Soul Stone Mage Complete Collection Boxed Set

by Sarah Noffke

  “I am. And I’m half human,” Azure said. Something vibrated at her throat. She realized that the soul stone was working; the charm she’d used had in fact been successful. It was trying to draw her to her father, but everything was happening too fast. She could feel the crowd around her growing more violent. She was now grateful that the guards were flanking her, not allowing the mob to pull her limb from limb.

  “Half human, you say,” the Duke drawled, his tone much too pleased. “How very interesting. A witch who is also half human.”

  “It’s true. And my father is from the Land of Terran,” Azure yelled, her voice not her own. It was all coming from the soul stone. But why?

  “Oh, is he?” the Duke asked, crossing his arms on his chest, the glint in his eyes reeking of satisfaction. He turned to the crowd at his back. “But isn’t it a crime punishable by imprisonment to breed with a witch or a wizard?”

  The crowd murmured assent to this question.

  “So now the question is, who is your father? Because this man will be in a great deal of trouble,” the Duke said.

  “Find him! Find him! Find him!” the crowd sang in unison.

  “Oh, I plan to, and I think that we will start by throwing this witch at the emperor’s feet. He will be ever so interested to know that a witch has illegally crossed our borders, and inside our land is a traitor.” The Duke beckoned the guards forward.

  They marched away, dragging Azure along as the crowd parted for them to pass. She lifted her feet one at a time, not at all certain what she should do now. Her wand was safely hidden in her bosom, but her hands were currently pinned by someone who possessed more strength than she did.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  The humans Azure passed all had their faces screwed up in anger. They apparently regarded her like she was a deadly virus, from the way they backed up as the guards led her from the stadium. She could feel only a small amount of human magic pooling in her head. Now Azure wanted to kick herself for not filling her reserves as Heidi had recommended. However, she didn’t really know how to use her human magic anyway. She was certain she’d been successful with placing the charm on her soul stone, but that was something her gran had advised her about. Human magic could be used to put a charm on something like her necklace or on the metal bars where she’d found Drago, the Kilomea. However, she didn’t think that it could be used to help her escape. That the Duke had performed the revealing charm was actually quite curious. It seemed more like witches’ and wizards’ magic.

  The Duke turned, a sadistic smile on his face. “Bind the witch and put her in the back of the car,” he ordered the guards on either side of Azure. One pulled something plastic from his pocket, and a moment later he had bound her wrists tightly behind her back.

  Now that they were on the street, Azure noticed a car with a royal crest decorating the side. The guard who had bound her wrists a bit too tightly opened the car door.

  “Not so fast!” The Duke paused, grabbing Azure’s shoulder and spinning her around to face them. “Where is your wand, little witch?”

  “You may call me Princess Azure,” she said, resisting the urge to spit in his face.

  No surprise appeared on his face. “I know damn well who you are, which is going to make the next part even more fun.”

  Azure didn’t know what that meant, but she was mostly concerned with keeping her wand hidden. “I lost my wand in the Dark Forest,” she said.

  The Duke regarded her with a great deal of skepticism. “I know better than to trust what a witch says,” he said and turned his attention to the guard. “Search her.”

  A moment later the guard had turned Azure around, placing her hands on the vehicle as he patted her down from head to toe.

  “Watch where you’re putting your hands, fucker,” she snarled.

  He didn’t watch where he was putting his hands, but did stop after a moment. “She’s clean,” the guard stated.

  “Serves you right, losing your wand. That’s your punishment for paralyzing me,” the Duke said.

  Azure smiled to herself. Now she just needed to get her hands free so she could use her wand.

  “Watch your head,” the guard said, ducking her down into the car. The other guard was already in the driver’s seat.

  “Sir,” the guard asked when the Duke had slid into the passenger seat. “To the courthouse?”

  “No. As I said, we’re taking this trespasser directly to the emperor. Drive us to the palace,” he said.

