by Viola Grace
She grinned. “I choose my battles wisely.”
Chapter Eight
The next week was a blur of calls, spells, potions, enchantments, and hot and ready lunches made by Reegar. Bara was doing Imara’s laundry, and she had never felt so cared for in her life.
Master Midian was working them to exhaustion to prove to them the importance of focus and control. Margo tried to make the same spell four times in a row, and it was only when Midian eradicated all of her equipment that she had lifted her head and listened to what the instructor was telling her. She was not cut out for the improvisation of spell crafting.
Carlos, on the other hand, flourished in the class. He worked with his instincts, and his spell work got faster and stronger. The master was impressed and watched him for a few days until it appeared that the change would stick.
Imara had never been so relieved to finish going to class as she was when she finished the spell crafting tutorial. Now, it was all about planning a spell. Reegar made her breakfast and then scowled at her while she ate. “You still don’t know?”
She fed Mr. E some of the smoked salmon from her plate. “I still don’t know. Nothing I have come up with has felt right, so I am going to ask folks to give me something small, and I will use those objects for the spell, with some additions that I have come across.”
“A friendship spell?”
“Sort of. I have written down a few ingredients, but I will have to ask people for them.”
He blinked and leaned forward. “Colour me interested. What ingredients?”
Imara sighed and pulled the folded piece of paper out of her bra, unfolding and straightening it as she went.
“Right. Well, it starts with the hair of a familiar. After that, it gets weirder, the nail of a beast, an empty soul, a moment of joy, the blood of an enemy, the word of a friend, and the will of the caster.”
“That is quite the list. What do you think the spell is?”
She looked at the list and the notes she had added to the margins. She would add magic detector strips, a tiny tornado, a leaf from Ritual Space and bind it all with the enchanted honey.
She tapped her finger on the page. “I think it is a spell of need.”
“What kind of need?”
“You know, I have no idea.” She chuckled. “It just seemed right.”
“If it seemed right, get collecting on those ingredients.”
“I am going to finish breakfast first. I have a meeting to get to.”
He raised his brows. “I didn’t know you had a vehicle.”
“I don’t. I am having a meeting in Ritual Space. It is more convenient for both of us.”
“Ah. Well, finish your breakfast and go. You only have a few weeks left before the course is over. Can you hand it in early?”
“I can, but she warned us against it. Mage Midian stated that this was our one chance to create a new spell and that no one benefited from rushing it.”
“She isn’t wrong. These shelves are full of spells that were rushed and now don’t function as they should.”
She finished the last caper and took her dish to the sink, washing it before setting it on the drying rack.
“Thanks for breakfast, Reegar. You have been a tremendous friend through all of this.”
“I am friend to very few, but I am glad you are among them.”
She leaned in and gave him a hug. He stiffened in surprise. She laughed, and Mr. E jumped to her shoulder. He smelled like fish, but it wasn’t the worst thing he had smelled like since becoming her familiar. His dietary habits were ridiculous.
She headed back to her room and activated the portal to Ritual Space. She had a brunch date to keep, but she would never turn down breakfast from Reegar. He made the effort, so she was going to eat it. Getting a spectre to do any kind of domestic duty was a miracle in itself.
She sent the text through, and when she got a response, she took the step from her room to the enclosed fun park of magic and nature where mages could learn and spells could be cast with the rest of the world at a safe distance. It was also the place where Imara learned to climb walls and break into buildings. Ah, good times.
Adrea was standing near the portal. Benny and Freddy were at her side. Blueberry, the blue-striped bunny rabbit, was at her feet.
Mr. E was wiggling with excitement. May I go and play?
Imara silently spoke to him, Doesn’t it lack dignity?
It is extremely fun.
Fine. Off you go. Enjoy yourself.
Mr. E made a happy murp and ran over to Blueberry. They looked at each other for a long moment, and then, they raced side by side to the garden at the back of the main house.
Adrea smiled. “Now that they are off playing, shall we have a spot of breakfast?”
Freddy’s nose twitched. “Sure, but I think someone already had some salmon.”
Imara smiled beatifically. “Mr. E. He is mad for it. For an ancient mage, his beast is in control a lot of the time.”
Freddy snorted. “I have so been there.”
Benny grinned. “Nice to see you again. I have gotten that information for you.”
“Oh, thank you. I have been working on finding out, but the spell crafting class took all of my time.”
“Is it over?”
“Everything but the final. I still have to collect some stuff for that.”
Adrea grinned. “Do tell but over breakfast. We just got our blunderberry harvest, and I can’t wait for you to taste them.”
There was a charming table set for four in the back garden, and the large blue berries sitting on the table surrounded by cream, scones, and small pancakes looked lovely.
Freddy asked the question, “What the hell is a blunderberry?”
“It was supposed to be a blueberry, but the raspberries and blackberries grew into a braided vine with the blueberry, and this was the result. It is a pretty bush, but the fruit is perplexing. Tasty though.”
