Magic and Mayhem

by S. Usher Evans

  "See to it this match occurs today, if that's what you desire," Gavon said with a glare to Cyrus. Then in a puff of smoke, he appeared next to me, grabbing me by the elbow. "While you're otherwise occupied, I'd like a word with my daughter."

  And before Cyrus could respond, I was covered in purple smoke and transported out of the room.

  Twenty-Six

  "Are you out of your Goddamned mind?" he bellowed. "What could've possessed you to agree to such a thing?"

  I wasn't fully transported into the room before Gavon started screaming at me, so I backed up and fell backward. Luckily, my butt sank into a chair instead of hitting the hard floor. I lifted my dizzy head and recognized his library before his purple face filled my vision again.

  "Maybe because I woke up and my sisters were gone," I snapped back.

  That got his attention. "What are you talking about?"

  "He took Nicole and Marie," I said, helplessly. "They're in danger, or so says that stupid hairbrush charm."

  "I…" Gavon's face melted into panic. "You're right. I can't find them either."

  "See?"

  "But then why not come to me first?" he said, his anger returning. "What possible reason could you have to want to endanger your life this way?"

  "Cyrus met me at the tear," I said, wishing I had a stronger argument. "I couldn't just…"

  "Just walk away and come to me?" Gavon finished with no shortage of fire in his voice. "Considering the edict prevented him from hurting you."

  "But he could've—"

  "Could've what? What possible outcome was so terrifying that you lost your damned mind and challenged the one person in the Guild who actually wants you dead?"

  "Because I could defeat him," I replied, although my confidence was quickly slipping away.

  "Oh? So you think you're ready to take someone else's life?" he asked, hotly. "Because that's the only way to truly defeat him."

  I chewed my lip. "I mean…"

  "And also if you don't kill him, he will most assuredly kill you. Was that part of your plan? Or did you just think you could announce your intention, knock him around, and walk away with both of you still alive? Because that's not what will happen. If you get into that match with him, someone will die. And it will probably be you."

  Tears pricked at my eyes, but I didn't give him the satisfaction. "Thanks for the pep talk. Do you even know how powerful I am?"

  He shook his head. "You've been spending too much time with James, it seems. You aren't powerful, Alexis. You're a kid. You're barely seventeen."

  His words stripped away whatever false confidence I'd been wearing, leaving me as nervous and unsure as the last time I'd been in New Salem. And without it, I was left with the real reason why I'd taken such a bold risk.

  I stared at the floor and begged my lip not to tremble. "It was my fault. I took the barriers down last night after…after we'd had a big fight. And he… And I just didn't want anyone else to get hurt because I'd made another stupid…mistake. And I panicked."

  His warm hands landed on my shoulders and I finally lifted my gaze to his. And I was grateful some of his anger had given way to determination.

  "You aren't going to duel anyone today. Not if I can help it. It's a small village, so if they're here, it won't take long to find them. If I can prove it's happened under duress, the match will be null and void."

  I actually sighed in relief. "So I don't have to fight him?"

  "No," he said with an angry look at me, "you have to fight him. At least, you have to hold him off until I can find your sisters. But I won't be able to locate them before the match starts. If Cyrus took them, they're in his manor, presumably in his basement—"

  "That's what I thought, too!" I said, then wilted at the glare he gave me.

  "But I can't just walk into his manor. There are spells to undo, charms to break. And that's all presuming he's placed them there and not in some other iron-clad room."

  I winced. "There are more of them?"

  "Plenty more. We magicals like our prisons," Gavon said, releasing my shoulders. "I'm sending you back to Cyrus. Do not do or say anything that will inform him of our plans. It's best if you say nothing at all. He will try to goad you, to convince you that the truth is a lie and that lies are truth. You need to trust your own instincts more than what he says, no matter how much he tries to confuse you."

  Again, I nodded.

  "I'm very, very disappointed in you," he said before transporting me out of his library.

