Break of Magic

by Leah Silver

  I had no concept of time trapped as I was. The only thing I did know was I wasn’t doing any good for the cause the more vials I filled. The more I looked at those sharp fangs, the more an idea formed in my mind. I couldn’t use my own magic against the shackles that held me to the room, but could I use theirs?

  Before I milked the next batch of snakes, I took one out of the box and brought it to my chains. Carefully, trying desperately not to disturb the snake, I put its fang into the keyhole and used that same pressure. I couldn’t help but close my eyes as I braced myself for…what? I wasn’t sure. The snake was asleep, so if it didn’t work, nothing would happen, but the cuff on my wrist clicked before clanging to the ground.

  Unfortunately, the same snake didn’t have enough venom for my other wrist. Or my ankles. Four separate snakes had to be used to free me. I didn’t have much time left. Since I’d been milking the entire batch at once, the warden had been coming into my cell more frequently.

  I took two vials from the box and took a risk. When I did escape—I wouldn’t even consider the alternative—I needed to have evidence to give to Levi. It would help his cause, our cause, to not only have something for him to study, but also to give to the council. How they were going to combat an army stationed beyond the void was beyond me, but at least we had an answer to who was coming at us.

  Or did we? I thought about the voice who’d sentenced me to the mines. He seemed like the one in charge, but what did I really know about him? I shook my head. One problem at a time. What did we need to know about him? He was a snake charmer, or he’d created a super species of snakes. Hopefully, the vials of venom I had would be enough to get us going on the right path. The one that led to victory.

  I looked at the front door, bracing myself. I couldn’t just walk out. Or could I? Invisibility was a funny thing. It was only possible if a person believed it. No one could fully disappear, but they could play mind games with the creatures around them, fooling them into looking beyond them. It was one of my parlor tricks, as Levi liked to call them.

  Would something so simple get me out? Only one way to find out. I pulled my cloak around me, covering everything that could be seen, and waited by the door. Sure enough, the warden came crashing through just when I was getting myself into position.

  “Shit. That damned scum-sucking gutter slut,” the warden muttered.

  I bit my tongue, stifling a laugh. Merry would’ve liked that curse.

  He turned and yelled out the door. “That wizard is on the loose. Search everywhere.”

  All at once, the mine sprang to life with lackeys, their green eyes darting everywhere while they searched for me. I couldn’t let any of them bump into me, or my illusion would be over. And they were everywhere. It looked like a sea of grey as they poured out of doors I hadn’t even noticed before. I peeked around the wall, trying to get a good line of sight on the stairwell. I needed to go up. But two lackeys were stationed at the staircase, blocking my path even if I could manage to get to them through the sea of grey skin.

  In that moment, I wished I could fly. But even my magic had its limitations. I wasn’t a bird, like some supernaturals were. And I couldn’t just conjure wings. I’d tried. Nearly broken my arm. That was the last time I’d attempted that little trick.

  No way could I overcome them all. I decided to wait, see if they would clear out and start searching other areas before I made my move. Hanging out by my door, I watched them frantically searching. The warden came back to my cell.

  “How did he even get out? His door was still locked, and there isn’t a hole in the ground, not like he tunneled when he was with Zag. Did he just walk through the wall or what?” the warden demanded.

  The lackeys who were with him shook their heads. One of them held up the box of vials and hissed.

  “What do you mean two vials are missing?” the warden asked.

  The creature hissed again, and it sounded just like a snake.

  “Don’t get smart with me, you lowly serpens.”

  Serpens. Was that what these creatures were called? Or was that an insulting term the warden used? Either way, giving them a name didn’t much help me understand anything about them.

  “Why would he take two vials?” the warden demanded.

  More hissing, this time from the second lackey, the one closest to me. He stared right at me, and I swore he could see me. But he didn’t give me away.

  “Escape. He can’t escape. He’s trapped to this side of the void. Now and forever.”

