Daughter of Magic

by Teresa Roman

  “Do you get off on keeping girls prisoner?”

  He shrugged his shoulders and kept eating.

  “What does Zoran want from me? Your friend Sabin said he just wanted to talk, but that’s not true, is it?

  “Whatever plans Zoran has for you, he hasn’t shared them with me,” Kees said between mouthfuls of food.

  “Don’t you see how wrong this is, keeping me here against my will?”

  Kees put the plate on the floor and wiped his hands on his pants before replying. “In life we are asked to make many choices. They aren’t always easy, but they must be made anyway.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I rolled my eyes, annoyed at his non-answer.

  “Zoran is a powerful man. If I have to choose between being his friend or his enemy, then I choose friend. He is one witch I don’t want to be on the wrong side of.”

  “So that’s it. You do whatever he asks so he won’t be angry with you? You know what that makes you, don’t you?”

  “Tell me. What does it make me?”

  “It makes you a coward.”

  He shrugged. “A very alive coward, which is more than I can say for others who have crossed him.”

  I dropped my head down, feeling despondent and hopeless. There was no point in trying to reason with Kees. He’d made his choice, and it wasn’t going to be helping me.

  I turned my back to him. He reached out to touch my leg and I looked over my shoulder to see what he wanted. “For what it’s worth, I wish Zoran would just forget he ever learned of you. He’s completely lost his mind ever since he found out your mother gave birth to another man’s child. I mean he wasn’t exactly nice before, but he’s downright mad now.”

  “Then help me get out of here,” I said, hoping I could find a way to reach him. “You can tell Zoran that I figured out how to teleport out of here and escaped on my own.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “It won’t work. Zoran will know I helped you by breaking his blocking spell, and he would kill me for it. When he’s determined, nothing stands in his way.”

  “There’s no way out of this for me, is there?” I said, more to myself than Kees. I was close to tears, and before I could stop myself from crying, a tear rolled down my cheek.

  Kees didn’t reply, but his expression softened. “Don’t you have someone who cares about you? Someone who would be devastated if they lost you?” I asked.

  Kees looked pensive. “I suppose I do.”

  “My Aunt Katy—she’s my father’s sister—and he died not that long ago. I’m the only family she has left, it would kill her if she lost me, too,” I said figuring I would garner more sympathy if I didn’t mention Devin’s name, since he was on Zoran’s hit list.

  “There’s nothing I can do to help you. Zoran would kill me, and no offense, but I’m not sacrificing myself for you.”

  “At least tell me where I am,” I pleaded. The knowledge wouldn’t make any difference, but I hated not knowing and the sense of helplessness that came with it.

  Kees leaned in and spoke softly, as if he were afraid of being overheard, “Zoran doesn’t want you to know. He’s afraid your mother will find a way to communicate with you, and that you’ll tell her that you’re being kept in the Void.”

  “The what?”

  He held a finger to his lips. “Shhh.”

  I looked around to be sure we were alone. Being in a dark cave was enough to make anyone jumpy, I supposed.

  “What is he going to do to me?” I asked.

  “I already told you that he hasn’t shared his plans with me.”

  “Would you tell me if he had?”

  He shook his head. “What good would it do to know anyway?”

  “Is he going to kill me?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even. I didn’t want to give Kees the satisfaction of knowing how scared I was.

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “And what makes you say that?”

  “Because I’m pretty sure if Zoran wanted to kill you, you would already be dead.”

  Chapter 27

  Nervous energy coursed through me. I got up and started pacing, not that it helped much.

  “You’re making me dizzy,” Kees barked after a while. “Would you just sit back down already?”

  “If you don’t like it, then leave,” I snapped.

  “Zoran asked me to wait with you until he returned, so I won’t be going anywhere.”

  “And when exactly is that supposed to happen?” I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like at least a few hours had passed since Zoran had left me alone in the cave. I wasn’t eager to see him again, but sitting around in a dark cave wondering what was going to happen made me feel crazy.