Adrea sat and poured tea all around. “So, what did Imara ask you to look up?”
Benny pulled a chunk of paperwork out of her purse. “Lamias. One trashed her car while she was in it on the highway.”
“Oh, the accident.”
“Correct.”
“I thought they always hunted in pairs.” Adrea smiled slightly as she offered fluffy biscuits to everyone.
Freddy split her biscuit and slathered it with the clotted cream. “That changes depending on the reason for the hunt. They mate separately, so if one lost a mate, the other wouldn’t go to avenge her companion’s mate.”
Benny blinked. “She should have just asked you. Yeah, that is what I found out. One hunting alone has a personal vendetta against you or Mr. E.”
Imara scooped up some of the berries and put them on top of the cream. “That is what I figured. I just had hoped that most of his enemies were dead.”
Benny sighed. “I guess they are not.”
“No, I suppose not.” Imara bit the dessert, and she had to scramble to suck in all the juice from the exploding berries. Blunderberries were amazing.
The other ladies were all laughing and trying to keep themselves from looking like they had gone face first into the berry bushes.
Slurping and giggles gradually gave way to conversation, and Benny asked the loaded question, “So, what are you doing now?”
“Ah, I am working on my spell crafting course. If you speak to Minerva, please tell her that her advice has been passed on, and my classmate and I are both benefiting. The master mage is a little confused by his sudden competence, but it is going well for him.”
Freddy frowned. “Only one classmate is benefiting?”
“Yeah. We started with four students. One dropped out on the first day, and the second wasn’t making strides by the lab week. She was encouraged to find another occupation.”
Adrea winced. “That is harsh.”
“Yes, well, this is a multi-credit course, for higher class levels. You have to have a high average in your
previous courses, and at least one recommendation from a faculty member.”
Freddy looked impressed. “Who was the faculty member for your recommendation?”
“My stealth magic instructor. He signed the form while laughing.”
Adrea grinned. “Hyl still talks about you being a natural assassin.”
“He is an excellent teacher.”
Benny cocked her head. “What is your final exam in your spell crafting course?”
“I have to make something that hasn’t been seen before.”
“Do you have an idea of what you want?” Benny sipped her tea.
“I do. Well, I have notes.”
“Can I see them?”
Freddy grinned. “Benny was homeschooled when it came to her spell casting knowledge, but there are very few people I would trust to look into your information. Two are sitting at this table, and one is playing house with a dragon.”
Imara fished the paper out of her bra and handed it over.
Benny snickered. “I carry everything in there. Let me just look over this.”
Benny looked at the list, glanced at Imara with raised brows a few times, and she folded the page. “We can give you three of the items on the page.”
Freddy blinked. “We can?”
“Sure. Adrea can provide three leaves from Ritual Space.”
“Of course.”
“Freddy can pull out three hairs for the hair of a familiar,” Benny smirked.
Freddy blinked. “Hey! I don’t give my body parts away easily.”
“I know. The thrust of this spell isn’t for control over anything, it is for providing for and filling a need.”
Adrea cocked her head. “What need?”
Imara answered, “Whatever the caster needs most at the moment.”
“Interesting. So, the caster had better be sure of their need.”
“Precisely.” Imara nodded. “It isn’t a spell to be used in haste.”
Benny nodded and handed the page back. “I haven’t seen anything like it. There are wish-fulfillment spells that come close, but this one uses something else.”
Imara nodded. “Exactly. The spell uses ingredients that are enchanted by their very existence. The magic has already been paid for so to speak.”
Adrea whistled. “That is new.”
“And a little vanilla for the scent of cookies.” Imara smiled.
The ladies laughed until Freddy paused. “Benny, you said that she could get three ingredients from us. What else?”
“The blood of an enemy.” Benny waved her hand. “One of my ancestors arrested Mr. E all those years ago, and I have demon blood in me. Lots of it. That is enough of an enemy in the eyes of her familiar, and it will work for the spell.”
Imara blinked tears back. “I was just going to ask Adrea if I could retrieve the empty soul if she didn’t mind.”
Adrea frowned, “The... oh. Is that what that is?”
“Yes. The spectres are gone now, I can remove the stone.”
“By all means. Go and get it before you leave.”
“Thank you. I didn’t want to remove anything from the premises without permission.”
Adrea looked bright. “Can I interest you in three blunderberries instead of the leaves?”
“I don’t think they would make it for a month without spoiling.”
“What about dehydrated ones? The plant won’t stop bearing.”
“Uh, sure. That will be fine.”
“Or the berries and the leaves. Please, please, take the berries!” Adrea clenched her hands together as she pleaded.
She surrendered. “Yes. Yes, of course, I will take as many as you are willing to part with.”
Benny snickered. “There is a sucker born every minute.”
“Says you. I am going to see if Reegar wants to try planting them outside the hall.”
Adrea nodded. “I would be interested in finding out if they grow outside of Ritual Space.”
“As would I. Seeing how they would grow within a spectral field would be interesting.”
