Soul Stone Mage Complete Collection Boxed Set

by Sarah Noffke

  “When only one tree remained, the Mountain of Truth was born. No one knows how it happened, or if it was the magic of the tree. At the time I had been traveling all over Oriceran for many centuries, but I randomly got up in the middle of the night without knowing why. I sailed until I hit these lands and marched up to the top of this mountain, close to where we reside now. I knew that the last howling willow had elected me to guard it. After that the purple mists appeared, and I decreed that I was no longer to be disturbed. Since then, I’ve been caring for the tree and hoping to help it reproduce, although so far that’s not been successful.”

  Mage Lenore pushed her plate away, not having eaten half of what was on it. She turned to Gillian, who had pulled his pad and pen from his pocket and was quickly scribbling down notes.

  “You may ask your most burning question now, Gillian,” she said, a sneaky smile on her face.

  Gillian’s green eyes rose, an eagerness in them. “You said harvest was tonight. During the full moons, correct?”

  “Yes, when the moons are high in the sky. But to answer your next question, no, you may not observe the harvest. For one, you’ll be drunk,” Mage Lenore said, inclining her head at his empty wine goblet. “And also, that is one of the many ways I protect the last howling willow. Only I know how to tame the tree on the night of the full moons and harvest branches that can be turned into wands.”

  “Tame?” Azure asked, turning to stare at the peaceful tree swaying in the wind. It was one of the most beautiful things she’d ever seen.

  “Oh, yes. It looks sweet now, but when the moons are at their highest the tree turns into a beast that most wouldn’t survive,” Mage Lenore said, leaning down, her voice hushed. “Now, if you all are done with the feast, then I vote for dessert.” She swept her wand at the table and everything disappeared—the turkey, serving platters and the plates. A large chocolate ganache cake appeared in the center of the table, and next to it sat an apple pie with steam rising from it. And between the two was a large bowl with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream.

  “Queen Azure’s two favorites, which represent her two different parts. Chocolate as rich as a witch’s magic, and apples as wholesome as a human. Well, and the ice cream is just a bonus because it goes with both.” Mage Lenore flicked her wand again and small plates appeared in front of each guest.

  “Fuck yeah!” Monet exclaimed, picking up a knife and leaning forward to slice into the cake.

  “Actually I think you, son of Hemingway, should stick with this.” Mage Lenore twirled her wand and a bowl of raspberry sorbet appeared in front of Monet.

  He slid his eyes to the dessert, a look of incredulity on his face. “Uhhh…I think I’ll have the cake, actually. On second thought, I’ll have a slice of each.”

  “Suit yourself,” Mage Lenore said with a shrug.

  Over the next hour the four travelers easily shared stories, all of them taking turns telling the old witch something random about their past. She only listened, never offering advice. Finally she nodded, pushing up from the table. “The hour is late, and it is time I showed you to your rooms. Now, I think that since Gillian will have no problem sleeping, we’ll pair him with Monet, since the young wizard will be up all night.”

  “What? No, you senile old woman. I’m ready to zonk out,” Monet said, daring to insult the witch. The wine could be blamed for his boldness, but Mage Lenore didn’t seem to take offense.

  “Yes, dear. Now, you all follow me. I must get you comfortable.” Mage Lenore paused, sticking out her ear as if trying to hear something. Outside the warm house, the sound of the chimes had grown more intense. It was more of a clanging.

  They followed the old witch up a winding staircase to the second floor. “Gillian and Monet, you’ll take the first room. Azure and Everett, you’ll be most comfortable in the room down the hall on the right. I’d offer you separate rooms, but you’ll want to stay up and discuss how strange I am and postulate on what I’m doing while you all sleep,” Mage Lenore said, ushering the four to their rooms. She offered them one last clever smile from the landing. “Now please stay in your rooms. Well, besides you, Monet. The bathroom is the second door on the right.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Azure closed the door to their bedroom, sliding her back against the wall. “That woman…” she began, then paused. The walls of the room were light blue, and clouds had been painted on them. A round rug stretched across the middle of the room, and a toy box sat against the nearest wall. But it was the bunkbeds that ran across the farthest wall that caught her attention. On each were three rows of stuffed animals, and just to the side was a round window with a bench and a shelf stacked full of books.