  The lackey kept his eyes on me, but he didn’t comment further. He knew that was a lie. The warden wasn’t stupid. They were getting the venom topside somehow. And I was determined to find out how.

  I decided to follow the warden a bit. The lackeys tended to part for him as he walked around, making it easy to keep from bumping into anyone. He was the one who picked up my stuff, so I figured he’d eventually have to go check on the other captors, right? I could follow the box of vials back to Merry. Seemed like a sound plan to me.

  Except the warden didn’t go grab another box. My little escape had brought production to a screeching halt. I wasn’t too broken up about that.

  “Move,” the warden said to the two guarding the bottom of the stairwell.

  My heart raced as they stepped aside. I stayed close to the warden as he walked past them, and they closed the gap behind me, nearly brushing my cloak. I worked hard to slow my racing heart, but I didn’t have much luck. I couldn’t think of a time when I’d been in this much trouble, when I’d had so much riding on my skills.

  I’d faced my share of danger. I didn’t get to be a skilled wizard by practicing on scarecrows. But the void? Snake people? Deadly venom? Torture chambers? All of it was unfamiliar territory.

  After my sister died when one of her spells went wrong, I’d kind of wandered through my life. I’d made a difference in my own way, finding a place with the council. Basically, I did errands for them, learning as I went. But I never really felt like I had a purpose. I’d saved Levi more than once, so that had to be worth something. However, my power without meaningful purpose left me feeling a bit hopeless. Until I walked into that meeting with Merry.

  I smiled at the memory. The way she’d started when I whispered into her ear. How I’d resisted the urge to nibble that beautiful lobe. Social niceties should be exchanged after all. I had to hold back the laughter when I thought about how she’d tried to kill me with that plume pen or whatever she’d called it. I’d never known someone with so much passion. She gave me purpose. No matter how hot her temper was, she could lead me to the ends of the Earth, beyond the void in fact, and I would always be hers. In that moment, I was damned sure I would get back to her. I would see her again. My soul demanded it.

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, silently, as I let the warden get a few steps ahead. I’d stick to the warden. Eventually, he would get back to his day-to-day life. Even though I didn’t have time for eventualities, I somehow knew he was my best bet.

  We popped out in the hallway where I’d begun my descent into the mine. Once there, we turned left. Right back toward the room with the double doors. I started to rethink my choices as he approached them. Instinctually, I knew my magic wouldn’t fool the voice. If I passed through those doors, I’d be done for. Despite my need to stay with the warden, I opted to allow him to go through alone.

  But the doors stayed open for me. I leapt to the side, hoping to avoid being seen by the voice, and the doors closed on their own. Just as they had before.

  “By the void,” I muttered. I leaned against the wall next to the doors, hoping to hear a bit of their conversation.

  Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long.

  “How did this happen?” The voice wafted to me, and I could hear the disdain in it.

  The warden must have answered, but I didn’t hear it.

  “You don’t know?” the voice said. “You. Don’t. Know?” The voice got closer, louder, and I shifted. Did he know I was here?
How long should I stand there? The warden was my best bet at escape, but not if I was discovered. I glanced around the hall, but there was nothing to hide behind. The bare white branches were woven so tightly together they left no room to get behind them.

  “Shit shooters,” I whispered. I silently prayed to the Mother to get me out of this.

  “I suggest you educate yourself then, Akrah. Find him, or I will find myself a new warden.”

  Ha. He was a warden. The feeling of satisfaction distracted me from the danger I was in.

  “And one more thing. Production had better not be affected by this in any way.”

  “No sir,” the warden said. “I will advise you when he is found.”

  “I assumed as much,” the voice said as the double doors opened.

  The warden stormed down the hallway. I didn’t dare dart in front of the double doors until they were closed all the way. That voice gave me the willies. I could almost hear Merry making fun of me for it.