  “He didn’t tell me.”

  I sighed and sat on the cold, dirty ground. I didn’t really care that I was making Kees dizzy, but I was getting tired.

  The two of us sat in silence for a while until I couldn’t stand it anymore. “So you and Sabin are witches?” I asked, hoping that conversation would take my mind off my fears.

  “Of course we are.”

  “Can you do anything cool?”

  Kees looked confused. “Cool?”

  “You know . . . something amazing.”

  He stood and gave me a quick bow. “Kees Ladd, expert illusionist.” As soon as the words left his lips, the cave transformed into a tropical paradise, complete with sandy beach and palm trees.

  “Holy crap,” I said, turning to take in my new surroundings.

  “None of it’s real,” Kees said after a while, and once more the two of us were plunged into darkness.

  “Can you do it again? I’d much rather wait for Zoran on a beach than in a cave.”

  “I don’t think he’d be very happy if I made things more comfortable for you.”

  “You’re no fun,” I grumbled.

  Kees took a few steps closer to me. I looked at him quizzically, wondering what he wanted.

  “You really do look like your mother,” he said.

  “So you know her?”

  He nodded. “Who doesn’t? Naiara sort of stands out, even in a crowd. She’s beautiful, like you, but Naiara is more than that. She’s also very kind.” Kees shook his head. “If she knew what I was doing . . .”

  Before Kees had a chance to finish, Zoran reappeared with Sabin at his side—I’d felt their presence as they arrived and turned to see the two of them walking toward me.

  “It’s time,” Zoran announced.

  “Time for what?” I asked.

  He ignored me. I turned to Kees to see if he’d clue me in, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

  While Sabin stood beside Kees, Zoran walked over to one of the cave walls and began a series of hand gestures that looked like he was painting. When he was done, he walked past me and across to another part of the wall. He did this five times without saying a word.

  Kees and Sabin stood quietly, but after Zoran finished his painting, the expression on Kees’s face changed.

  Zoran strode back to the middle of the cave. “Come, Kees, Sabin, join me.” He held out his hands. Sabin readily took one, but Kees, who now wore a horrified expression on his face, didn’t move.

  “No, Zoran. You can’t do this,” Kees said, his voice barely audible.

  Zoran’s face contorted in anger. “What did you say?”

  “I . . . I think this is a bad idea,” he stammered.

  “Did I ask for your opinion?”

  “If the Council finds out I was a part of this . . .”

  “I already told you, you don’t need to worry about the Council. I’ll deal with them.”

  “You never said anything about summoning . . .”

  Before Kees had a chance to finish what he was trying to say, Zoran moved his head ever so slightly, and Kees’s body went flying through the air until he collided with one of the cave’s walls. He fell to the ground with a loud thud.

  “What did you do to him?!” I shrieked as I ran towards Kees’s body.
He lay in a heap on the floor, unmoving. I worried that he was dead or had serious injuries. I only managed to take a few steps before I also felt myself flying through the air. It was the strangest feeling—having no control over my body. I tried to scream but couldn’t make a sound, and landed on the ground, clutching at my aching body. Zoran’s power. I remembered when Devin had told me what Zoran could do, he was a powerful telekinetic. Powerful enough to send both Kees and I flying through the air.

  “Have the two of you become friends?” Zoran said, sarcastically.

  Kees managed to prop himself up and was trying to get back on his feet. He dusted himself off and turned to Zoran.

  “Were you saying something?” Zoran asked him.

  “No.” Kees shook his head. “Nothing.”

  “Good. That means we’re ready to get started then?” Zoran held his hand out, and despite the reluctant expression on Kees’s face, he took it.

  Somehow, I managed to get back on my feet. Now that I had personally experienced Zoran’s ability, I wondered what chance I had to save myself. I felt doomed. Whatever plans Zoran had for me seemed to be moving full speed ahead, and it didn’t seem like there was anything anyone could do to save me. Sabin seemed to worship Zoran, Kees clearly feared him, and my mother and Devin—who knew where they were?

