by Alex C Vick
Yes, but somehow it seems harder to resist your beauty now we’re utterly alone. I swallowed, my mouth dry.
She ran down to the ocean. I settled for rolling up my trouser legs to the knee, and ripping the sleeves off my tunic. The water was delicious, perfectly warm and swirling gently around my ankles. A breeze lifted the hair off my neck and away from my forehead. I relaxed.
“The water’s amazing. It’s so warm. Like being in the tepidarium at the Thermae,” she added. “Maybe we should…?”
“No!” I shouted desperately as she made to undress. So much for relaxing.
“Don’t worry,” she said, with a grin, “I’m just messing with you. You Androvans really are incredibly prim and proper, aren’t you?”
I closed the distance between us.
“No. We just understand that there is a right time for certain things. Also,” I said, lifting my hand and brushing my fingers down the side of her neck, “those same things are worth waiting for.”
She shivered at my touch, and her pupils expanded.
“Please,” I added softly. “We will both be of age in little more than a year. I promise I’ll make it up to you then.”
“You’re very convincing,” she said, slightly breathlessly. “I suppose we can wait.”
I gave her a quick kiss. Her lips were hot from the sun. Finding the right magic to reverse the Spell of Removal is surely going to be easier than resisting Claudia.
We kept busy for the rest of the day, experimenting with the right spells to protect us from the sun and all the other creatures of varying size that lived on the island. Both of us made mistakes, and we laughed a lot.
I tried and failed to learn how to swim without using magic, while Claudia watched and shouted encouragement. At least, she did her best between bouts of giggling. We made somewhere to sleep and found water and food. Thank Androva for magic, I thought more than once.
When the sun finally turned the sky orange and gold on the horizon, we stopped to eat. I had never felt so tired or so happy.
The Romans can keep their empire. There isn’t enough gold on Terra to buy a day like this one.
“I’m so glad,” Claudia whispered when we finally lay down. Her fingers were curled around mine, and as night fell the glow from our two silver stars was becoming more visible.
“About what?” I mumbled, almost asleep.
“That you found me.”
I smiled.
“You found me,” I corrected.
She used the Communication Spell to send me her memory of walking into my invisible self and dropping Julia Felix’s breakfast all over the floor.
“You wanted to be found,” she said.
I squeezed her hand in agreement. Then, as the sound of my breathing blended with the waves on the beach, I fell asleep.
Shadows crept into my dreams. The golden beach turned into a cave. Jax’s and Shannon’s memories came back to me in another nightmare. I shrank away, but the twisted face and hissing voice followed me wherever I went. The next thing I knew, Claudia was gripping my shoulders.
“Galen, Galen! Wake up. It’s only a dream. You’re having a bad dream.”
I struggled to a sitting position.
“Are you alright?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“You don’t look it.”
“Well, thanks.”
I rubbed my eyes and pushed my hair back. I saw that the sky was just starting to lighten.
“What were you dreaming about?”
“Angelus.”
“You said you didn’t want to talk about him the day before yesterday. Do you want to talk now?”
“No.”
“Will you let me talk, then?”
I looked at her, wondering what she was going to say. Her expression was pretty fierce. I gave a reluctant nod.
“What you said before, about having an obligation to warn them. I agree. You do. But you also said not yet, and I agree with that too.
“Let’s think about it. Titus signed the treaty, but he’s only just become emperor. He’s young, nearly forty years younger than his father was when he died.
“And people on Androva will be a lot less angry at your leaving if we wait a while. Won’t they?”
“Yes. That is likely.”
“But the main thing is we must create that reversing spell and hide the Signature Symbol near it. Otherwise there’s no failsafe and nothing to defeat Angelus if your warning is ignored.”
I sighed. It felt like a weight was slowly lifting from my shoulders. For all of the reasons she had listed, there was no point in going back to Androva yet.
“OK,” I said. “OK.”
“OK,” she repeated and then grinned.
It seemed that my mind agreed. I didn’t have any more nightmares. Days became weeks, weeks became months, and it was easy to forget the Roman Empire and the Androvan Council. Our small island was all the world we needed.
Now we had time to really get to know each other. Likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, past history, magical ability—everything.
I love this Terran girl named Claudia. I really do.
The strength of her magic and her skill in applying it continued to grow, thanks to the Sygnus. I taught her all the spells I had ever learned. Then we started inventing new ones. Claudia figured out how to collect living magic properly. And, like most magicians, she turned out to be much better at making remedies than I was.
Unfortunately, the all-important reversing spell continued to elude us. But I reassured myself there was still time for that.
Until suddenly, I had another nightmare, and time ran out.
Chapter 24 - Facing The Truth
I woke up silently this time. My heart was pounding, but I had not cried out. Next to me, Claudia slept on, undisturbed.
It had been like a series of thoughts, words, and images replaying in my sleeping mind, as if the pieces of a puzzle had just now fallen into place.
Why was my disappearance so absolute? Jax and Shannon said the Androvan Council in their time called me the Missing Magician. Had I really made no attempt to go home? Ever?
