Freedom (The Sorcerers' Scourge Book 4)

by Michael Arches

  He backed up more and glanced around the kitchen. Most of the counters were empty, but several bottles of liquor sat near the sink. He grabbed one containing a clear liquid, so probably vodka or gin.

  I thought he was going to throw it at me, but I didn’t care. Magic wouldn’t let him.

  Instead, he smacked the neck of the bottle on the edge of the granite countertop. The neck shattered, and the sorcerer splashed the liquid over the counter near him. With his free hand, he pulled out a lighter and lit the liquid near him.

  It flashed into flames as the sorcerer dropped the bottle and ran out the back door.

  I wanted to chase the bastard, but I had to put out the fire first. No fire extinguisher was visible, but I spotted a large dish towel near the sink on the island.

  Grabbing it, I soaked it in water from the faucet for a second and tossed it over the flames closest the wall below. The granite wouldn’t burn, but the paint on the wall might. That part of the fire went out, but a large puddle of gin in the middle of the countertop continued to burn. Thankfully, the flames didn’t reach high enough to ignite the cherry cabinet above them.

  I was worried about the flames sliding off the edge of the countertop into the bigger pool of gin on the floor by the broken bottle.

  It took a minute, but I got the fire out without it spreading. Then I ran for the back door to find the monster who’d almost set the whole house aflame.

  The door led to a large covered patio that contained an outdoor kitchen, dining table, and a conversation area surrounding a brick fireplace. In a few seconds, I confirmed that my prey wasn’t hiding anywhere on the patio.

  The backyard was huge, about an acre in size, and it was enclosed by the same wrought iron fence as the rest of the property. The right side was mostly lawn interspersed with perennial beds and shrubs. There was nowhere for the sorcerer to hide. But the left side of the yard was very different. Most of that part of the yard was taken up by a huge pool house. The walls were glass or plastic, but I couldn’t see inside. Behind that building, I could see a large play structure next to several tall redwoods. The bastard had to be hiding in the left side of the yard somewhere.

  I headed for the pool house first, but as soon as I stepped onto the lawn, I heard something scrape above me and behind on my right side.

  Instinctively, I jumped to my left. An instant later, something hit me on the right side of my back, knocking me to the ground.

  The fucking sorcerer hit the lawn a few feet to the right of me and screamed.

  I scrambled to my feet and ran at him. “I’ve had enough of your shit!”

  He rose to his hand and knees and started to stand.

  With all my strength, I brought my right foot forward, driving my shoe into the side of his head.

  He collapsed. The buzzing stopped.

  I’d won, but I was sorely tempted to break his fucking neck. No one would know I did it afterward. No one but me.

  I would know. That was the problem.

  I rolled the son of a bitch over onto his back. His head was bald and his face red. Somehow, he’d managed to get on the roof, and he’d waited to jump on me like a cougar on a deer. I looked over at the far right side of the patio, and a heavy trellis rested against the house.

  His problem was he’d misjudged where I was going to leave the covered patio. He had to move sideways, and I heard his footstep above me. If he’d landed on me with both feet, I probably would be the one sprawled on the ground.

  But I wasn’t. I could relax. I stood over him and yelled, “SHAZAM! I claim the spoils of victory!”

  His power flowed into me, with a warm rush that I’d rarely gotten the chance to experience. Most of my fights had been exhibition matches, so I’d received no magic from those wins.

  From around the right side of the house, Chas yelled, “Moira, are you all right?”

  I walked over to where a gate led to the driveway. Chas was standing by the back of the truck, ready to bolt for the cab if needed. “It was a bit harder than I’d expected, but I beat him.”

  Instead of celebrating, he looked at me with narrowed eyes. “How do I know this isn’t a trick?”

  It was a fair question. The asshole could have beaten me and forced me to try to grab Chas. “Because he’s a smoldering mess, and I’m not. Do you smell the fire?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  “I’ll walk way in front of you. You can see the sorcerer on the lawn.”

