Soul Stone Mage Complete Collection Boxed Set

by Sarah Noffke

  Reynolds’ eyes darted to the ground where Sari stood. He then looked up at her, amused.

  “What?” she asked, staring down at her boots.

  “I just didn’t see you carrying that soapbox around,” he joked. “You’d better hop down before you fall.”

  “Oh, you shush, you old man,” Sari scolded, smiling inside. She knew she had sort of gone off on a tangent, but she stood by her words.

  It was those who got complacent that were most at risk. Too many witches and wizards thought their beds were safe because they locked their doors at night. But Sari had been alive long enough to know that evil slipped through keyholes and found a way to lurk in the coziest of slippers.

  “The tracking spell appears to be working now.” Gillian pointed at the map in Sari’s hands.

  She squinted at the map, realizing he was right. However, the darkening sky made it difficult to make out the specific path on the map, and the two moons in the Oriceran sky weren’t bright enough yet to illuminate it.

  “Here,” Reynolds said, holding the tip of his lit wand close to the map. A red line began spreading from the sought for spot on the map to where they currently stood. It snaked down the bank, across the first point where the 6th October Bridge crossed the river, and halted directly in the center.

  A frustrated grunt fell from Reynolds’ mouth.

  “Oh, what? It’s not like there will be much traffic on the bridge,” Sari reasoned, throwing her arm toward the elevated highway that was almost empty of travelers. Aside from a pair of camels and a cart pulled by a few majestic horses, filing in the opposite direction, the road was deserted.

  “That’s because everyone is afraid of the vampires,” Reynolds pressed. “And we’re going to be trapped out there, in the middle of that bridge.”

  “What? Can’t you swim?” Sari joked, enjoying teasing Reynolds a bit too much.

  His only response was an exasperated sigh.

  “You know what you have to do, right?” Sari asked him.

  “Besides throw myself in front of you if a vampire assaults us, in order to protect the royal family?” he pretended to ask.

  “Yes, besides that.” Sari wanted to tease the wizard that he was only protecting her because she was the Queen Mother, but she sensed that questioning his affection right then would only cause more stress. “I’ll have to devote all of my energy to the tracking spell, so I need you two to be on point,” Sari finished, hustling down the walkway and heading for the bridge.

  “You can rely on us,” Gillian said, sounding out of breath from having to hustle to keep up with them.

  The bridge didn’t offer a shoulder for pedestrians, which shouldn’t prove to be a problem since no one was out, now that the stars were twinkling high in the sky. Lights began sparking from the buildings lining both shores. Sari enjoyed the mossy smell of the water below as she hurried to where the tracking spell indicated on the map.

  When they were in the center of the bridge, they all halted. Feeling the tether to the tracking spell, Sari lifted her wand and pointed straight ahead. “The page from the Book of the Dead is there.”

  “Say no more,” Reynolds stated, holding his own wand out.

  The calm surface of the Nile River bubbled, like it had suddenly reached its boiling point. A cold wind howled at the trio’s backs, sliding past them and knocking their hair against their faces, stealing Gillian’s bowler hat from his head. He didn’t reach for his staple accessory, but instead kept his intense focus on the spot ahead of them.

  Reynolds’ own focus deepened as sweat trickled down his forehead. The Nile River began to cave in the middle as the water split. Rising up like two walls, the water parted, revealing the sandy bottom far below, where a single page lay among other objects not organic in nature.

  “Now!” Sari yelled, locking the tracking spell down and securing the exact place of the page from the Book of the Dead.

  Gillian extended his hand, palm up. He combed his fingers forward, and the page flew through the air, shooting up toward them in a blur. It landed in his hand with brute force, and he looked up at Sari and Reynolds with triumph in his eyes as he clutched the ancient page in his grasp.

  “We did it!” he exclaimed.

  Something on the bank they’d come from stole Sari’s attention, keeping her from celebrating with Gillian. Instead, she pointed her wand at the other side of the bridge, her magic being freed from the tracking spell. A bolt of red lightning streaked out and struck a man who was lumbering in their direction. He fell down to the ground, and she knew for a fact what he was; it radiated off of him, and the brood at his back.