  “But sir, protocol is that trespassers—”

  “Don’t you remind me of protocol. This is a special circumstance. We’re taking this half-witch, half-human to the emperor. He’s going to be incredibly interested to see that the Princess of Virgo has broken our laws and trespassed into our land. A crime punishable by imprisonment,” the Duke repeated, turning around to offer Azure a stupid grin.

  The guard nodded, shifting the car into drive.

  Azure didn’t care that she was about to be thrown at the feet of the emperor of Terran. If she could get to her wand, she would cast a curse on Emperor Richard and his asshole brother. She lowered her chin, trying to nudge her wand out of her cleavage. If she got it high enough, she could clench onto it with her teeth. She wasn’t sure what she’d do next, but getting the wand free was the key to getting herself free.

  Before she had made much progress, the car came to a halt at a guard station. The uniformed officer waved the vehicle through and they drove onto a road that bordered a building as large as the stadium. It wasn’t as tall, but it seemed to go on for miles. And unlike the shiny stadium, this building was all white and quite regal-looking, with white columns in the front.

  “There’s a press conference going on in the palace. Take us around to the back, where the press rooms are located,” the Duke said to the guard.

  That’s right, Heidi mentioned the press conference. She’d said the royal family wouldn’t be at the Harvest Celebration because of it. However, it now appeared that the Duke had been looking for her. Azure felt shortsighted now, but she’d had to fill her human magic reserve so she could place the charm on her soul stone.

  The guard parked the car at the back of the large white building. A separate guard opened her door and pulled her from the car. Her wand was now poking her in the boob, which was totally uncool.

  “I’ll take it from here,” the Duke told them, clamping his hand around Azure’s arm and tugging her forward. He pulled his fingers from her and wiped them on his trousers like she was covered in toilet water.

  “What do humans have against witches?” Azure asked.

  “Well for one, you use foul language and live like disgusting pigs,” he told her as a guard opened a door for them. A long hallway with blue carpet and shiny chandeliers stretched before them.

  “At least the people of Virgo aren’t murderers,” Azure retorted, taking note of the way the Duke’s face pinched at her accusation. “That’s right. I’m on to you, and I’m here to make you pay.”

  At the end of her threat, the Duke laughed. “That’s funny, because you’re the one who is going to be punished. Well, someone else too. Thanks for setting this up. I couldn’t have organized it any better.”

  “Fuck off,” Azure growled as a guard pulled open a double set of doors. A crowd of people in navy blue or black suits stood before them, their focus on the front of the room.

  The Duke paused and looked at Azure. “Oh, and what a gross-looking soul stone you have, but the charm you put on it was smart.”

  She gulped. He had seen her use human magic. That had been right before the Duke caught her. Azure narrowed her eyes at him as he set off for the front of the room, leaving her with a pair of guards.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Through the crowd Azure could make out a man standing on a platform, his head above the rest. Behind him stood a guy about her age. He was blond, like the man who stood behind the podium.

  “Thank you for joining me today. I’ve called
this press conference to announce that since Frederick has received his college degree, he’ll be formally joining my administration,” the emperor said into a small round device that was attached to the podium. It was amplifying his words, making them easy to hear from the back of the large room. The walls of the room, Azure observed, were white, and had pictures of stuffy-looking men in suits. The crown molding on the ceiling was the only thing that resembled any of decor in the House of Enchanted. Every ceiling in the House of Enchanted was embellished with elaborate dark crown molding.

  A hand rose in the crowd, and Emperor Richard pointed to the person. “Yes, Matthew with the Daily Report.”

  “What role will the Grand Prince have on your staff?” the man, whom Azure guessed was a reporter, asked. They didn’t have reporters or newspapers in Virgo because information was communicated by word of mouth. They did keep detailed records, though. And just then a memory flashed in Azure’s mind. She saw in her head the image of the document her mother had been trying to change but couldn’t because she was losing her magic. Azure was certain that it had been her birth certificate. And she was also certain it had specified who her father was.