  I stayed ahead of him and walked back to my new slave. Chas followed at a distance until he got a good look at the asshole. Then he went up to the guy, still unconscious, and spat on him.

  “What do we do with him?”

  “Let’s leave him where he is,” I said, “while we unload the truck. He’s too beat up to give us any help, and I think he broke an ankle or something. He’ll wake up eventually. They always do.”

  At least, they always had for me. Gladiator fights among women rarely ended in death.

  “Maybe we should leave to get a cell signal and call Gill?” Chas asked.

  “Why bother him?” I replied. “We still need to unload all those boxes and put the things away. It’s not like I’m asking you to step over a corpse.”

  Chas still seemed uncertain, but he walked with me back to the truck, and we each grabbed a box. Thanks to my list, we knew where each one belonged, so we unpacked Gill’s and Katie’s stuff.

  The sorcerer eventually hobbled into the house as I was walking in from the garage with another box. He asked, “How can I help you, Master?”

  His face had been scorched, and his eyes were blurry and bloodshot. Thanks to magic, he had to tell me the full and unvarnished truth. “Can you do anything useful?”

  “I can barely see, but I could clean up the mess on the kitchen floor.”

  That’s what he did while Chas and I kept working on the boxes.

  -o-o-o-

  IT TOOK THE two of us an hour to empty the truck and put everything away according to Gill’s instructions. There were a few things I wasn’t sure where to store, but we put most of the stuff into the drawers, cupboards, and shelves Gill had specified.

  The refrigerator contained a dozen bottles of German beer, and I took one and walked out to the back again. I hadn’t had much time to see anything except the yard.

  From the back patio, it appeared that a narrow strip of meadow separated the fence from the edge of the headland.

  I found a gate that allowed access to the land on the west side of the fence. The meadow grasses had grown knee-high, and a rough path wandered along the edge of the cliff. From a spot near the gate, I peered down a hundred feet to where ocean waves crashed against giant piles of boulders. Some were as big as Chas’ truck. My whole body tingled.

  While we were working, the fog and higher clouds had melted away to leave the sun so bright it was hard to make out much except the black cliffs and rocks and white foam. Farther out, the collection of small islands Chas had mentioned were surrounded by a restless gray-green ocean. The sailboats had vanished, and the water appeared deserted. Sea lions barked in the distance, but I couldn’t see them.

  To the north and south, the coastline extended for dozens of miles. The tops of the headlands were all green, and so were the forests farther back on the hills. It was hard to imagine that Gill and Katie could’ve picked a prettier place to live, assuming that the cliff stayed solid. The coast was notorious for earthquakes, and for good reason. I’d survived one serious trembler already while living in Salinas.

  About a quarter-mile north of me, a deserted beach beckoned. The only way to get to it was by descending a steep road from this property that cut along the cliff.

  I stood there admiring the view until Chas came up to me. “I am afraid that I have to get back to the vineyard.”

  Too bad. On the way to Napa, I asked the sorcerer what he’d been doing at the house in the first place.

  He said, “Installing list
ening devices. Gill Carmichael is supposed to be an important Holar elder, and the local warlock’s council wanted to keep tabs on him.”

  “How many did you put in?”

  “Three, and I was working on the fourth when you arrived.” He told me the locations. I realized I should’ve asked earlier so he could’ve removed them already. Live and learn.

  When we got a phone signal, I called Gill and gave him the two-minute version of the fight. Then I apologized for not thinking to remove the bugs.

  He laughed. “It sounds like you had a lot on your plate. Don’t worry about it.”

  But telling me not to worry was like telling me not to breathe—impossible.

  -o-o-o-

  Robert de Gaulle Vineyard, Napa, California

  WHEN WE GOT back, Chas parked the truck inside a barn that contained the faint, sharp aroma of wine vinegar. Gill and Robert were waiting for us. I hopped out of the cabin and motioned for my slave to follow. Then I introduced him to the two powerful witches.

  “Do you want the slave?” Robert asked me.