  “Vampires!” Sari yelled, pointing at the bank, where a dozen soulless beasts were quickly approaching.

  Reynolds swung his gaze around to where the vampires were charging. “Dammit!”

  “Double dammit!” Gillian yelled, pointing his stubby finger. At least two dozen vampires were clambering like zombies from the opposite end of the bridge.

  “I knew that hanging out in the middle of a bridge was a bad idea,” Reynolds spat, but he didn’t sound nearly as upset as Sari figured he’d be. Probably because he was keeping the Nile River parted.

  They’d discussed the complex spell and how important it was to let the thousands of gallons of water go gradually, to avoid a tsunami effect.

  “Don’t let the waters down,” Sari commanded, swinging around to gauge both sides of the bridge. The brood approaching the direction they’d come from was closest, only twenty yards away.

  “Sari, what do you have in mind?” Reynolds yelled, his wand arm shaking.

  “We are going to make a splash when we exit,” she told him. Then she put two fingers in her mouth and whistled to signal the Pegasi.

  They halted, turning in her direction before diving nose first for the ground. The creatures flapped their wings, making for the bridge, but not fast enough.

  “That could flood the city,” Gillian said, knowing exactly what she intended.

  “It could,” Sari countered. “Or we could be mauled by vampires before Reynolds carefully lowers the Nile, and then it will flood the city.”

  “Good point,” Gillian chirped at once, his voice vibrating from adrenaline.

  “On my command, drop the water,” Sari ordered.

  The vampires lumbered forward, some of them pausing to eye the wall of water on one side of the bridge. Others, unconcerned, raced forward, making significant progress. One was only ten yards away when the two Pegasi swooped down, landing on the bridge.

  Sari helped Gillian onto the first, slapping the Pegasus’s rear end and sending it back into the air. She swung her leg over the back of the second Pegasus, suddenly feeling a few hundred years younger. Pulling the reins to the side, she directed the winged horse to get close to Reynolds. Hearing a snarling sound, Sari whipped a glance over her shoulder to see a vampire lunging for them.

  “NOW!” she yelled.

  Reynolds dropped his hand, letting the two walls of water fall. Not missing a beat, the wizard then swung around, threw one leg over the Pegasus, and held on tight to Sari.

  She yanked back hard on the reins, and the pink Pegasus sprang into the air just as the water crashed down, flooding the bridge and the closest banks. Droplets splashed up from the explosion of water, but to Sari’s relief, the vampires had been detained by the crashing force, unable to leap for them as they flew away.

  She tightened her hands on the reins, steering their Pegasus after Gillian’s.

  “Quick thinking there, Sari,” Reynolds praised over the beating of wings around them, and the sound of the waves below.

  “Thank you. Let’s hope those vampires can’t swim, and sink to the bottom of the Nile,” Sari said with a proud smile.

  Chapter Ten

  Azure stepped through the portal, but wasn’t granted a moment of triumph before getting assaulted in the head by a ball.

  “Ouch!” she complained, throwing her arm protectively in front of her face,
scanning the oversized interior of the carriage for other attacks.

  “Sorry!” Blisters yelled, running after the ball that tumbled toward the far end of the room.

  “There you are, Queeny,” Monet groaned from the couch, a bottle of Centaur Vodka in his hand. “You have an annoying visitor who has refused to leave until she speaks with you.”

  Azure shot a confused glance around the carriage, finally finding the young witch sitting near the entrance, her hands in her lap.

  “What is it?” Azure asked, hurrying over to the girl.

  “Her name is Blair, and she doesn’t drink,” Monet informed her as he took a swig from the bottle.

  “Hey, Blair, how can I help you?” she asked.

  The witch sneezed, covering her mouth with a handkerchief.

  “She also appears to be allergic to the unicorn, or to one of Manx’s filthy forms,” Monet said, his words slurring.

  Manx swooped overhead in raven form, cawing. “Monet forgets this carriage is covered in cat hair. It’s probably a reaction to Laurel or Finswick.”