Unless… Unless something happened to prevent it.
Then, Jax’s comment.
“Next you’ll be telling us you’re best friends with a Terran magician called Angelus!”
I had not fully understood until now, but his words indicated that Angelus was not only around my age, but someone I could have actually met.
Finally, the treaty. Again, I pictured the words Shannon had seen. Emperor Titus, written in silver magical energy, and the letters next to his name. Roma used letters in place of numbers. It was the date. I had not noticed the letters before, and in my dream they hovered just outside of my direct gaze.
But now I was awake, I could replay Shannon’s memory and look straight at them. If I could only get up the courage to do so.
I walked down to the edge of the water. The moon was bright enough to light my way, though the vibrant blue colours of the ocean had faded to shades of grey.
Then I folded my arms across my chest and closed my eyes to seek out the memory. L. My stomach churned. L was fifty. It was the start of every number from fifty up to eighty-nine. X, X, and another X. Three tens. Then… nothing. No matter how hard I looked, there was nothing else.
Eighty. It was the year eighty. And the mountain had turned to fire in the year seventy-nine. This is bad.
“Claudia!” I shouted, running up the sand on legs that felt too weak to carry me. “Claudia!”
She met me half-way, blinking with sleep. When she saw my face, she drew in a fearful breath.
“What is it? What’s happened? Are you hurt?”
“It’s now. Angelus is now.”
Claudia shook her head slightly.
“I don’t—”
I grabbed her hand before she could finish the question, and showed her the image of the treaty. She immediately understood and tried to reassure me.
“The r
est of the date is missing though, we don’t know the month…”
“Claudia. We’ve been on this island for ages. And the treaty was only signed after his defeat. Weeks from when he first appeared. My family,” I said, with rising desperation. “My friends… I have to warn them about Angelus. Or, if it’s too late for that, I have to try to save them.”
I remembered what Jax and Shannon had said about the Death Spell Angelus had invented, and felt sick. It had taken an entire roomful of magic to stop him.
“I have to try. I have to do something!”
She nodded.
“We do. And we will.”
“No, I’m not putting you at risk.”
“It’s not your choice. I don’t belong to you, remember?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
She half smiled.
“I know. But please, let me help. We’re married. Your family is the only one I’ve got.”
Stubbornly, I refused again.
“Galen, you can’t stop me. I’m doing this. And I’ll be a lot safer if we work together.”
I glared at her.
“Is that a yes?” she asked.
“Only because the alternative puts you in even more danger.”
“Come on, let’s figure out what to do.”
We agreed that we needed to know what was happening on Androva before we could make any kind of plan. I opened a series of portals, one at a time, starting far away from Landor, and moving gradually closer.
I used coordinates for the most inconspicuous locations I could remember, walking through and back again with my Anonymity Spell in place. Claudia accompanied me, silently watching and learning.
It was very disorienting. Familiarity and memories were jumbled together with fear, as I was half expecting a murdering Terran magician to jump out from every shadow. As far as I could tell, everything was still fine.
Our final destinations, before the night ended, were the Assembly Rooms and then the Foundation itself. I froze in shock when I saw the statue. It was me. Claudia pulled on my hand to bring us closer.
It really was me. Hands lifted as if to project a spell, and a faint smile on the stone copy of my face.
The building around us was dark and still. There was no sign of trouble. I decided we’d seen enough.
“Nice statue. Reminds me of someone I know,” said Claudia, once the portal was closed.
“Researchers take turns to create it,” I said, playing it down. “It’s probably someone’s idea of a joke.”
“No. It was made by someone who thinks very highly of you. It was beautiful.”
I was unconvinced, but decided not to argue. There were more important things to discuss. I told her Androva appeared unchanged.
“I hoped you’d say that. It means we only need to warn them.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “But I fear there is a good chance Angelus is already at the Foundation. Jax and Shannon said he remained hidden for a long time while he refined his skills.
“He killed twice without arousing suspicion. His Death Spell leaves no mark, and no one would imagine… It has been hundreds of years since there was murder committed on Androva.”
“Do you know who he killed?”
“No. And I hope I will never need to know.”
Claudia had to agree that we should split up. The Council’s prejudice towards Terra was going to be magnified tenfold after my warning. I could not expect them to welcome my Terran wife any time soon.
She would stay on the island and spend all her waking moments on the spell for Jax and Shannon, just in case it was still needed.
“You needn’t look so relieved, Galen. I’ll come to rescue you if you’re gone for too long.”
After she said that, I gave her the coordinates to my old home. At least I could stop her from marching straight into the Assembly Rooms, and give my family a portal to safety at the same time. Serena knew who Claudia was, and they could help each other.
I tried to eat something before I left, knowing I would need my strength. We sat on the sand, shoulders touching, not speaking. It was still too early for the sun to rise and turn the grey sky perfectly blue. If things went well, I would be here watching it tomorrow.