  “No, not at all. Could you use him? He needs to be punished for attacking the house and me.”

  Gill patted me on the back. “Damned right he does.”

  Robert nodded. “I think the term of three years sounds fair. What do you think?”

  He was right, and I realized this was one big difference between witches and sorcerers. Once someone was a sorcerer’s slave, they remain enslaved for life. Witches, though, only enslaved sorcerers for punishment. “Three years sounds fair.”

  I turned to my slave. “You will obey Robert and anyone he designates, such as Chas, the same way you would obey me.”

  My slave looked at me. “Yes, Master.”

  Chas led him away.

  “Before we go back to the house,” Gill said, “I want to downplay the attack to Katie. The baby’s probably going to come very soon, and she doesn’t need any more stress.”

  “Absolutely,” I said.

  The three of us walked back toward the house, and Gill put his arm around my shoulders. His hands shook a bit, but I realize that I’d vastly underestimated his inner strength.

  “For the moment, you need to rest and calm your mind. Then you probably want to get back with Ian to train seriously. He’s my magical heir, and he can teach you a lot.”

  “I probably don’t need much more power to take Suarez, and I want to help Katie for as long as she needs it, months probably.”

  “That’s between you two,” Gill said.

  The three of us separated inside the house, and I headed back to my room.

  -o-o-o-

  FOR AN HOUR, I tried to meditate, but it was no use. Too much excitement welled within me. So, I went for a run, pushing myself to the maximum for an hour. That chilled my nerves out. And once I showered and dressed, it was time for dinner.

  Katie sat next to me, but she wasn’t her normal bouncy, smiley self. Instead, she was quiet and still. I wasn’t surprised. Popping babies out had to be a tough business, even with the best of help.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked her.

  “Pretty good. It won’t be long now. My daughter is flying in from Boulder to spend a week or so. She’s got a big job in Colorado setting up an Institute for Holar fighting magic. Gill is providing some support for that, but he’s retired now. Most of the project will be finished by Tess.”

  I had to ask her one of the many questions in my mind. “How old is he? I thought he was in his seventies or eighties, but Robert said something offhand about Gill fighting in World War II.”

  Katie giggled. “He’s over a hundred, but in good health. His wife was a fabulous healer. If he takes care of himself, he could live for another thirty years. I’m counting on it.”

  She wasn’t being unreasonable. Witches tended to live longer than sorcerers, and two women on Mom’s side of the family had lived over a hundred and thirty years. “He seems plenty feisty and strong.”

  She patted my hand, and showed me my mom’s smile again. I’d never be able to get enough of that.

  “He told me,” she said, “you ran into a little trouble at the cliff house. You handled it easily?”

  Because he’d warned me to soft-pedal the issue, I nodded. “No problem. The sorcerer was a geek. In fact, I probably should go back there tomorrow with him and pull out the listening devices he tried to install.”

  A wave of guilt passed through me for lying to someone who’d helped me so much, but I couldn’t add to her burdens. To distract her, I caught Gill’s attention on the opposite side of the table and asked him about going back.

  “Great idea. Robert has already contacted a security expert he knows to check the property, but you should do your work first. Tomorrow would be perfect. Take the Beemer.”

  I wasn’t a great driver, but I wasn’t going to admit that. “It’s too nice for a sorcerer to ride in. I’ll ask Robert to borrow some old pickup or car.”

  Gill shrugged. “Whatever suits you. Take Tess with you. She wants to see the house.”

  During dinner, Katie seemed fine, but quieter. I’d never had any realistic opportunity to have children, that would put my gladiator career on hold for nine months, so I hadn’t given it much thought. Seeing her maternal side was a real eye-opener, though.

  She’d been through the process before, so she had to know what she was getting into. What am I missing out on?

  After dinner, I went back to my room and called Laura O’Rourke. When I got on the line, I said, “I thought I’d say hi to my pal Christina if she’s available.”