  I stood and watched, not knowing what else to do. A sharp pain stabbed at my head. I pressed my fingers against my temples. Thankfully, the pain subsided after a few seconds. Zoran began to chant words I didn’t recognize. Sabin and Kees repeated after him. Nothing happened at first, but then a faint glow appeared on the ground. The more they chanted, the brighter the lines on the floor glowed, until I finally realized what Zoran had been doing when he was making his wall drawings. The glow in the cave took on a distinct shape, resolving itself into a stylized pentagram that curled across the walls and floor. A shiver ran through me as I remembered that a pentagram was a demonic symbol. Why was Zoran summoning demons?

  The pentagram continued to glow and suddenly a flame arose in the middle of it, followed by a swirl of dark smoke from which a man emerged. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but the man who stood in the middle of the pentagram looked nothing like the demons I’d been seeing since I was a child. His dark hair was smoothed back off his forehead. He ran a hand through it before straightening his jacket. He was impeccably dressed, and if it weren’t for his black eyes, he could easily have been mistaken for an ordinary businessman.

  The pentagram stopped glowing, and again the cave was plunged into almost complete darkness.

  The demon took a step towards Zoran. “For what purpose have you summoned me, witch?” He sounded irritated.

  “I have a proposition for you,” Zoran replied.

  “This better be worth my time,” the demon hissed.

  Zoran turned to Kees and Sabin. “Leave us. When I need the two of you again, I’ll find you.”

  “Of course,” Sabin replied, and bowed his head.

  Kees and Sabin vanished a moment later, leaving me alone with Zoran and the demon.

  “Andras,” Zoran started. “I have . . . an arrangement I’d like to discuss.”

  “If I were interested in making an arrangement with you, as you call it, then I would have sought you out, not the other way around. You may be a powerful witch, but I have no interest in making deals with the Council’s little pet.”

  “That is where you are mistaken,” Zoran said. “I am not their little pet, but you are correct in believing that the Council has a certain affection for me, which means they have no reason to suspect that I will be the one to bring them to their knees . . . with your help.”

  Andras cocked his head to the side and smiled, clearly curious. “What is it they’ve done to earn your disapproval?”

  “I am sick and tired of being bound by their rules. What good is a witch’s magic if we aren’t allowed to freely use it?”

  “And what is it that you want to use your magic for? Hmmm?” Andras looked excited, like he was feeding off Zoran’s desires.

  “The Wilds needs a new leader.” Zoran paused, then finished with a mischievous smile. “Someone who isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to get what they want.” He looked different than he had a few hours ago. His hair was no longer tied back, and instead spilled halfway down his back. He’d also changed his clothes and was now wearing a cream-colored tunic style shirt atop dark flowing pants. Neither change made him any less intimidating.

  But Zoran’s menacing appearance was nothing compared to the demon’s. Darkness, fear, anger, hate—they all emanated from him.

  “Exactly what is it that you think I can do for you?”

  “There is a power I seek. A power I have used every spell I know to obtain, but nothing has worked,” Zoran said.

  “And what power would that be?”

  “I need to learn how to control minds, to make people do as I wish.”

  Andras tilted his head back and laughed. “Aren’t you witches prohibited from using dark magic?” He took a few steps closer to Zoran, a glint in his dark eyes.

  Despite the bizarre conversation taking place in front of me I stood still, hoping Andras wouldn’t notice me.

  “What makes you think that I trust you enough to help you obtain the power you claim to want? How can I be sure you’re not just setting me up and that your plan isn’t to turn me over to the Council? I’m certain you know they’ve been hunting me for years.”

  “I have a gift, a small token to prove my allegiance to you,” Zoran said. His lips curled into a smile and then he walked toward me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me until I was face to face with Andras.

  “A girl?” Andras scoffed. “What do I need with another one of those?”

  “Take a closer look.”

