like coming out of a cast, Azure’s muscles felt free. She flexed her fingers and her thumb brushed against her other digits.
“Perfect,” she said, pushing off the bed and grabbing her bag. She pulled her wand out and stared around the room. She had to figure out how to get out of there, but that wouldn’t be easy. A powerful wizard guarded the other side of the door.
Bob, reading her expression of confusion, said, “What’s the plan, master? You need to use another wish?”