  “Did she put us in a children’s room for the night?” Azure asked.

  Ever strolled over to the window and plucked the first book off the stack. “I do believe she did. And yes, she is by far the strangest and most wonderful woman I’ve ever met. That’s what a millennium on Oriceran earns you.”

  “Is that how old she is? I thought no one really knew,” Azure said, heading for the rug and squatting to tinker with a toy train set that sat there. The tracks ran all over the room. She flicked her wand at the train, and it started to life and chugged forward.

  “It’s my best guess. I thought she was younger before we met her. Didn’t you feel like you could tell her anything and… Well, you know,” Ever said, gazing out the large round window. The moons’ light streamed through, covering his face with white.

  “Yes, I felt as though she’d never think ill of me, no matter what I disclosed. It must be her many experiences that make her nonjudgmental.” Azure stood and watched as the train climbed the tracks that ran along the wall. She slid down onto the bottom bunk, feeling the exhaustion thicken her head.

  “Are you going to bed soon?” she asked, her eyes half closed.

  “Yes, as soon as the howling dies down,” Ever said.

  “What? What howling?” Azure asked, not hearing anything. She sat up, bewilderment on her face. Now that she was straining, she heard a muffled cry. “You can hear that clearly, can’t you?”

  He nodded, still staring through the window. “And I suspect it will grow louder before it goes away.”

  “Oh, well, try and ignore it as best you can. I need you rested.” Azure threw herself back on the bed, pushing the stuffed animals to the ground just before sleep overcame her.

  Azure awoke several times to a high-pitched howling that sang so loudly it shook the walls. Knowing she wasn’t supposed to leave the room, she gripped her wand under her pillow and silently assured herself she was all right. She could hear Ever twisting and turning on the top bunk. It wasn’t until late into the night that both fell into deep sleep, finally giving their tired minds some peace.

  In the morning a gentle clanking sound broke into Azure’s dreams. She lifted her head, nearly ramming it into the bunk above her. It took several blinks for her eyes to focus on the child sitting on the rug a few feet from her bed.

  “Would you like another spot of tea?” the girl, who had golden blonde hair and deep brown eyes, asked a blue teddy bear.

  As if the stuffed animal had answered, the child poured nonexistent tea into a cup.

  “One lump or two?” she asked the bear, who wore a white bonnet that was too small for his round face.

  “Oh, you’re off sugar, huh? Good on you. I’ve been trying to give up the stuff too. It’s poison, some say,” the child remarked to the stuffed bear.

  Azure slid her legs off the bed, her hands on the bed beside her. “Excuse me. I’m sorry, is this your room? Did we take it?”

  The little girl turned her head and peered at Azure, a wise expression in her young eyes. She wore a pink and white checkered dress with puffy sleeves and a large bow in the back. “This is my room, but I don’t mind if you slept here. I sleep in another room, but I love to play here in the morning.”

  “Oh. Well, thank you.” Azure pushed up off the bed and took a seat next to t
he little girl. “Mage Lenore gave it to us for the night,” she said, indicating Ever on the top bunk. He was just rousing, and stared down at the two with great curiosity.

  Azure turned back to the little girl, who appeared to be about eight years old. “How do you know Mage Lenore? Is she your grandmother?”

  The girl shook her head and rose to her feet. “Do you know how to play Elements?”

  “It’s my favorite card game,” Azure said with a giant smile.

  “Will you play it with me?” the girl asked her.

  “Of course, but first will you tell me what your name is?”

  The girl blinked at her, putting her hands on her hips, a new menace written on her face. “How do you not know? We’ve already met.”

  “Oh, have we?” Azure asked, scanning her memory for the little girl’s freckled face. She didn’t know many blonde-haired girls. None, really, if she thought about it.

