by Booth, John
“Let them.” I continued to squeeze and the seconds ticked away.
I think it was me acting out of character that made Bronwyn give up. She may have had more power left than me, but I'll never know. Her shield crumpled as she started sobbing and I stopped my magic before I crushed her to death. It took only a few seconds to crush her magical reserve so she would never be able to use magic again.
“You're as bad as me,” Bronwyn said between tears. “I thought you were the good one.”
“When did you first use magic?”
“If you hop now you might be able to save some of them.”
“When?”
“When I was ten.”
I sat down beside her and put my arm around her shoulder. “I'm going to try and make it better,” I said. I stripped her mind of everything that had happened to her over the last two years. She was unconscious when I finished.
I picked her up and cradled her in my arms. As I did I couldn't help noticing that my wedding suit was a little the worse for wear.
“Let's go and see what happened.”
I hopped us back to the Cathedral.
Chapter Forty: Finally
People gasped as I reappeared in the aisle and they got a look at how battered I was. Jenny and Esmeralda ran across the dais towards me, but my mind was elsewhere. The crate with the bomb was gone from where Bronwyn left it and I had to find it before some fool took it out outside.
“Stop!” I commanded as I saw Captain Cari and his men inches from the door to the graveyard with the crate held between them. I put so much force in the command that everybody in the cathedral stopped as well.
“Captain Cari, will you and your men bring the crate back here.” It wasn't said as a question and I kept them under mind-control until they were well away from the door.
“Is Bronwyn…?” Jenny asked, concern written over her face as she looked at the small body in my arms.
“She's fine.”
Esmeralda put a hand out to touch me as if to check I was real. Bronwyn's parents pushed guests out of the way in their eagerness to get to me. Her father took Bronwyn out of my arms to cradle her in his own. He thanked me and then turned to walk away.
“Wait.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “I've taken her magic and the last two years of her memories. She'll remember nothing.” I hope. “But that's not enough on its own. I don't know what turned her into a person who could kill, crucify and disembowel people, but it seems to me you can't lay it all at magic's door. Get her some psychiatric help and consider getting counseling yourself. I don't think you can lay the blame all on Bronwyn either.”
“That's sound advice, sir. If I was you I'd follow it,” Inspector Thomas said. I almost didn't recognize him as he was dressed in very smart Salice clothes. He turned to me. “Case closed, I'd say. I don't think I'll bother putting any of the details in my report. Just so long as Bronwyn's back, safe and sound.”
Captain Cari and his men made their way through the crowd. People moved aside as no one wanted to get too close to the crate.
“What do you want me to do with this, sir?” I pointed at the floor and he and his men put the crate down and swiftly retreated.
[How did you do it?]
I looked around, but Fluffy was in Glim and nowhere to be seen.
“Yes, how?” Jenny asked, prodding me in the chest with her finger. “I thought your power was drained?”
I looked to Esmeralda who was tapping her foot on the floor in a disturbing manner. Of all the people present, I think she was the only one who might have worked it out.
“The Valhalla wizards?” she said, confirming my fears. “You did a deal with the Valhallan wizards?” Her voice had a certain brittle edge to it.
“Err, that was part of it. But it still wouldn't have worked if I hadn't poured magic into the cathedral a few days ago.”
“That was why you were touching the walls!”
A helpful intervention by Bishop Danedi, who had been listening to the conversation from a few feet away. I turned to him in delight.
“Esmeralda kept accusing me of not thinking ahead so I put magic into the cathedral to prevent blasts of energy happening inside. I must admit I was thinking of Bronwyn's magic when I did it, but it worked just fine for the bomb. Bronwyn's blast would have got me long before I could have hopped her away without it. Not that she noticed, because it all happened pretty fast.”
“And you were given some of the Valhallans' magic, so you could fight Bronwyn on even terms,” Esmeralda said, steadfastly sticking to the subject I was trying to divert her from. Women can be such a pain.
“I took virtually all their magic, all three of them,” I said defensively. “I do know how to negotiate you know. That's why they had to hop back home.”
Esmeralda arms were folded across her chest. It accentuated the bulge in her tummy, but I thought it best not to mention it under the circumstances.
