Magic Born

by Caethes Faron

  Chapter 20

  “Kat, where are you?”

  I jumped at the sound of Mikael's voice, sending the book in my lap toppling to the ground. The illuminator that had lit my reading last night floated in front of me, displaying Mikael's face. Books lay scattered on the floor, and a line of drool slid down my chin.

  “Did I wake you?” Mikael asked with a mixed look of apology and bafflement. All sense of time had left me last night as I read, so I had no trouble believing that I’d slept away much of the morning.

  “No,” I said unconvincingly as I wiped the drool from my chin and sat up. A yawn betrayed me when I opened my mouth to say more. “Maybe. I’m in the library. I must have fallen asleep reading.”

  “Sounds like a fun night.” From anyone else, it would sound sarcastic, but I knew from Mikael's expression and the enthusiasm with which he’d recommended books yesterday that he spoke sincerely. “I’m going to be working with you some today. Do you think you can teleport to the training floor?”

  “Sure,” I said, determined to do it on my own even if I didn’t feel capable. Casper had insisted nothing could go wrong, and I’d successfully teleported with others several times. Even if it took me a few tries, the idea of teleporting on my own excited me, gave me a sense of freedom. “Do you mind if I freshen up and have some breakfast first?”

  “No, of course not. I’ll meet you in half an hour.”

  “It’s a date,” I said, but Mikael's face had already disappeared.

  After I placed the books back on the shelf, I realized I should’ve levitated them there, but I was too tired to think like a mage. I put the cloaker back in my pocket and headed upstairs with Common Magical Objects and Their Uses. It had contained the information I needed to work both the communication orb and the cloaker, and I might want to reference it in the future. The rest of the books had been for fun. An entirely new world had opened to me full of endless possibilities to discover. I hadn’t experienced this kind of rush from learning since before my parents had died.

  Standing in the teleportation ring with my cloaker and communication orb in my jeans pocket and my wand in hand, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and envisioned the training floor as clearly as I could remember it. Every other thought fell from my mind. The feeling of being squeezed started almost immediately. Even so, it still surprised me to find myself on the training floor when I opened my eyes. It didn’t seem possible to successfully teleport on my first try alone, but there I was, facing Mikael who mirrored my own delight back to me.

  “Congratulations! That’s your first solo teleport, correct?”

  “Yeah, I got it on my first try.”

  “I knew you would. I can tell all this still confuses you, as if you feel you might not belong, but trust me, Kat, you’re a very talented mage. You have as much right to be here as anyone.”

  “Thanks.” It sounded lame and not at all sufficient to express the gratitude I felt for him saying it. I wanted badly to belong here, but the adjustment to not only new people and surroundings, but a new identity, was as difficult as it was exciting.

  “I wanted to work with you today so we could discuss the reading you did yesterday,” Mikael said as he led me to yet another new room. This one was set up like a conventional classroom with pairs of chairs and desks facing a blank wall instead of a whiteboard. Wands would no doubt act as markers.

  “Go ahead and take a seat anywhere you like.” I chose a desk at the front of the room, and Mikael pulled a chair around to face me. “From my wake-up call this morning, I take it you took to the reading well.”

  “Yes, it’s all so fascinating. I wish learning about Earth was this fun.”

  A wide grin spread across Mikael’s face. “Imagine how I felt coming here. Learning about Earth was as fascinating for me as it is for you to learn about Elustria. Did you have a chance to practice any spells?”

  “Oh yes, the first book I devoured was a spell book you recommended. It did a good job of explaining everything, but I didn’t learn anything there that’s going to help me protect myself against Marcus.”

  “Casper told me you’d discovered he was the one who killed Meglana. I’m afraid the kind of spells that will help you against him are a little ways off, but we can certainly proceed in that direction. However, I doubt you’ll ever face Marcus. You’re safe here. There’s really not much reason for you to worry about defending yourself.”

  “But I want to continue in my mother’s footsteps. I’m not saying I’ll ever be as good as she was,” I hastily corrected, “but I want to continue her legacy. That’s why reading about Elustria and our history didn’t seem like a chore.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. We can always use another good mage. Have you tried getting the talisman off again?”

  “No. To be honest, I don’t really see much point anymore. When I first came here, I wanted it off because it scared me; I couldn’t understand it. Now it’s becoming a part of me, of who I am. I can understand the bond you and Sadie were talking about with your wands.”

  “That’s understandable. I see you have your wand with you now. Do you prefer using it over the talisman?”

  “In some ways it’s easier, but it feels more foreign, if that makes sense. It’s a nice learning tool, but I feel more ownership of the magic when I use my talisman, even if it’s more difficult to control.”

  “That’s fair. We do need to figure out how to take the talisman off, though, so you might want to try. Once you’ve mastered the stone, it will obey you in all things. If you tell it to release around your neck, it will.”

  “Do you think it’s possible that we just haven’t stumbled upon the right spell to take it off?”

  “That’s entirely possible. Remember though that spells are simply the most perfect way that mages have found to command the magic to do a specific action. There aren’t many known spells for removing a talisman from oneself.”