  “Yes, and you’d better go and shower right now,” the girl said, turning her attention to the door. “The bathroom is now unoccupied, but that won’t last long. Monet has an awful stomachache, and has been up most of the night.”

  “Oh, you know Monet? How?” Azure asked.

  The girl rolled her eyes before pulling a jack-in-the-box from the open toy box. “I’m the one who warned him against eating dessert. He should have realized by now that he’s lactose intolerant.”

  Ever slipped down from the top bunk and strode forward. He knelt when he was just in front of the child. “Wait. You’re Mage Lenore?”

  The girl pursed her lips at him. “Of course I am!”

  Ever stood and turned, giving Azure a look of bewilderment.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Washed and wearing a clean set of clothes, Azure made her way down the winding staircase. In the living room she found a sight she had never expected. Crouched on all fours on the rug in front of the fire was Gillian, wearing a pair of pointy ears. His nose had been painted black and his cheeks sported whiskers.

  “Oh, no! The werecat is going to get me!” the child who was Mage Lenore yelled. She jumped onto the sofa and scampered across it. When she made it to the far side she turned to Gillian, giving him an expectant look. “Go on, then.”

  With a disgusted snarl, Gillian shook his head. “I’m not doing it.”

  “Come on, Gillian,” Ever said, standing beside the couch. He wore a unicorn horn strapped to his head.

  “This is making me feel better, and Lenore loves it,” Monet said from where he was sprawled on the other sofa.

  “Mage Lenore,” Gillian corrected. “And fine.” He arched his back, looked up at the young girl, and hissed.

  “Oh, no! He’s going to get me! Help me, trusty unicorn,” Mage Lenore cried, hands flailing.

  “To the rescue!” Ever cried, putting his back to the girl and offering her his hand over his shoulder. She climbed onto his back and they galloped around the house.

  “What on Oriceran is going on here?” Azure asked, taking the last step and striding into the living room.

  “It’s the best show,” Monet said, moving his feet to the side and motioning for Azure to join him. “Come here and watch. Gillian is the beast who frightens this young witch, and Ever is the one who saves her. Neither wanted to play, but who could tell that sweet kiddo no?”

  Ever lowered Mage Lenore to the ground, and she looked at Azure with her big brown eyes.

  “Mage Lenore, you said you’d tell me how to cure those infected in Virgo. Can you tell me that now?” she asked the little girl, feeling very silly for directing such a huge question to a kid.

  “I wish I could, but I’ve got to go do my chores now. Playtime is over. My chores will take most of the day to complete, but after that I could share it with you,” the child said.

  “Well, what if we all pitched in to help you with your chores? Together we could get them done faster, and then you can tell me.” Azure looked to Ever and Gillian, who agreed with a nod.

  “Yes, that would be good. I could stay and take care of Monet. He needs me to rap him in the head three times a minute, administer barley weeds every thirty minutes, and tell him what’s good for him every hour,” Mage Lenore said, sounding strangely like the oldest witch in existence with those words.

  “You have your hands full,” Azure said with a laugh.

  “I think I feel better,” Monet said, making to stand up.

  “You stay still,” Mage Lenore pointed at him, a warning in her voice. She turned back. “I need you three to weed the garden, feed the animals, milk the goats, collect firewood, and pick cucumbers, berries, and some dill weed for lunch. Once you’ve done all that, you can return and I’ll tell you what you want to know over sandwiches.”

  Azure agreed with a nod, turning for the door. She was shocked that a little girl did all those chores by herself most days.

  “Oh, and…” the young girl added innocently, making the three turn back to her. “Stay away from the Howling Willow. I’d hate to have to bury one of you on the Mountain of Truth.”

  A shiver ran over Azure’s arms as she nodded. It had something to do with being threatened by a mostly innocent-appearing child.

  “Who saw that shit coming?” Azure asked as they trudged around the back of the house to the gardens and stables.

  “Not me,” Ever said, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “I’m not sure I would have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,” Gillian said.

