by Sarah Noffke
CONTENTS
Oriceran
Dedication
Legal
Oriceran US Map
Oriceran Map
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Author Notes - Sarah
Acknowledgements - Sarah
Author Notes - Martha
Publisher Notes - Michael
Social Links
About - Sarah
Martha Carr Series List
Other LMBPN Books
VIRGO
Soul Stone Mage Book Seven
By Sarah Noffke and Martha Carr
A part of
The Revelations of Oriceran Universe
Written and Created
by Michael Anderle & Martha Carr
The Oriceran Universe
(and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are
Copyright (c) 2017-2018 by Martha Carr and LMBPN Publishing.
DEDICATION
From Sarah
For my daughter, Lydia.
You are the real magic in my life.
From Martha
To everyone who still believes in magic and all the possibilities that holds.
To all the readers who make this entire ride so much fun.
And to all the dreamers just like me who create wonder, big and small, every day.
Virgo Team
JIT Beta Readers
Jim Caplan
John Ashmore
Micky Cocker
Larry Omans
Paul Westman
If we missed anyone, please let us know!
Editor
Jen McDonnell
Virgo (this book) is a work of fiction.
All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
This Book Copyright © 2018 Sarah Noffke, Martha Carr and Michael Anderle
Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing
LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
LMBPN Publishing
PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89109
First US edition, April 2018
The Oriceran (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are Copyright (c) 2017-2018 by Martha Carr and LMBPN Publishing.
Click to View Full Size Map
Click to View Full Size Map
PROLOGUE
100 years ago…
Hot winds blew across the pillaged and broken land of Leo. The constant battles had burned down every cottage in the village, and the only structure that still stood was the House of Torrance, on the high hill.
The sight of the scorched rolling hills on the outskirts of the Dark Forest knocked the breath out of Mage Lenore. There was nothing to be done for the kingdom of Leo now. The land would need to rest and the people needed time to mend. One day, Mage Lenore knew, this would be a thriving nation again. Only then would its rightful leader return.
“Pssst!” Helga spat from the shadows.
“I see you clearly,” Mage Lenore admonished the witch. “There’s no reason to ensure that everyone in the vicinity hears you.”
Helga pulled her hood tighter over her head. “Do you think I’ve been seen?”
Mage Lenore halted right in front of the witch, pressing the bundle she held firmly into her chest. “Of course you haven’t. I’ve cloaked this section of the Dark Forest.”
“Is that why I didn’t encounter any deadly beasts on the way through?” Helga asked.
“Well, that, and also because you’re as annoying as a screeching night owl,” Mage Lenore teased. “Who would want anything to do with you?”
Helga hitched up her hip. “I know a wizard or two who would.”
“And per our agreement, you’ll keep yourself out of wizard’s beds, correct?” Mage Lenore asked, a sturdy look in her ancient eyes.
“Have I been cleared of the charges?”
Mage Lenore nodded. “I have arranged to have all of your records cleared, with the understanding that you’ll behave yourself from here on out.”
“Then only the straight and narrow for me,” Helga said, sounding resentful about the notion. “What do I have to do in return?”
Mage Lenore cast a last look at the bundle in her arms before handing it over. “You must raise this as your own.”
“A baby!” the witch said too loudly. “Are you insane? I don’t want a child!”
Mage Lenore gazed contemptuously at the witch before her. “And yet you also don’t want to be imprisoned for the many crimes you’ve committed all over Oriceran, or pay any of your debts. The House of Enchanted has granted you immunity and the right to live within their borders, and they were the only ones willing to take you. I think that should show you how unwanted you are, Helga Petersen.”
The witch’s bottom lip protruded as she stared down at the sleeping child in her arms. “But this a baby, and I’ll have to—”
“Selflessly care for it at the expense of your own needs,” Mage Lenore said, cutting Helga off. “Yes, I think it is the perfect rehabilitation for you.”
“Where are its parents?”
“Dead,” Mage Lenore chirped simply.
“And what am I supposed to do with it? I don’t know the first thing about children,” Helga groaned.
Mage Lenore swept her eyes at her back. The fires were spreading. She should be gone soon. “You will learn. The Queen of Virgo has kindly offered you some provisions. She has recently given birth to her own child, and has taken pity on you.”
“I don’t need hoity-toity royalty looking down their noses at me,” Helga said bitterly.
“Then you will decline their help and do it all on your own, but you will take care of the child,” Mage Lenore stated firmly.