  I tried to keep my footfalls soft as I ran to catch up with the warden. He seemed mad. Couldn’t say I blamed him. He’d just gotten a slap on the wrist and a pretty good threat to go with it. I had no idea what the voice was capable of, but the void wasn’t a place of limitations. And I, for one, didn’t care to see that voice in action. Seemed like the warden felt the same way, despite how pissed he was. Anger often stemmed from fear.

  He took the steps back down into the mine three at a time. I ended up tripping and grappling for the banister that looked like it was made from a tree branch. Needless to say, my struggle wasn’t exactly silent. Damned banister filled my hand with more than a few splinters for good measure.

  I crouched as the warden turned around. “Who’s there?” He looked over top of me as I held my breath. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the stairwell before he turned back around and continued his journey down into the mine. I could feel his anger growing with every step, and I wondered how the lackeys would fare against it. I was betting not well.

  He shoved the two who were guarding the stairwell aside. They fell to the ground, making it easy for me to pass by. “Listen up.”

  Movement in the mine ceased immediately, and they all turned to him. “Anguis has insisted that production be kept up. We’ll be slower without the wizard, so you must find him. But we also need to keep the venom moving. Make it happen. Zagan doesn’t have any playmates right now, and none of you are above him. Remember that.”

  They scattered, and I stuck with the warden. He headed back toward my cell, and I thought he was going to go in, but he adjusted his course slightly to the cell next to mine.

  He opened the door more gently than he ever had mine. “Emily, how are you today?”

  “Heard you lost the wizard.” Her voice was surly, as if she’d taken pride in my victory. I liked this one.

  I could almost hear the warden’s teeth grinding.

  “Are you finished?”

  The woman nodded, a small piece of her dark hair falling into her face as she did. She brushed it away from her eyes, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity. Emily. Where did I know that name?

  “What do you know about the wizard?” the warden asked.

  “Nothing at all. Why? You so desperate you’re asking the vamps for help?”

  Vamp? She was a vampire? What was she doing in the mine? Beyond the void? Supposedly, according to the supernatural scholars who’d never actually been beyond, each race had its own area beyond the void. So, if any of them did die, they’d theoretically be with family or some such comforting nonsense. It was accepted that demons, at least, were sequestered to their own particularly horrible area, and that a vampire wouldn’t be used as a slave to them for all eternity. So what had happened?

  The warden picked up the box of venom. “I think Zag misses you.” She visibly blanched, and the warden smiled, his shoulders relaxing for the first time since he’d spoken with the voice. “I can see you miss him, too. Perhaps I should schedule a meeting with you two. A date, of sorts, hmm?”

  He chuckled to himself when he left her cell, and I struggled to get out ahead of him. He was reaching Devlin’s twatwaffle status rapidly.

  He walked across the mine, not caring if he stepped on the grates holding the snakes. I wanted to stay on solid ground. Who knew how precise they could be with those fangs? Or even if they could shoot their venom. I didn’t care to tempt them. Apparently, the warden wasn’t concerned. None of them went after him, anyway. Maybe they knew better.

  There was a slot in the wall. Almost like a laundry chute. But rather than pull down on it, the warden pushed on the wall next to it. I had no idea why. There wasn’t a door there. It was nothing but brown rock, just like all the rest of the walls in the mine.

  But when the warden looked back and forth, the wall opened. I just barely squeezed inside before he slammed it closed behind him. More lackeys toiled away behind the wall, in minimal light. There were empty boxes ready to go back out into the mine, and full boxes of vials stacked everywhere.

  “Why are you so backed up in here?” the warden demanded as he slammed the box he was carrying down. The glass clanged together. I cringed at the sound, wondering how many of them had broken because of his little tantrum.

  Another creature approached. He seemed to be a true demon, like Zag, but less intimidating. He was no bigger than a human, and the most threatening thing about him was that instead of hair, he had flames on top of his head. His eyes danced a bit as well, as if he was the very embodiment of fire.

  “Sir. What a pleasant surprise.”

  “Don’t try to get into my pants, Fury. Explain yourself.”