  Azure pulled on a pair of gloves she’d found in the gardening shed, grateful that soon she’d have her hands in the dirt. This would be calming for her. She always felt at peace when toiling away in the gardens. “Do you think she changes every day?”

  Ever nodded. “That must be the key to how she’s lived so long. Every day she cycles through her life again, and therefore she doesn’t really age.”

  “It must be the magic from the Howling Willow,” Azure guessed, kneeling and starting to pull weeds from the closest bed.

  “Yes, I think you’re probably right. It must make its guardian special in that way,” Gillian said, turning to pluck berries from the vines and drop them into a basket.

  “How did Monet get out of chores, like always?” Azure asked, pulling a stubborn set of weeds from the ground.

  “Oh, I don’t know, Mage Lenore is going to be pretty demanding on him. You think I would have acted like a werecat if I’d had a choice?” Gillian said.

  “She has all of her powers even as a child, doesn’t she?” Azure asked.

  “Yes, it’s quite bizarre,” Gillian replied.

  Azure pulled her gaze from the dirt. Behind her Ever stood tall, his eyes on the Howling Willow in the distance. The chimes’ music rang from the tree again—no more howling.

  “Hey! Is there a reason we’re doing all the work while you stand in a trance?” Azure asked.

  He glanced at her, shaking his head as if to dispel a vision. “No. Sorry. I was just lost in thought.”

  “Well, get lost in helping us. I want to get this stuff done so we can be on our way. This is all fascinating, but I need to find the Book of Branches and return to Virgo with a cure,” Azure said as a fairy flew over a row of plants in the distance.

  “Yes, the Book of Branches. That’s our next mission, and I fear it will be even more complex than this one,” Gillian said, popping a raspberry into his mouth. His face puckered from its sourness.

  “More complex than the Mountain of Truth and a woman who cycles through her various ages daily? Oh man, fuck my life,” Azure said with a laugh.

  Late in the afternoon the three returned to the house. They were sweaty, their mouths parched for water.

  To Azure’s relief, Monet was up and setting the table when they entered the house.

  “Oh, look who is all better!” she exclaimed as she set a basket of cucumbers on the table.

  “Yes, and I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t eat anything with milk in it for the rest of my life,” he said, plac
ing a fork and napkin next to each plate.

  “What about Cheetos?” Ever asked, adding his dill harvest to Azure’s cucumbers.

  Monet scoffed. “I said no milk. I didn’t say no fun.”

  “I’m sorry to inform you, but—”

  “But forks go on the left,” Azure said, cutting Gillian off and giving him a measured glare. Monet was having a hard time, and didn’t need to learn yet that Cheetos were off-limits too.

  “Oh, right,” Monet said, looking apologetic.

  “Monet, are you all right?” Azure asked, inquiring more into his mental state rather than his physical wellbeing.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that—”

  “Is that lot back?” Mage Lenore’s voice boomed from the other side of the kitchen door. She didn’t sound like a sweet child anymore, but rather like an angry adult.

  “Yes,” Monet said, sounding completely beaten down.

  The door to the kitchen swung open and a woman in white slacks and a navy-blue blazer strode forward. She had a pinched look, and her hair was slicked back into a low ponytail. “It took you all long enough to complete the chores. I could have done the work myself just as fast. Do you three share a brain, or did you all just loaf under the Howling Willow and share a bottle of the cooking sherry?”

  Azure’s eyes widened as she stared at the woman, who resembled both the child from this morning and the old woman from last night. However, this woman was more beautiful than either, with her mature features, and yet she had a stern look on her face as if something was bothering her greatly. “Uhhh… Mage Lenore. We brought the items you requested.” Azure waved her hand at the fruit, vegetables and herbs on the table.

  “That only proves you’re not a complete imbecile,” she said, flicking her wand at the table of food. It transformed into a platter of cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches and a bowl of berry and mint salad. “Oh, and for you, Monet.” She twirled her wand again and a plate of dry toast appeared on his place mat.