  Given all the progress I had made, I might be able to remove the necklace. I cleared my mind, took a deep breath, and visualized the chain of the necklace breaking as I pulled on it. Nothing happened.

  “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” I looked to Mikael for answers, but the disappointment on his face was clear.

  “We’ll have Casper try when he gets back.”

  “Why is it so important? I want it on now.” I’d already accepted it as part of my life. As long as I could control it, I didn’t see any reason to take it off.

  “That’s why Casper tried to take it off of you before you started working with magic. The more you want it on, the harder it’s going to be to take it off. That’s problematic, because the ultimate goal is to get you to Elustria. As soon as we can be sure of your safety, we fully intend to take you there. Once there, however, your talisman will need to be registered with the Magesterial Council. That can’t happen if it can’t be removed.” Mikael shifted in his seat, as if there were more he wanted to say but couldn’t.

  “Wouldn’t the Magesterial Council have a way of taking it off?” There had been a chapter on registering magical items with the Council in Common Magical Objects and Their Uses, but I’d only glanced over it.

  “I’m sure they would, but they’re not going to let you keep a talisman you can’t control. That’s why we’re hoping to remove it here. The other reason we want to get it off is because your mother may have left a message in it, and we would like to examine it closer without triggering the defensive charms she placed on it. We think that the charms will break as soon as the talisman releases itself from you.”

  “What kind of message?” My heart leapt at the possibility of discovering something more from my mother.

  “We’re not sure, but she would have wanted you to carry on her legacy, or if you weren’t up to it, someone else. The problem is that Meglana often worked alone, so we’re left without a lot of information. Whoever killed her did it because she was onto something, and they didn’t want her to find it or share it with anyone else.
It’s important that we not let all of her work be in vain.”

  “I feel the same way. I wish I could get it to come off. I really don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I’ll try anything.” Frustration welled up inside me, but it wouldn’t help anything. I pushed it aside and tried to believe that the knowledge would come with study and practice.

  “I don’t want you worrying about it. Try to take it off whenever you think about it, otherwise leave it to Casper and the rest of us to worry about. You’re one of us now.”

  One of them—a mage. I’d found my place among my mother’s people. I wasn’t Serafina, Dark Sorceress anymore. I was Kat, Mage-In-Training, daughter of Meglana. This was only the start of my quest to get the talisman off, and once it released, that would start a new adventure. I wasn’t playing solo, though; this was a group quest, and I had a pretty good group.

  Except for Analise. Every group had a pain-in-the-ass person no one wanted to play with but did anyway because they were family. She filled that role nicely.

  Chapter 21

  “Am I interrupting anything?”

  I turned in my seat to see Casper standing in the doorway.

  “No, not at all. Please, join us,” Mikael said.

  “I thought that you were traveling for business. That was a quick trip.” I hadn’t expected him back until tonight at the earliest.

  “I have teleportation rings near most places I need to be. My only requirement is that I don’t teleport in or out of this facility. The Armory is an island if you will, not connected by magic to anything, anywhere.” Casper sat in a chair next to Mikael, facing me. “How are the lessons coming?”

  “I’m starting to get a handle on things. There’s so much to learn, but I think I’ll get there.”

  “You’ve made good progress in a short amount of time. Sadie and Mikael have had nothing but good things to say. I bet you’re laughing at the girl who came here scared of her talisman and wanting it off.”

  “Yeah, but Mikael explained to me why it needs to come off even though I’m not scared of it anymore. If I’m ever going to go to Elustria, I have to be able to register with the Magesterial Council. I won’t be able to do that if I can’t control my own talisman.”

  Surprise flittered through Casper’s eyes and his eyebrows shot up. He glanced to Mikael and then back at me. “I’m happy to hear that. Your mother hid you for your own protection, but she would’ve wanted you to be a mage. And of course, that involves registration with the Magesterial Council.”

  “I tried removing the necklace myself. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

  “It’s just a matter of finding the right solution.” Casper covered my hand with his own. “Your mother’s genius far outstripped us. I’m not surprised your talisman, which was once hers, is more difficult to control than most. We’ll get there. Would you like to try now?”

  “Sure. What do you want me to do?” What I really wanted was to learn how to fight, to use magic for more than just conveniences and amusing tricks. But if I couldn’t exercise even this most basic control over my talisman, I doubted Casper or anyone else would feel comfortable trying to teach me how to fight.

  “I have another spell we can try in Cadaran. I thought you could try it by yourself first. Then, if it doesn’t work, I can add my magic to yours.”

  “Sure, just tell me what to say. It might help if you tell me the English translation so I can visualize it better.”

  “Very good.” Casper sounded proud of my new knowledge. “Currend te degrilo. It roughly means to surrender and come undone.”

  Just like I had every other time, I closed my eyes and recited the spell, visualizing the necklace coming off. I reminded myself that I needed this to happen in order to register with the Magesterial Council. If I couldn’t get the pendant off, becoming a real mage wouldn’t even be an option. Despite my earnest effort, the chain didn’t budge.