“I think so as well. So, I give you the seeds, and you let me know if they grow.”
Imara grinned. “Deal.”
Benny cleared her throat. “So, do you want to learn more about the lamia?”
“Please.”
“They are creatures of myth and legend. In some cases, they are all said to be one woman who was tricked into murdering her own children, and in others, she was a seductress who lured young men in to their deaths. She can project her vision to find her prey in most legends.”
Benny lifted her sheaf of papers. “In the modern era, after the wave, lamia have been sighted in pairs across every continent. There are always two, always female, and they always find each other during their first transformation.”
Imara frowned. “Do they have to register?”
“No. They are only recorded if they break the law, just as the rest of the extranaturals are.”
Imara nodded. “Thank you. It gives me a place to start. Someone had to have seen them around Mr. E in the past.”
“Hopefully. Someone would have acted as a witness against him.”
Imara sighed. “I suppose I will just have to make a trip to the archive.”
She caught a glimpse of dark fur streaking across the lawn with a bunny in hot pursuit. “Hey, Mr. E, road trip!”
He made an un-kitten-like right angle, and he kept running until he was on her shoulder. When are we going, and whose car are you going to borrow?
She quirked her lips. “Car shopping is the next thing on my list.”
Freddy nodded. “What are you going to get?”
Imara reached up and scratched Mr. E under the chin. “Something with a big dashboard.”
They all laughed at the blissful kitten, and he didn’t mind a bit.
Chapter Nine
Imara sat with the counsellor and seer, N’sha, and stared into her brilliant amber eyes as she learned the path her life could take.
“You are exceptionally bright, Ms. Mirrin. You have the opportunity to join the guild at the highest level. While I understand your need to strike out on your own, I urge you to take a more conventional path.”
Imara held Mr. E in her lap and stroked him to soothe him and herself at the same time. This was her third meeting with the counsellor, and he was unsettled every time. Frankly, so was she.
“I know that the path isn’t one that is normally considered, but it is the one I have chosen. Thank you for the contact information for the Mage Guild enforcement and the XIA. You have helped convince me of the direction I should be looking.”
N’sha leaned back. “If you are sure that this is the path you choose, I respect your decision. I do still have some feelers out for more opportunities for you. May I call you if they come in?”
Imara nodded. “Please. That would be very helpful. Any information can be put to use.”
“I agree. Well, it has been interesting going over your records. I look forward to seeing you again.”
Imara took the hint and got to her feet with Mr. E in her arms. “Have a good day, Counsellor N’sha.”
“You as well. You have a bright future. Take care of it.”
Imara left and walked through the nearly empty halls of the Brokal Building. Named after Heinrich Brokal, it was famous for not being able to keep inhabitants in its halls. No one liked to stay in his building.
When they were outside the building, she inhaled and exhaled slowly. “I wish I knew how to get that feeling out of the walls.”
There is probably a mage who can work the clearance spell, but no one wants to pay for it.
“Right. I forget that magic pays.”
You had better count on it. You are about to throw yourself into that realm.
“I know. It is just hard to imagine that a dream I only developed as a frantic escape is coming true.”
You have earned this moment. Enjoy it.
She nodded. There was still a
week to go, but she had made up her mind. She was going to finish her spell and complete her course. There was no putting it off. This was the spell she had been meant to create.
She got into her light SUV and settled in with Mr. E hopping onto the dashboard. The Brokal Building was on the other side of campus from Reegar Hall, so driving her new car had seemed like the best option.
Mr. E enjoyed the new-car smell. None of his previous mages had driven, and if they had, they certainly hadn’t taken him along with them. Imara was happy that she could give him little experiences that he enjoyed. Her happiness was tied to his.
Imara woke up and knew that it was time. After hashing and rehashing what she should use, she knew what she needed. She gathered the ingredients, set up a video camera and went to work.
The notebooks that she needed were next to her, and with precision, she started with her first ingredients across three containers.
The first thing that she added was soil from her mother’s garden. The soil from the site of the most recent wave.
It was done, she had started. Now to continue with words from a friend. Reegar had written the words You can do this on three sheets of parchment. She folded them carefully and set them into the three bowls.
The empty soul was the shattered spectre crystal from the incident where she first met Benny. When she had finished draining the spectres, the crystal had cracked into three chunks. It had offered itself to her at that moment. She thought of it as the empty soul because it had never held a soul.
The ties that bind had been offered by Bara. It was rope that she and Luken had made for this test. Her twin had offered his help, and Bara had put him to work. The rope was cut into three pieces and placed gently in the containers.
The rest of the pieces came together quickly, and by the time the last slip of blunderberry leaf was in, the spell was nearly complete.
She took three matches and lit each group of contents on fire, muttering about blending, binding, and melting together.
Violent purple fire shot upwards with each match touching the ingredients. She focused and murmured encouragement for the fire to give way to liquid.
The blaze turned blue then green, yellow, and finally red before it disappeared and left behind a molten and metallic gold liquid.