I intended to go to the Foundation first, before the day began. I needed an ally to face the Council alongside me. Nico was sure to be furious at the way I had left him, but I might be able to convince Vandra to support me. Then she could persuade Malcan. The Council would definitely listen to them.
Eventually I stood up. I drew Claudia towards me and gave her the stone Signature Symbol. I kissed her, slowly and with feeling. Her eyes were brilliant with unshed tears when I ended the kiss.
“You’ve got one day. If you’re not back by dawn tomorrow, I’m going to Androva to find you.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I said a silent apology to Jax and Shannon inside my head. If this worked, they would probably never meet. But they will live. And so will everyone else.
I didn’t know the coordinates to Vandra’s room, so I opened the portal to the central square again. As soon as Claudia had closed it behind me, I began walking. Everything around me was quiet. Until—
I spun round at the shouted “Please!”
Wait, that’s my room. Mine and Nico’s. Our window overlooked the statue, and it was open.
I broke into a run, and was soon pushing the door open.
“Nico!”
He was slumped against the wall where my portal symbols were still engraved. Something in his position looked odd, as if he’d fallen awkwardly. He was gasping for breath.
I glanced round, but there was no one else there.
“What happened? What’s the matter?” I said, bending to help him.
“Galen…” he said, his breath rasping. “Galen, I’m s-so sorry. Sh-should have trusted you. A-all along.”
He clutched at my tunic. At my Sygnus. When I sensed his force field, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It was faltering. Its vibration was coming and going, like… like a beating heart.
I looked into his eyes, which were dark and scared. Although my thoughts were scattering as my own fear expanded, I was reminded of something. Professor Cassius. Only Professor Cassius terrified Nico this much.
“P-please forgive me. Galen, please!”
“I forgive you,” I said immediately. He relaxed his grip slightly.
“Th-thought you were ag-gainst me, when all along it was h-him. Tried to stop him. S-so stupid.”
The vibration of his magic was slowing down, along with his breathing. I projected every Remedy Spell I could think of, one after the other.
“You’re not stupid. You’re brilliant,” I said desperately. He tried to smile.
Then he looked over my shoulder and drew in a last, painful breath.
“I-it was him,” he repeated slowly. Then his head fell to one side, and his magic vanished.
“Nico! Nico!”
I lifted his head up, but his eyes did not reopen. I gathered him into my arms, surrounding him with my force field. I could feel nothing. He was gone. The first tear was falling when I heard a voice behind me.
I turned my head to see Professor Cassius, standing next to Malcan. Before I could beg for their help, the professor spoke.
“You heard him. You heard my son name his killer before he died. It was him, he said. Galen.”
“What? That’s not what he meant! He was talking about…”
Both men were glaring at me, and I trailed off. He was talking about you. I was suddenly too afraid to say it out loud. Nico must have seen his father when he was looking over my shoulder.
But he’d only been saying Professor Cassius was against him. Hadn’t he? Not that the professor was his killer! Because that would be impossible. That would be…
Before I could make sense of my panicky logic, Malcan stepped forward. His hands were clenched into fists.
“Did you kill Vandra too? Did you?”
My
body went weak with shock. “N-no! Of course not! Vandra’s dead? How? When?”
“There is little doubt that you are an excellent liar,” said Professor Cassius with a sneer. “I can now reveal,” he went on, turning to Malcan, “this is the boy who sabotaged me at the Seminary.”
I knew a moment of horror. Nico had told him. Was that what he’d been saying sorry for?
The professor continued.
“Presenting an innocent face to the world when behind the scenes he was corrupting my son and breaking every rule of magic our society relies on.”
Then I gasped in pain as two brutal Containment Spells sank into my head. They took advantage of my shock to overpower me. I could not stay conscious through such agony, and the room faded away.
When I awoke, I was in one of the Council interrogation rooms. It was made of the same white stone as the rest of the building, with one solitary window high up on the wall. There were two chairs opposite mine, currently empty.
Not for long. Before I could gather my thoughts enough to even consider opening a portal, my interrogators arrived. A portal to where, anyway? They would only follow me.
My interrogation lasted all day. It was carried out by Mirrem and the lady from the Council with the silver hair. They wanted to know how I had killed Vandra and Nico. Not if, but how. My attempts to warn them about an evil Terran magician were met with stony silence.
They used every Interrogation Spell in the book, first one at a time, and then projecting the spells together. I was back in control of my emotions, and I resisted them all. They would hear nothing of Claudia from me. My resistance only seemed to confirm their suspicions.
People had been worried about me, spat Mirrem. Including his sister, my match. They thought I’d been trapped somewhere, or fallen victim to experimental magic. The search had continued for weeks.
We entered the Council session as dusk was falling on Androva. Apparently I was considered too high risk to be left in custody alone, even for one night. My fate would be settled this evening.
When I realised this, I panicked. Claudia. What if I never see her again? There was no way to escape the Assembly Rooms, and if my warnings went unheeded, Androva’s destruction was drawing closer. Two deaths at the Foundation, before Angelus reveals himself. That’s what Jax and Shannon said.