  I landed in the same, small holding room near the sparring arena I'd been held in before my introduction match. Then, I'd been terrified that I was about to die. But now, staring out the small window, I mostly felt nerves, a little excitement, and the lingering disgust at myself.

  I couldn't dwell on what I should or shouldn't have done. The only thing to do now was focus on the knowledge that I was here to put an end to Cyrus—at least until Gavon could clean up my mess.

  Assuming he could before Cyrus made a mess out of me.

  I paced the floor, scraping the bottom of my conscious for the confidence that Gavon had so effortlessly destroyed. I craned my neck to see the stands In the arena in front of me. James had said—

  James. Where the hell was that kid?

  "Don't focus on that," I whispered to myself, returning my train of thought to the audience gathering in the stone stands of the arena. I couldn't see much from this vantage point, but the roar was growing. Matches were the only bit of entertainment these people ever got.

  The door swung open, but it wasn't Cyrus waiting for me, rather a young woman who would not look me in the eye.

  "I'm here to get you, Mistress," she whispered.

  I followed her out of the room, observing the woman with detached interest. Her clothes were nice but her frame was too slender. She'd gone hungry often, but she seemed well taken care of otherwise.

  I couldn't help the burst of curiosity. "What do you think of G—the Guildmaster?"

  Her eyes darted around before settling back on the floor. "Master Gavon is a kind man. He helped me find employment when no one would take me. My magic isn't…isn't very strong."

  Despite my own nerves, I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sounds like you've got plenty to me."

  She squeaked, somewhat in fear, but a little in excitement, and scurried forward to hold the door open for me. The roar of the crowd echoed down the stone hallway, and I readied myself for the action.

  My erratic brain reminded me how terrified I'd been to go to that party at Callista's. If only they could see me now.

  The stands rose several tiers into the sky, but it was hard to see how many with the crowds already cramming into the arena. My gaze swept the arena until it landed on the Guildmaster's box. Gavon was nowhere to be seen, and neither was James. I hoped that was a good sign.

  The crowd cheered loudly and I glanced to my left; Cyrus emerged from the other side with an air of smug calmness. Either he didn't know that I'd told Gavon about my sisters, or he didn't care. Perhaps all he wanted was to get into the ring with me. Perhaps he didn't know that Gavon could nullify the match.

  Or perhaps he did, and there was some other plan afoot.

  "As customary, we shake hands," he said, extending his.

  I grasped it, infusing all my power into my grip, as he did the same. The dueling agreement solidified, and a large dome expanded from where our hands met. It was colored purple and dark gray, giving me just a hint of pride that this time, this duel, it was on me to sink or swim.

  I retreated to my side, throwing back my shoulders and waiting. Cyrus glanced to the Guildmaster box and frowned; Gavon still hadn't arrived.

  "I doubt he has the stomach to watch this," Cyrus called.

  "I didn't think he cared for you that much."

  Cyrus smiled. "I think, above all else, I shall miss that quick wit of yours, Alexis."

  His confidence made me itch with the need to put him in his place. My own was pulsing and raging, fu
eled by my emotions, my protective instincts, and the knowledge that I wasn't just fighting for myself, but for my sisters.

  I barely heard the "begin" before the dark gray power came for me. But I was ready, deflecting it with ease and wincing only when the loud boom of magic exploded against the protective dome.

  "Little Alexis," Cyrus teased, walking closer. "You are quite powerful now, aren't you?"

  Three more spells, three more deflections. This was proving almost too easy, and I knew he was testing me, feeling me out and waiting for me to show my weaknesses.

  "You cannot win this fight by defense only," Cyrus said, circling me. "Perhaps you aren't angry enough. Shall I talk about your dear mother? That seemed to get you riled up before. Or perhaps we could discuss your late aunt?"

  He will try to goad you, to convince you that the truth is a lie and that lies are truth. You need to trust your own instincts and keep strong to your convictions.