  “Since Frederick will one day be my successor as emperor, he’ll be shadowing my daily affairs,” Emperor Richard explained, pointing at another raised hand.

  Azure noticed that Frederick had an intuitive look on his face. She understood what Heidi had meant. He was attractive like his father, who had intense eyes and a strong jaw. Neither resembled the Duke at all. That worthy had too many angles to his face, and his cheeks were hollow.

  “Sir, I’d like to interrupt,” Duke Phillip interjected, raising his hand and taking a step onto the platform. Azure wiggled in her restraints, but the guards at her back held her in place. It must have been because everyone was focused toward the front that they hadn’t noticed her at the back of the room. She stood out like a unicorn among horses with her blueish-gray hair.

  “Phillip, what is it?” the emperor asked, the confidence on his face slipping a bit.

  “I’ve found a witch in the Land of Terran,” Phillip stated, taking a step forward and gazing over the crowd with a victorious expression on his face.

  Gasps echoed from around the room as a general murmur broke out. Azure backed up, grateful that the guards were flanking her. Maybe they would protect her if these people turned into an angry mob.

  Emperor Richard closed his eyes for half a beat. When he opened them, he merely shook his head. “That’s why you’re interrupting this press conference? Phillip, that’s not a concern for the palace.”

  “Oh, but I do believe it is, Emperor Richard. You see, this witch has stated that she is half human, and her father is from the Land of Terran.”

  The emperor’s eyes seemed to double in size. “No,” he whispered.

  “Oh, yes,” Phillip confirmed, a gleeful smile on his face.

  “That’s treason,” voices muttered in the crowd.

  “It is, isn’t it,” Phillip replied to the crowd. “And not only will this witch be imprisoned, but her father has committed a serious crime as well.”

  The emperor’s face fell, his brow creasing deeply. “Phillip, this is a matter we should—”

  “Deal with right now,” he said, cutting off his brother. “I couldn’t agree more. You see, I noticed the filthy witch placing a charm on her soul stone at the Harvest Celebration.”

  More gasps echoed from the crowd.

  “That’s right. This trespasser is from Virgo,” the Duke said, looking especially delighted. “And I was able to deduce that she was using her human magic to create a connecting charm on the stone. Strangely, it has drawn her here.”

  The emperor raised his head. “Phillip, this isn’t necessary.”

  “It is necessary. The people of Terran deserve to know the truth about this witch,” the Duke snarled, and snapped his fingers toward the back of the room, his gaze flicking to Azure. “Bring Princess Azure to the front. This matter needs to be resolved.”

  The crowd of reporters huffed out disbelieving breaths as they turned. Their greedy eyes found Azure, who was now being led forward by the guards. “Princess Azure,” people whispered. “She’s half human?” There was a chorus of voices repeating the same thing.

  Azure’s gaze darted between the faces as her feet reluctantly brought her forward. She centered her attention on her soul stone, which had risen off her chest and was now hovering in front of her face like a magnet being drawn to something. The blue amethyst was glowing.

  Azure nearly tripped as the guards pulled her up the stairs. They were making a public display of this all, but why? What was the Duke up to? He looked too satisfied as he stood on the platform, his hands clasped behind his back.

  “The stone will tell everyone who the traitor among us is,” Phillip declared.

  Her father was in this room, Azure knew that. She didn’t really care who he was, but rather she wanted to know what had he done with her mother’s soul stone. Her own stone was pulling Azure forward. She wanted to turn to the crowd of reporters, thinking that her father might be one of them, but the stone tugged her farther on to the stage, to where a handful of guards stood flanking the emperor and his son.

  The look on the emperor’s face was one of pure horror. Her eyes suddenly blurred, and she realized it was because of the bright light emanating from her stone. It wasn’t just bright, it was starting to blind her. Azure stumbled forward, closing her eyes as she did.