“And I’ll pretend as if it’s my own?”
“He,” Mage Lenore corrected. “And yes.”
“What do I say happened to his father?” Helga asked.
Mage Lenore sighed. Anyone who knew Helga wouldn’t really wonder how she had a child;
more likely, they’d wonder how she didn’t have a brood of them.
“You’ll simply say that he disappeared,” she commanded.
“Fine,” Helga said, staring at the baby boy like he was a pile of slugs. She started in the direction of the Dark Forest, trudging through the thicket of branches unhappily. When almost cloaked in its darkness, she spun back around to face Mage Lenore. “What is his name? Or can I name him myself?” she asked hopefully.
The oldest witch on Oriceran shook her head. “He has a name. One that he shall carry for all his life.”
“What is it?” Helga asked.
Mage Lenore smiled. “Monet Torrance.”
CHAPTER ONE
“It smells old,” Hamilton said, his nose pinched.
“It is old,” Cordelia replied, a hint of mischief in her voice. “Keep your eyes closed.”
Dutifully, Hamilton kept his eyelids firmly shut. “There’s also a bit of rot in the air.”
“Yes, I don’t think there’s any way to get that out of the place. Let’s call it a part of its charm.” Cordelia positioned Hamilton in the perfect spot and waited until Ata had lit the last torch. Buzzing with excitement, she came around to stand in front of Hamilton, her long red gown brushing the ancient tiles.
“Okay, you can open them,” Cordelia said, smiling.
He opened his blue eyes, blinking several times to clear his vision as his focus adjusted to the dark. Mouth falling open, Hamilton rotated, taking in the massive room with its vaulted ceilings held up by giant columns. Fire light danced across the walls which sparkled with golden hieroglyphs. It was the most incredible place he’d ever seen and radiated with a vibrant energy.
Hamilton’s breath caught in his throat from amazement. “Are we…?”
Cordelia nodded, her hands pressed together in front of her.
“But how…? It’s impossible…” Hamilton rotated again, his chin tilting up to the ceiling high above them.
Cordelia extended her arm to the wizard who stood on the far side of the room. “Ata was able to lift the magic that prevented us from entering. Now the Great Pyramid of Giza is our home. A headquarters that you can finally be proud of.”
“I can’t believe you did it.” Hamilton’s loafers made a clicking sound that echoed throughout the long chamber as he strode toward the far end.
“For you, my darling, I’d do just about anything,” Cordelia stated.
Hamilton spun around, a playfully cautious expression on his face. “‘Just about anything’? What, you won’t sacrifice yourself for me, is that it?”
Cordelia laughed. “I’ve spent hundreds of years feeding your every whim. You want me to sacrifice myself for you?”
Hamilton strode back in Cordelia’s direction, halting in front of her, a brilliant smile lighting up his handsome face. “Not that many things can destroy us, being founder vampires, but I do expect you to throw yourself into the fire to save me, should the occasion arise.”
Cordelia lowered her chin, a coy look on her face. “Do you like it?”
Hamilton brandished a wolfish grin. “Of course I do, my love. It’s perfect. I’m confused though—I thought that the Great Pyramid of Giza contained only small burial chambers and connecting tunnels.”
Cordelia nodded. “The pyramid on Earth is as you describe. However, the magic on Oriceran made Giza more similar to the Sphinx.”
“Which the New Egyptian witches and wizards have taken over,” Hamilton growled.
“Not for long.” A flash of confidence flew to Cordelia’s eyes. “Ata was able to remove the wards that prevented vampires from entering this pyramid, so he’ll be able to do the same to his old home. Won’t you, Ata?” Cordelia spun to face the wizard, standing by a wall covered in golden hieroglyphs.
Robotically, he nodded. “Yes, master. I’m working on it.”
“Make it happen,” Cordelia commanded. “At the rate the brood is growing, we will need a place to expand.”
Bats squeaked from the ceiling overhead, drawing the attention of both vampires.
“Is the colony ready for the journey?” Hamilton asked.
“Yes, and once we have turned a few choice witches and wizards from Virgo into founder vampires, we will be strong enough to overwhelm the coven here.” Cordelia felt the hunger that always accompanied a good mood. Her fangs slid down, and her skin burned from the elation of the moment.
“Magic will soon be destroyed,” Hamilton said, a triumphant smile on his face.
“And then vampires can reign, once and for all,” Cordelia exclaimed.