  “I’m afraid production has been up quite a bit recently. The wizard is keeping us very busy. Too busy, in fact. We’re only just starting to get caught up.”

  “If you’re getting caught up, what’s with the stacks of boxes? The wizard didn’t do this much.”

  “True, sir. But we were running behind already. We need more hands here.”

  “You can’t have them. The fewer of them down here who know how to get to the door, the better.”

  Bingo, I thought to myself. The door. I was so close to escape I could almost taste it. I had to bite my tongue to keep from whooping.

  “Then, you’ll have to wait.”

  The warden closed the distance between himself and Fury in a single step. Fury stepped back, clearly nervous, clinging to a clipboard as if that would offer him some protection from the demon bearing down on him.

  “What did you say?”

  “Perhaps I should rephrase. The serpens are working themselves bloody.”

  “As they should,” the warden interrupted.

  “Of course you’re right.” It was obvious Fury didn’t believe that. He was just trying to save his own skin. And maybe theirs, too. Did demons feel compassion? “But I can only push them so hard before they fall to the ground. It’s better, more productive, to not let that happen. Then we’d need a replacement, and you said yourself we need to keep those who know about the door down to a minimum.”

  The warden frowned, clearly displeased with his options. “Well, you’ll be happy to know the wizard has disappeared.” Fury looked over the warden’s shoulder right at me. I froze, but Fury only shifted before eyeing the warden.

  “Is that so?”

  The warden glared at him. “Take advantage of this windfall. Clear the queue before we find him. Because I’ll guarantee you production will double when we get our hands on that son of a motherless gravedigger.”

  Fury nodded. “Of course. Thank you for the update.”

  The warden turned and stormed out, but I didn’t follow him. I had a new friend to shadow.

  Fanning the flames of hope

  Fury was…kind. He helped with production where he could, kept things moving along, and never sat down. Ever. I was drawn to him. I wanted to help him instead of hiding behind him. But if I revealed myself in front of all the serpens, well…who knew what they would do. I
couldn’t risk it. When all this was over, I hoped I could offer him some kind of assistance.

  Boxes and boxes of vials stayed piled along the wall, and I wondered if they would ever be passed along. Finally, after what felt like ages, I saw one of the serpens grab a box off the top. It was no small feat for the short-statured creature, but it carried it away.

  Reluctantly, I left Fury’s side and followed the creature. He left the production area, went down a dark hallway, and then up to another metal door. This time, it wasn’t iron like Zag’s or brown wood like my cell door. It looked like thick steel. It had a wheel on the front, as well as a complicated locking system.

  The serpen knocked a few times, rather rhythmically. Tap. Tap, tap. Tap. And the wheel began to spin on its own. The door swung out, and we both took a step back.

  “It’s about time,” said a creature who looked a lot like the warden. Bigger than the serpens, but the same color skin and bright green eyes, although less snake like.

  The serpen didn’t comment. He gently placed the box in front of the superior and turned.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Keep walking, I willed the creature. But he stopped. He didn’t turn, but he did stop. I groaned internally as the bully got up and stepped over the box. “Why is it taking so long to deliver these?

  A quiet hiss, and the bully smacked the serpen in the back of the head. “I don’t want excuses. I want deliveries. Action. Things are progressing quickly now. We need to keep up.”

  Another quiet hiss, and the bigger creature put his foot square in the center of the serpen’s shoulder blades and kicked. It was enough. I couldn’t watch it anymore. I didn’t think about the consequences of my action. I only reacted.

  A ball of fire left my hand before I could think twice about it. It hit the bully square in the chest, sending him flying back and crashing into the wall. Fury chose that moment to reveal himself.

  “Who are you?” he said as he helped the serpen up and brushed him off, checking him over for injury. When all seemed fine, he sent him on his way. The bully was knocked out cold, lying in a heap against the far wall, so I decided it was probably safe to answer, since my illusion was ruined.