  Gavon's words echoed in my mind, removing the anguish Cyrus' words had caused and replacing them with cool focus. This was nothing more than a sparring match, with my opponent mercilessly attacking me on all sides. Only instead of James, I was facing someone who didn't care if he bruised me.

  But James had given me something to work with.

  "We could talk about how you lost the Guildmastership to Gavon. How about that?" I called back, releasing my first offensive spell. To my surprise, it landed right where it was supposed to.

  "Oh, so you've been informed of recent history, then?" The cool, calm, collected Cyrus was back, and I knew my hit had been a one-time deal. I wished James had shared more information with me, but I would have to rely on my own skills to defeat him.

  Or—I glanced at the empty box—delay him as long as possible.

  "I know you also killed my grandmother, your own master," I said, transporting out of the way of a fierce-looking gray ball of magic. "Did it bother you at all, or are you just so used to killing that it doesn't matter?"

  There was another crack in his armor. Alexandra was a sore point with him, it seemed, sorer than losing the Guildmastership.

  "I would keep quiet on matters you know nothing about," Cyrus said through clenched teeth.

  "I'm a teenager, we always talk about stuff we don't know," I parried, elation coursing through my body. I was actually winning, I was actually—

  Something hard slammed into me, followed by the impact of my body against something even harder. When the magic dissipated, I fell forward onto my hands, coughing air back into my bruised lungs. That was probably what Gavon had been referring to with emotion and getting distracted.

  "Oh, sweet child," Cyrus said, standing above me as I spat blood onto the rock. "As if someone like you could outsmart me. I've had years of working this antique system to learn how to get what I want from it."

  "And yet here you are, second-in-command," I replied, rolling out of the way before another angry blast came my way. "By the way, I think I'm winning in the sarcasm department."

  "Your mother had a mouth on her too," Cyrus said before his anger curled into amusement. "Turns out you two have more in common than I first thought."

  I swallowed. So he knew about James. "And what of it?"

  "Surprised he's not here. What oh what could be more important than watching his lover fight in an induction match?"

  I tried to let the question roll off my back, but it stuck right in the forefront of my mind. I was sure he was…what? Helping Gavon? Yes. That was it. He was helping Gavon.

  So why did my gut feel like it was on a ship in a storm?

  Cyrus had lowered his attack spells, and when I sent two over, he easily deflected them. I was showing my hand, but it was hard to think straight with the question in my mind about James…and why he hadn't appeared since I'd arrived in New Salem?

  "Nice try," I said with a smile. "But I know it was you—"

  "How could I have possibly done so? There are some very powerful barrier spells around your home. Trust me," he smirked, "I've checked."

  "I…" I swallowed my guilt in favor of the truth. "I took them down."

  "Your healing sister put them back up," Cyrus said, placing his hands behind his back. I could've hit him with everything I had, but I lacked the mental focus. "The only way anyone could've gotten past them was if they were invited in by a member of your family."

  "Marie doesn't know how to put up barriers," I said, although my conviction on that matter was a bit shaky.

  "And you believe your father wouldn't have given her his knowledge on the subject?"

  I shook my head. This had to be a trick, a way to get me completely unnerved so I would make a mistake. Or perhaps he just enjoyed watching me question every decision I'd made over the past six months.

  "You're missing the bigger picture," I replied, as the crowd around us shouted for us to quit talking and start blowing each other up. "Why would James do something like that? What could he possibly gain?"

  "You mean besides having one of his rivals dead in the ring?" Cyrus offered.

  "I'm not his rival. I never wanted anything to do with this stupid world."

  "I am his rival for Guildmaster," Cyrus said with a shrug. "But you're his rival for the Guildmaster's affections."

  His words landed a split second before the attack spell did, and I had no time to defend against either. As I flew backwards, the truth echoed in my ears as the ringing did seconds later when my head hit the hard rock. More spells came at me, and I could only muster enough focus to construct a barrier spell. I lay on my stomach, pouring all of my magic into the purple dome above my head and repeating to myself that Cyrus was a liar, and he wanted nothing more than to unnerve me so I wouldn't lose focus.