  “Ugh.” I slammed my fist on the desk in frustration, which did nothing to help get the necklace off, but it did hurt my hand a little bit.

  “No, no, don’t get frustrated,” Casper said. “That won’t help anything. We’ll get there. Do you want to try it with me now?”

  “Sure.”

  Casper stood behind me and placed his hands over mine where they touched the chain. “Ready?”

  I nodded and closed my eyes as I recited the spell with him. The sound of desks crashing into each other startled me, and I opened my eyes in time to see Mikael rush from his seat. When I turned to see what had happened, Casper lay motionless against the far wall, his eyes closed.

  Fear gripped me. Had I just killed one of the few people in this world capable of helping me? When I reached him, the sight of his chest rising and falling sent relief pouring through me. Not dead, just unconscious. Not good, but not calamitous.

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why it won’t come off. I know it needs to. I want it to. I certainly don’t want this.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Mikael didn’t look at me as he pulled a communication orb from his pocket and said, “Sadie.” The orb expanded in size and floated in front of his face as Sadie appeared before him.

  “Casper’s been injured. He’s unconscious. I’m going to need your help. Meet me in the infirmary.”

  “I’m on my way,” Sadie said. Before the orb stopped transmitting, I could hear Analise's voice in the background.

  “It’s that girl. She’s going to be nothing but trouble. Clearly she doesn’t want—”

  The connection ended.

  “Don’t pay Analise any mind. I’ve got to take care of this. Go back to your room or the library or wherever. I’ll call you when there’s news.”

  Tears welled up in my eyes, and I knew if I tried to speak, I wouldn’t be able to control myself. I ran from the room to the teleportation ring, not even taking a second to marvel at how easily I was able to teleport to the living area. The tears stayed in place until I shut my bedroom door behind me and fell on the bed, feeling more alone than I ever had.

  Chapter 22

  Indulging in self-pity wasn’t attractive. Loneliness overwhelmed me, but crying about it wouldn’t solve anything. I got my phone and dialed Alex’s number. I wouldn’t blame Casper if he wanted to give up on me after this, and I couldn’t really talk to anyone else here.

  When I looked at my phone after listening to the inevitable disconnect message, I saw my email notifications. With all the focus on removing the necklace, I’d forgotten to tell Casper about Marcus logging in to the game as me. He needed to know, so I put the phone in my pocket to remind myself to tell him when I saw him again.

  Regardless of what happened with Casper, I still had work to do. Before I’d fallen asleep last night, I’d found the instructions for working the cloaker. I needed to practice using it and performing the spells I’d learned so far.

  I held the triangular stone in the middle of my palm in front of me and thought, “Conceal magic.” Nothing happened. Last night, after finding the instructions, I’d moved quickly on to other reading, too excited to learn all I could to bother with practicing. According to the book, the stone should light up in some way to indicate it had been activated.

  “Conceal magic,” I said with my most authoritative tone. This time the stone flickered, then died. “Conceal magic.” It flickered more strongly but still, ultimately, died.

  “Voclevar.” An intricate black design illuminated the face of the stone. The old language had done the trick. Certain Cadaran words held more intricate meaning than their English counterparts could relay. This appeared to be one such instance.

  “Endara.” The black design disappeared. I put the stone in the same jeans pocket that held the communication orb. I hadn’t yet had an opportunity to try out the orb, and given the tense situation, I didn’t think now was the best time.

  I’d had a chance to run through my entire repertoire of spells once before I heard anything from Mikael.

  “Casper’s going to be fi
ne. Don’t worry. You didn’t do anything wrong.” The benefit of communicating through orbs was seeing the other person’s face, and Mikael's expression assured me he was sincere.

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Just keep practicing your magic. Casper really is fine. I’m sending some lunch up for you. Eat and practice, and we’ll all get together in an hour or two. Sound good?”

  “Yeah, just let Casper know I’m sorry.”

  “He knows. Have a good lunch.”

  After the call with Mikael ended, hot soup and a sandwich appeared. I wondered who prepared the meal. Other than the helicopter pilot, I hadn’t seen anyone except for the triplets and the new recruits. I doubted any of them spent time preparing food. From my research, there were magical devices to assist in cooking, but someone still had to put together the ingredients.

  The soup made me feel a little better, and after I finished eating, it was easy to pick up the spell book and continue practicing my control. I decided to leave the wand untouched, figuring that the more I used the magic in my talisman, the more likely it would be to obey me in other matters. If I could learn to control the magic in the amber stone the same way I could the wand, I couldn’t even imagine the possibilities.

  “The resemblance is uncanny.”

  I jumped at Mikael's voice and quickly dismissed the ice sculpture of Casper. I turned around to see one of the orbs in my room displaying Mikael's face. I would need to learn how to control orbs like that soon. It seemed like practical knowledge to have.

  “Thanks. How is Casper?” It’d been hours since Mikael had last communicated with me. The time had flown as I honed my control of the ice spell. I’d successfully created ice sculptures of people I knew using just the talisman. If I hadn’t been so worried about Casper, I’d be celebrating my victory.