CHAPTER TWO
Since the kingdom of Lancothy had fallen, hundreds of wereanimals were homeless. Some had scattered to the Dark Forests, intent on hiding away. Some had found caves, feeling more at home inside a mountain. But thankfully, most of the wereanimals had asked for help and could be found in a clearing at the base of a mountain range.
Rows of tables sat in the clearing, each marked with its purpose: “Maps of Oriceran,” “Housing Options,” “Skills Assessment,” “Occupational Placement,” “Oriceran Acclimation Counseling.”
Wereanimals filed between the various tables, most of them nervously staring around. These were the refuges from Lancothy; Azure firmly believed that integrating them into life on Oriceran was her mission.
She handed a wereporcupine a bundle of provisions with a smile. “If you’re hungry, Laurel has started a new batch of vegetables on the grill.” Azure indicated the brick grill where savory smoke wafted into the darkening sky. The grill had been transported from Virgo, along with many of the supplies that made up the refugee camp.
The wereporcupine hesitated before taking the care package, a bewildered expression on his face.
“If you’re looking for a ‘thank you,’ you’ll be waiting a while,” Monet said at Azure’s side.
“I’m not.” Azure handed another bundle to the next wereanimal, something that was furry but whose specific designation was unclear. Weremongoose, maybe.
“Right, you’re doing all this because you’re Saint Azure, and your royal blood makes you pure of heart,” Monet teased.
“We’re doing this because we destroyed these wereanimals’ home,” Azure countered.
“We didn’t do anything. Vampires destroyed that mountain,” Monet argued.
Azure handed another package to the next wereanimal. “The fact remains that these wereanimals need help. None of them have been outside of Lancothy, and a little compassion will go a long way in helping them. Can you imagine how scary it is to venture out into the world when you’ve been taught your whole life that beings on Oriceran loathe wereanimals?”
“Yes. That’s why I’m making a killing selling antidepressant potions.” Monet motioned to the potions booth he had set up on the far end of the field, which was currently being supervised by Blisters and Manx. The pooka was in black stallion form, staring down into a simmering cauldron. Blisters, who wasn’t tall enough to see the contents of the giant cauldron, kept rearing back on his heels to try and get a closer look. They were inevitably moments away from a disaster, as was typical when the clumsy unicorn tried to help.
“Please tell me you’re joking? You’re not really taking advantage of these poor wereanimals,” Azure said.
“Of course I’m kidding.” Monet laughed. “The currency of these damn wereanimals is worthless to me. Lancothy’s exchange fell faster than a witch’s panties in my bed when that mountain exploded.”
Azure looked Monet over. His green hair was a mess of chaos, and his robes were frayed and dirty. He might be pretending not to care about the wereanimals, but if anyone was losing more sleep than her by helping the refugees, it was Monet.
“Looks like Manx and Blisters have things under control. Why don’t you take a nap in the carriage,” Azure offered, nodding to the red and gold stagecoach at her back. Three of the dragons were hunting, but Micky sat dutifully a safe distance away, her sharp eyes resting on Azure.
&nbs
p; “No. I’m not a baby who needs naps, dear Azure,” Monet replied, flashing his gaze at his booth. “I’m fine, and I’m not leaving that runt unicorn and psycho pooka alone with my stuff. They are seconds away from destroying an entire batch of hair removal potion.”
Azure dropped her chin and regarded Monet with hooded eyes. “Why are you brewing a hair removal potion?”
“Because some of these wereanimals are vain as fuck and want a sleeker look,” Monet said through a loud yawn.
Azure shook her head, but laughed still. The potion, she knew from the purplish-gray color, was an antibacterial formula, probably to combat any infections the wereanimals contracted. “Fine, work yourself tirelessly. See if I care.”
Monet strode back to his post, offering Azure a wink over his shoulder. “You care.”
“The guards are all stationed around the perimeter,” Ever said, having appeared soundlessly behind Azure. Damn Light Elf was as quiet as a mouse. Not a weremouse—they were loud as fuck, full of constant chatter and giggles.
Azure nodded. “Thanks. I’m not completely confident that setting up guards will do too much against a vampire attack, but at least we have something in place.”
Ever picked up a package from the bin and began helping Azure hand them to the wereanimals in line. “What we need is to discover their weakness.”
“Yes, we don’t know enough about them. That’s why I feel powerless against them,” Azure related.
Ever gave her a long, contemptuous glare. “Says the girl who is immune to their attacks.” He pointed to the ruby necklace hanging around her neck.