  Azure offered the red-nosed witch a sensitive smile. “I apologize. I live in a farm, of sorts.”

  Blair stared around, bemused. “The carriage, it’s—”

  “Bigger on the inside,” Monet said, cutting her off. “Yes, we’ve heard, sweetheart. There are other things in here that are bigger than they first appear; they’ll be easier to find if you partake in a bit of drinking.”

  Azure felt Finswick slip beside her leg. “Your wizard friend has been unsuccessfully trying to woo this young witch for the better part of an hour.”

  The queen gave Blair an apologetic look. “Sorry, my friend is…” she looked back at Monet, who had nearly finished the bottle of vodka. “Well, he’s drunk.”

  “It’s okay,” the witch said. She was quite attractive with her long, pink curls. Azure recognized her purple amethyst soul stone, fashioned into a choker around her neck. “I was going to say that this carriage is not what I expected for you, Queen Azure.”

  Azure caught Ever’s sneaky grin as she turned to assess the living area. It did smell a bit like Cheetos and animals. “Yeah, I prefer things to be a bit chaotic, I guess,” she told Blair. “Now, you came to see me. What is this about?”

  Blair nodded. “I was doing a reading with my Tarot cards earlier, and something came up about Virgo. You see—”

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Monet complained, pushing up to a sitting position. “Tarot cards. Is there a worse, more fake form of magic?”

  Azure shot him a punishing glare. “We don’t judge others’ forms of magic.”

  Blair narrowed her large brown eyes at Monet. “I don’t criticize your potions.”

  “Potions are a viable magic, supported by alchemy, which is almost as old as Oriceran!” Monet yelled.

  “Alright, can we all just concentrate and get to the heart of the matter?” Azure urged.

  Blair sucked in a breath and then sneezed again. “Yes, I wanted to tell you that the cards indicate that Virgo is in impending danger. I thought you should know, since our defenses are low while we’re aiding the wereanimals.”

  “Thank you,” Azure said nodding, processing the information. “I’m glad you told me.”

  Blair sneezed again. It was high-pitched and made her pink hair spring off her shoulders to reveal something on her right clavicle bone: a pink birthmark in the shape of a crescent moon.

  “Now, toddle off, witch, before you sneeze off your pretty but revolting head,” Monet said.

  Azure offered the witch another apologetic smile. “He’s tired from the day, please excuse Monet. I really appreciate you sharing your reading with me.”

  “You’ll go back to Virgo, won’t you?” Blair asked. “My family is there, as well as my friends and my fiancé.”

  “Fiancé!” Monet groaned. “She could have mentioned that she fancied wizards with small wands ages ago.”

  Ignoring her tactless friend, Azure nodded. “Yes, let me consult my council, and I’ll figure out a plan of action.”

  The witch smiled meekly before turning for the exit. “Thank you, Queen Azure.”

  “You’re not really considering returning to Virgo on the whim of a Tarot card reader?” Monet asked when Blair had gone.

  “I can’t really ignore it,” Azure said, looking at Ever for support. He nodded reassuringly.

  “Did you at least get what you were looking for in Paris?” Finswick asked, jumping onto the top of the piano.

  Azure felt heat blossom across her cheeks. “Yeah, we’re good to go.”

  Monet narrowed his eyes, staring first at her, and then at Ever. “Oh, it’s about damn time. But you two didn’t have to go all the way to Paris for that.”

  “Did you get me a keychain?” Blisters asked, trotting over.

  “You don’t have any keys,” Manx pointed out, dropping out of raven form and landing on top of the piano next to Finswick, taking the shape of a black cat.

  “But I still have a collection of keychains!” Blisters complained.

  “Can we focus for a moment?” Azure asked. Ugh, I am literally herding cats! She rolled her eyes.

  “Just because some witch who can’t spot a good thing when she sees it thinks Virgo is in trouble, doesn’t mean we pack up camp and fly home,” Monet urged.