  Andras made a low growling noise before holding one of his hands out, palm up. A glowing ball of light formed and hovered in the air less than an inch over his hand. He took a step closer to me. Dread began to fill my chest until I felt as if I were drowning in it. Zoran had mentioned a gift, he couldn’t have meant me. Was I meant to become some sort of demonic sacrifice?

  Until that moment, Andras had seemed oblivious to my presence. But, as he studied me, a smile spread across his face and his eyes flashed. “How is she possible?” he asked, staring at me. “I thought Naiara had no children.”

  “Her father is human,” Zoran replied, bitterly. “I only recently learned of her existence.”

  “Ahhh, I see.” Andras grew thoughtful. “The only problem is, if Naiara finds out what you’ve done with her daughter, she won’t be pleased, not with you or with me. Perhaps I should go to her and let her know what you are up to.”

  “You won’t do that,” Zoran said, sounding sure of himself, “because if you do, you won’t get the girl, or my allegiance, and I know you want both.”

  “She is quite lovely,” Andras said. He reached out to touch my cheek.

  I moved out of reach before he could.

  “I’m not a thing,” I stammered, looking between Zoran and Andras. “You can’t just hand me over to someone like a piece of property. I won’t go anywhere with him.”

  “Hmmm,” Andras said. “She doesn’t seem willing.”

  Zoran smirked. “Since when has that ever stopped you?”

  “Did you hear what I said? I’m not going anywhere with him!”

  Andras and Zoran ignored me.

  “So do we have a deal then?” Zoran asked.

  “Not so fast. How do I know I am not being tricked? Perhaps this girl’s appearance is just a glamour.”

  Zoran laughed. “A powerful demon like you, fooled by glamour? Is that even possible? No. Unlike your other wives, with this one, what you see is what you get.”

  Wives???

  “And I’m just supposed to take your word for it?”

  Zoran sighed. “I already told you, her father is human; he had no magic and neither does the girl.”

  “That doesn’t mean she has no mag
ic. We both know her mother is one of the most powerful witches in all the worlds. Surely she’s inherited something from her.”

  “The girl is eighteen already. If she had powers, they would have shown themselves by now.”

  “She’s barely eighteen, by the looks of her. And as we both know, the more powerful the ability, the longer it takes to present itself.”

  “Do I need to remind you again of what her father was?”

  “Hmm, I suppose you have a point.”

  “Whoa, wait just a second,” I said as everything that was being said in front of me began to sink in. “I haven’t agreed to be anyone’s wife.” I turned to Andras. “Please. All I want to do is go back home.”

  “No one is interested in what you want,” Zoran spat.

  “You don’t know what you’re doing,” I shouted, unable to control my mixed fear and fury. “When my mother finds out, she’ll hate you. She’ll never forgive you.”

  “By the time Andras and I have finished our business, I will have acquired the power to make your mother forget all about you and your father. The only man she’ll think of is me, and the only love she’ll remember is mine. You and your father will cease to exist for her. You won’t even be a memory.”

  “You’re wrong. She won’t forget about me. Nothing can make a mother forget about her own child,” I said as convincingly as I could, even though I wasn’t sure it was true.

  “Her innocence makes her even more appealing,” Andras mused. He took a step back from me.

  I turned toward him, desperation overriding my repulsion. “You don’t want me. There’s nothing special about me. I’m just a boring girl.”

  “Oh, you have no idea how wrong you are,” Andras said, shaking his head. “I haven’t felt desire like this for years. A woman with your beauty—I couldn’t forget you even if I tried. And the fact that you’re a human with no abilities, makes the deal even sweeter. I haven’t had a human wife in hundreds of years. It will be so much fun. You are perfectly beautiful and perfectly harmless, a splendid combination. When you are seen by my side, heads will turn and tongues will wag. You will be my wife, my queen, a priceless treasure that everyone covets, but only I possess.” Andras turned to Zoran. “Once our partnership is complete, you will need to be prepared to follow my orders. Is that understood?”