  But damn, he was doing a good job of it.

  Every questioning thought, every suspicion I'd ever had about James came back to the forefront of my mind. Both scenarios made sense: he'd either been completely honest with me this whole time, or he'd been playing me all along. He'd changed since his induction match, acting more interested, pushing the envelope with our pseudo-relationship. Sleeping with me…had it all been one elaborate hoax?

  Get yourself together, Lexie.

  I pushed myself to my hands and took a deep breath under the protection of my magic. Whether James was a lying bastard or my one true love, I would figure that out later. Right now, I was in a duel with a man who'd taken the lives of my mother, grandmother, and aunt, and if I didn't pull myself out of my funk, I'd be next.

  I cast one glance at the box; still empty.

  Come on, D…Gavon, don't let me down.

  "Are you done hiding?" Cyrus called. "I would like this game to be over with."

  I focused my energy on waiting for Gavon and the tug of the magical memory took me away. The smell of salt air filled my nose, the sound of the waves filled my ears. The competing feelings of knowing I was about to take my last breath and praying that it wouldn't happen. That he would come to save me before it was too late. I erased the hope I'd nurtured, knowing it was better to allow the memory to take me completely.

  I opened my eyes, and I knew Cyrus could sense the familiarity in the way I gathered magic from every corner of my body. But to me, this was a new magical memory. It wasn't my mother's—it was mine. From the night Jeanie died.

  I was filled with sadness, fear, hopelessness. Knowing that this was the end of my life. That my sisters would be safe, but I would not be. That my death would not be in vain, because I could destroy the person in front of me so he'd never bother them again. Back then, I'd been a child. Now, I was a Warrior.

  I rose to my feet, nursing the sensation of calm. The memory no longer overtook my consciousness, but enhanced what I was seeing, how I was feeling. Perhaps I'd reached a new phase in my magical ability, finally able to utilize the breadth of magical training in battles like this.

  "You look scared," I called over the crackling of my hands.

  "I—"

  "For once in your life, Cyrus, j
ust shut up."

  And I released the barrage. My magic seemed endless as it pummeled and torpedoed him from all angles. I was moving faster than I'd ever thought possible, twisting and turning against his response spells and landing more of my own. I was moving forward and he was moving toward the edge of the ring.

  When he fell to one knee, I had him.

  I gathered magic from the top of my head to the tips of my fingers, down to the bottom of my feet. There was no need to conserve, no need to leave behind anything. I was going to end his…

  Did I truly want to kill—

  Do it, Lexie.

  I took the last crumbs and opened my eyes, willing myself to look at the first life I'd ever take. Magic exploded from my body, rushing toward my opponent like a freight train, ready to do the thing I simultaneously wanted and didn't want to do.

  And then…the ball of magic disappeared.

  Exhaustion swept over me, and I collapsed to my knees, moaning and clutching my aching chest. Bleary-eyed, I looked up as two figures approached me, one blonde, one brunette. Healing magic swept through my body, and my vision cleared.

  "M-Marie! Nicole!"

  "We're here," Nicole said, wiping hair from my sweaty forehead. "You damned idiot. We're here. And we're fine."

  I choked out a sob and fell forward, unsure which sister I landed on first. They held me tight as Marie finished her healing; just enough so I could stand, but not so much that I wouldn't be in pain. I could only suppose I deserved it.

  "What happened?" I said.

  "We…" Marie looked at Nicole. "One minute we were sleeping on the couch, waiting for you to come home, the next thing we knew, we were in an iron cell."

  I turned to Cyrus, who was leaning on a walking stick and looking beat up. I hoped nobody healed him for a long time. "Cyrus—"

  "It wasn't…him," Marie said quietly.

  Something thudded in the back of my mind and I didn't want to look. If I didn't look at who Gavon had bound and gagged in front of him, it wouldn't be real. If I didn't acknowledge what was happening, it wouldn't.

  But my traitorous eyes turned that way anyway.