  “I think that a growing threat for Virgo makes sense,” Ever stated, sounding like the first voice of reason in the carriage. “We know that bats were smuggled out of Lancothy by the vampires. I don’t think we should ignore this, just in case it’s on point.”

  Azure nodded, agreeing. “This will be a chance to escort our first group of wereanimals to Virgo, too. Many of them have expressed interest in setting up residences there.”

  “You two are going to be insufferable now, aren’t you?” Monet pretended to ask. “You’ll agree with each other no matter how much reason I throw your way.”

  “Didn’t you say you needed to restock your potion supplies?” Azure challenged.

  “Don’t you throw my own words up in my face,” her friend grumbled.

  “Then it’s settled,” Azure stated firmly. “We’ll head back to Virgo first thing in the morning.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Cordelia pointed to the large house, sitting high on the tallest hill in the middle of Virgo. “That’s where the most powerful witches and wizards will be housed.”

  “What about the queen?” Hamilton asked, standing beside her in the shadows of the Dark Forest.

  “She’ll be on her way soon,” Cordelia said victoriously. “I lured a witch from that wereanimal camp, turned her, and sent her to inform our queen.”

  A sharp smile framed Hamilton’s fangs. “Good thinking, my love. And bringing them back to Virgo is perfect,” he praised, running his eyes over the sprawling village. “It’s widespread and will be difficult to protect from all sides.”

  “Not to mention that we can turn the queen and her powerful alliance in one swift move,” Cordelia stated, dragging one of her red fingernails over her lips.

  “The brood is in place?” Hamilton asked.

  “They will be.” She pointed to the east and then the west. “I have groups stationed on both sides. They’re waiting for my command.”

  “Shall I be the one to remove the protective amulet from the queen?” Hamilton asked, extending his hand.

  “Yes, of course, my love.” Cordelia dropped the pouch into his palm.

  He closed his hand around the leather bag, which was full of a fine dust Ata had created. It was all they needed to destroy Azure’s necklace. With a victorious smile, Hamilton swiped his fingers through his black hair, ruffling the white streak that was his soul mark.

  The mark that formed on a vampire’s body after they’d been turned had always fascinated Cordelia. For instance, the witch she’d turned from the wereanimal camp developed a mark like a pink crescent moon over her collarbone. It reminded Cordelia of her own soul mark—th
e dagger shape on her back, beside her shoulder blade.

  She could hardly wait to find out what Queen Azure’s soul mark would be when she became a founder. The more magic a person contained before they turned, the more brilliant their mark once they changed.

  Cordelia and Hamilton had come a long way. Once they had Azure, they would have Virgo. Then they’d conquer New Egypt. Finally, they’d rule Oriceran.

  Chapter Twelve

  A sea of clouds obstructed Azure’s vision. The carriage dipped down, led by the four green dragons. Far below, the landscape of Oriceran stretched, a cascade of lush, green, rolling hills. Maybe her visit to the Eiffel Tower had sparked her new fascination with heights, but for some reason, she was craving the adrenaline rushes lately. That was why she’d asked to sit up front with Oak while he steered the carriage to Virgo.

  “You’re hungry for an adventure,” he said, breaking the silence.

  The wind that whipped past them should have been cold, blasting them in the face and making it hard to hear. However, a magical barrier covered the carriage, making it quite cozy at the front as they flew high in the sky.

  “Why do you say that?” Azure asked.

  “Because you asked to ride up here in the first place. Not to mention that you just peered so far over the edge that I fear we’ll be flying after you soon, when you fall from the carriage.” Oak tapped the reins, urging the majestic dragons forward.

  “I think escaping from an imploding mountain counts as an adventure,” Azure mused.

  “And yet, you’re already restless,” Oak observed.

  She pulled the velvet black box from her pocket and held it out for Oak. “I guess this is a good time to give you the essence you asked for.”

  The old wizard arched a sharp eyebrow at her. “I’m guessing a ‘congratulations’ is in order.”

  Azure pulled the box back, her mouth popping open. “How did you know?”

  “That the true love you captured would be your own?” Oak asked, a playful grin tucked at the corner of his mouth.