  “I can’t see,” she said, her chin down as the guards tried to pull her up.

  “Let her go,” she heard the emperor demand in front of her. The guards released Azure but she kept her eyes closed, the bright light seeping through her eyelids. She felt the stone vibrating and thought it might burst.

  Something tugged on Azure’s neck, pulling her forward again. It was the necklace. She thought it would cut her skin. She struggled with her restraints, keeping her eyes closed. Azure was at the mercy of the glowing blue gem.

  Suddenly her soul stone dragged her forward a few more steps. She threw her body back, and the necklace broke. In a moment of panic she opened her eyes to see the stone fly through the air. The emperor lifted his hand and the soul stone disappeared into it. The mutters in the room increased, suddenly too loud.

  Azure looked around, wondering where her soul stone had gone. Then she saw the emperor, who was only ten feet away, lower his hand. His eyes were pinned on his closed fist. He turned his hand over and opened his fingers. There in the middle of his palm sat Azure’s brightly glowing soul stone.

  “It’s you,” Azure breathed, her eyes drawn to the face of the man before her.

  Emperor Richard stared at the blue stone in horror, his eyes wide. He brought his gaze up to meet hers. “Yes, Princess Azure. You’re my daughter.”

  The crowd broke into shouts, but she was only partially aware of the irate humans thrusting their hands in the air. Her eyes were on the man before her, the one holding her soul stone. She realized she had been holding her breath when a set of hands grabbed her from behind. One of the guards had her in his grasp again. And the other strode around her, heading straight for Emperor Richard.

  “I’m sorry, Brother, but laws are laws,” the Duke said.

  Azure caught the look of astonishment on the Grand Prince’s face as the guard took the emperor into custody. Then the guard at her back spun Azure around and shoved her forward. They were going to imprison her, but her mind was focused more on the fact that they were going to imprison the man who had her mother’s soul stone, making it harder for her to retrieve it. She suppressed her momentary frustration as they pushed her through the crowd of angry faces.

  Her father was the emperor of the Land of Terran. Was the emperor. Now they were both going to be prisoners in this fucked-up land, but not for long. Azure knew what she was going to do next, and how’d she’d make the Duke pay.

  Epilogue

  Queen Emeri lowered her chin as the pool of pot
ion shimmered and the images on its surface faded. Seeing her daughter’s face in the scrying bowl had made her throat constrict with a deep longing. But watching her being led away by the guards of Terran had made her stomach burn with fury. This was all Duke Phillip’s doing. He’d seen a perfect opportunity, and couldn’t pass it up. And in truth, he hadn’t gone back on their agreement. He’d allowed the secret to come out naturally. She could finally fulfill her longtime wish and kill him.

  “Now you know,” Emeri said, turning to face her mother, who was at her side. If she could have scried on her own she would have, but her magic was almost entirely depleted. It wouldn’t be long until she started to age like a nonmagical person. Her years would probably catch up with her quite rapidly.

  “Yes, Emperor Richard. I realize now that you two thought you could change your people by having Azure. You were incorrect, dear Emeri. You only would have sacrificed both your crowns. I’m grateful I found out about this long ago and made you keep Azure’s true identity a secret,” Sari told her daughter, smoothing her lilac velvet robe. She regarded her image in the scrying bowl, straightening the soul stone clip in her hair.

  “Thanks, but the whole ‘I told you so’ lecture is really not appreciated,” Emeri said.

  “Well, then next time don’t say thanks.”

  “What are we going to do now? Azure is a prisoner of Terran and Frederick will be made emperor, but he’ll be under the Duke’s control.”

  “I think we all know that Frederick is no different from his father. Duke Phillip has been secretly running the Land of Terran since I was queen. I always hoped he’d kick the bucket. However, their use, or shall I say, abuse of magic makes them age slower. He’s the reason for the silent battle between Virgo and the humans, and he’s the puppeteer behind the Consumer Party,” Sari stated.