  “That’s so sweet of you,” Laura said. “Ian has been keeping us advised of your ups and downs in the fighting world. Christina thinks she has great ideas to help you, so be forewarned. Right now, though, she’s at piano practice. I’ll have her call you when she gets home.”

  “That’ll be great. Thanks.”

  I was about to hang up when Laura said, “By the way, we should see you in a few days. When Katie has her baby, we plan to come for a visit. She is a dear old friend.”

  That comment choked me up, not having any dear old friends of my own. I just didn’t have much experience with the whole friendship thing.

  “Their new house is really spectacular,” I said. “I’ve been helping to set it up for them so Gill and Katie can enjoy their time with the baby.”

  As she signed off, Laura said something about how good I was to the expectant parents, but she didn’t understand. They’d come to my aid when I really needed it, and I wasn’t going to forget that. I still owed them so much. And now Katie was becoming like a second mom to me. Then it struck me. Laura glowed, too, when talking about her family. Just like Mom and Katie.

  My anger at sorcerers flared suddenly, almost overwhelming me. Deep down inside, I’d managed to lock up my fury, at least most of the time. It could make me insane, so I didn’t risk opening that door.

  Chapter 13

  I’D DIVED BACK into my latest Liam story and was happily flipping pages when Christina called. “Did you hear? We’re coming to see you and the baby soon. Their house is right over the ocean.”

  “I know,” I said. “I just saw it today. It’s terrific. They even have tiny islands offshore with sea lions, and probably otters. That made me think of you.”

  “I can’t believe it,” Christina said. “We have to get out there. But we can’t get too close. They’re wild animals, not pets.”

  She carried on for a few minutes about how careful we had to be around wildlife to avoid disturbing them. Then I asked her, “How are we going to get out there? I don’t think Gill or Katie own a boat.”

  “Already figured that out,” Christina said. “I told dad we have to bring the sea kayaks. He’s thinking about it.”

  I tried to imagine the three of them in an SUV towing a trailer with sea kayaks through San Francisco or the East Bay. Traffic was always a nightmare in both areas. Not that I was goi
ng to rain on Christina’s parade.

  “We’ll see what works out,” I said. “As a housewarming gift, I was thinking about getting them a spotting scope so they could look up and down the coast with it.”

  “Yeah, that’s a great idea. Then they could see for miles.”

  And that sounded a helluva lot safer than a kayak. Christina and I chatted longer, and I found out she’d already heard about the fight at the new house. She wanted me to give her all the gory details, but the last thing I wanted to do was to give her nightmares. I soft-pedaled it, but unlike Katie, Christina wasn’t going to be satisfied with fluffy generalities. Finally, I said, “Listen, sweetie, is your mom there?”

  “Sure,” she said, suddenly sounding wary.

  “Could I talk to her for a second?”

  When Laura came on the line, I said, “Your sweet little daughter is pumping me for information about the latest fight. How explicit do you want me to be?”

  Laura’s voice was falsely nonchalant, as though she didn’t want her daughter to know what we were talking about. “Yeah, isn’t she adorable? She seems to keep forgetting that she’s eight years old.”

  I got the message. When Christina came back on the line, I said, “I’m really looking forward to seeing you in a few days. You stay out of trouble, okay?”

  “You’re not going to tell me about the rest about the fight, are you?”

  The little snot was perceptive. “I did tell you about it, and it was no big deal. I’ve got to run now, honey, so bye.”

  “See you soon,” she said in a quieter voice than before. I hated to disappoint her, but kids deserved to be kids.

  -o-o-o-

  Tuesday, January 19th

  AT BREAKFAST, KATIE introduced me to her daughter, Tess O’Dell, who had the same flaming red hair as her mother but was taller and stockier. Tess shook my hand and sat on the opposite side of her mother from me.

  “Someone else also arrived last night,” Katie said, “Oran Byrne. He is technically a slave, but Gill’s convinced the Irishman has genuinely changed his attitude. Gill treats him more like a manservant, Oran understands Gill’s preferences very well. Oran would like to visit the house to make sure it meets his great lord’s expectations.”