“And what did you agree to give them in return?”
“After the wedding, Esmeralda. Not to mention after I get rid of this thing.” I tapped the crate meaningfully. Diversion tactic number two.
“Exactly how are you planning to do that?” Jenny asked. It was a good question that had been worrying me as well.
“As soon as it leaves the cathedral it will explode. And since I don't know how much magic the cathedral is using keeping it in like this, I should get rid of it as soon as possible.”
“Hop it somewhere it will do no harm,” Esmeralda suggested.
Good idea, but I was close to running on empty again and it was a big crate. Anywhere I hopped it locally would get blown to pieces. Then I had an idea.
“I'm going to hop it into the sky. As high as I can get.”
Jenny looked dubious. “That's a big bomb, Jake. Are you sure?”
“It'll be fine.” I grabbed hold of the crate and then had second thoughts.
“Perhaps we should tell the locals to get under cover first, just in case… And tell them to keep their mouths open to protect their ear drums.”
Jenny gave me a questioning look.
“I saw it on a television program.”
It took nearly an hour to get the word out. Eventually Captain Cari returned to the Cathedral and informed the King that everybody had been told.
I hugged the crate again and hopped. I felt it explode as I hopped back to the cathedral. I ducked instinctively, but nothing happened.
“How high?” Jenny asked, looking at her watch.
“About a mile.”
“Four… five…”
The loudest sound I have ever heard struck us. The cathedral shook and people screamed. Reflected light shimmered in all directions as the mirrors vibrated. Then it was over.
“That went well,” I said and Jenny thumped me. It was true my voice sounded tinny in my ears, but any bomb you can walk away from is a good bomb.
Somebody started cheering and before you knew it everybody was. I smiled at my two brides.
“Shall we take our positions for the wedding then?”
[From the cathedral door. That's my best bit.]
Grimaldi jumped out of his chair and dashed towards us. “Not with your suit looking like that. What will my customers say? It is more black than white!”
I grinned and applied the small amount of magic I had left. Dirt fell off the suit leaving it clean if a little ragged at the sleeves.
“You look just like Elvis,” Jenny said.
“Thank-you-very-much,” I replied, quick as a flash. She laughed. I knew she would.
Trumpets sounded as Jenny and Esmeralda made their way up the aisle. The two fathers had swapped places, which I thought was a nice touch. Fluffy appeared behind and above them, his iridescent orange and gold wings glowing in the light. As they reached the halfway point his enormous bowtie changed color from black to white and shone like a spotlight on the procession. My brides looked like shining angels.
They reached the podium and stepped up to jo
in me. Fluffy landed behind them and a clawed hand passed me the box with the rings. His bowtie stopped shining but remained white, just as well as it came close to blinding me.
I glanced to one side and saw Bronwyn on her father's knee. She was bouncing up and down with delight and looked much younger than her twelve years. Perhaps it's our memories that age us as much as our bodies? A short distance away, Grimaldi sat with his two young apprentices. I smiled at Helda and she hid her face. Urda and Anna sat alongside them. Urda nodded as I looked at her and she smiled. She would have saved my brides if this had gone wrong. I was certain of it.
A nudge in the ribs from Jenny reminded me that I had an active role in the ceremony. Fortunately, I remembered what I did at the rehearsal.
“I take Esmeralda and Jenny to be my wives, to cherish them in the light.” I took the rings and placed them on their fingers.
“A vow taken in the light is blessed by the light,” Bishop Danedi intoned solemnly. “May you take the light that is given and grow it within you that you may one day rejoin it. I now pronounce you married… Jake Morrissey, you may kiss your brides.”
Oh God! What a dilemma. Which one to kiss first?
The End
About the Author
John Booth does not live in Wales and is not a wizard. However, he has always wanted to own a dragon and once owned a green lizard that taught him a lot about the attitude a dragon might take on the subject of being owned. John is happily married with grown up children. It's always wonderful when your kids manage things you didn't.
Other Works by John Booth
WIZARDS
THE INSPECTOR MONDE MYSTERIES
SPELLBINDER
HOUSE OF SILVER MAGIC