Indigo Spell

by Rachel Carrington

  Athena’s fingers curled against the paint and she blew softly, her eyes gleaming as she spun around. “Oh, but you should be interested in this picture. It has a special ability.”

  The roar of the water heightened the tension as the portrait came to life. Tess watched in horror as the picture levitated off the wall and merged into a rushing cascade of green and blue water.

  Athena crossed her arms over her chest. “In a matter of seconds, this room will be filled with water. Of course, you know you won’t be able to save your darling wife unless she lowers the shield. She can’t protect herself against the water as long as it’s intact.” She lifted her shoulders, directed her gaze toward the water with a light laugh. “What a conundrum this must be for you. All I need is one slip of that shield.” One long fingernail approached the invisible force. “One small opening is all I need to get to your wife.”

  “Jaxon, get out of here! Take the others. I’ll be fine,” Tess called out.

  He turned his head, met her eyes. “No.” He gave her a look that silenced her. Calmed her. “Have you forgotten, Athena, that I did not come alone?”

  “Of course not. I can see that Falcon is with you and besides that, you wizards always travel in clusters because you don’t have the courage to face us one-on-one.”

  “No?” Jaxon strolled toward her and stopped within a hair’s breadth of her face. “Then perhaps we should test your statement. Just you and me. One-on-one. Outside. I can guarantee no one will interfere.” He held his hands up, palms extended. “How about it? We could end this before the break of dawn.”

  “Athena, don’t!” Another witch called out, desperation in her voice. “You don’t know what’s out there!”

  Athena tapped one finger against her chin. “Perhaps Hestra is right. I don’t see the rest of your family. They could have a trap set outside. I don’t trust you, Wizard.”

  “Any more than I trust you, Witch. But look around you. My family is already here.”

  Athena pivoted in time to see Rane and Braeden emerge from the bastion of water she’d constructed. She took a shaky step forward, her face contorted with disbelief. “How… That’s not possible! That picture has been on this wall the entire time. They couldn’t have gotten into it unless—” she broke off, turned again. “Unless they were there inside it before I released the spell.”

  Jaxon lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “You should always be prepared for the impossible, Athena. Has battling with the Assembly these last twenty years taught you nothing? Now, while my brothers take care of this trickle of water, you and I are going to take this outside. In fact we shall all adjourn to the fresh air of the great outdoors.”

  “You don’t want me close to my potions,” Athena noted.

  He laughed harshly. “Your potions do not frighten me. In fact very little you do frightens me.” His feet left the ground for a brief moment before settling back against the concrete. All eyes were on him. The witches continued to stare in stunned disbelief. “But if it makes you feel more secure, I give you leave to take whatever bottles of magic you desire.”

  Jaxon lifted his hands and pushed against the wall closest to Tess’ side. The concrete rumbled and swayed before it gave in to the force of the power moving it. The wind and rain poured in, drenching the floor and his robes. He turned, angled one hand toward the open air and swept it wide. The floor began to oscillate, spinning the gathered wizards and witches into empty space.

  Screams penetrated the air as the slab of concrete hovered several feet above the ground while Jaxon smiled.

  “Jaxon,” Tess called him out of his enjoyment.

  He came to her side, lowering the shield. Gathering her in his arms, he held her, tightly, safely. “You are safe. You are going to be okay now.” Stepping out into the air, he drifted gently to the ground, keeping her tight in his embrace.

  Her insides knotted with panic. “The shield. It’s gone. Athena—”

  “No.” Brushing her hair away from her face, he lowered his voice to soothe her. “I’m with you. Remember, as long as I’m with you, no one can harm you. Athena can’t touch you.” His voice was a whisper, meant for Tess’ ears alone. “Anyway, right now she’s a little busy staying aloft. Look.” He pointed toward a flying section of cement that held Athena’s dancing form. “She has never liked flying. She will not chance using her magic against you now. She is too focused on keeping the concrete in the air because she hasn’t figured out I am still controlling it. Now I want to get you out of here. Mother will go back home with you and—”

  “I’m not leaving you here.”

  Jaxon’s demeanor changed once more. His voice became stilted, forceful. “You do not need to be here.”

  “I’m not going to pace the floors at home while I worry about you.”

  “You cannot help me, Tess,” Jaxon pointed out with more harshness than was needed.

  She touched his face with her fingertips, her eyes filling with tears. “Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I know what I have to give won’t help you at all? Maybe this isn’t about my helping you. Maybe it’s about you helping me.”

  Jaxon touched his forehead to hers. “I am helping you, baby. That’s why I need to know you’re safe.” He lowered one hand, sliding it across her abdomen. Closing his eyes for a second, he whispered words to Tess’ ears. “You are protected. Nothing can hurt you…or the baby.”

  Tess’ gaze flew to his eyes. “I’m really pregnant then?”

  He nodded. “Yes. That is another reason why I need to know you are out of Athena’s reach.”

  Tess stood her ground, determined to fight her husband’s decision no matter what. “I’m not leaving you, Jaxon.”

  “I’ll watch over her.”

  The voice had both of them spinning around. Jaxon shoved Tess behind him and turned to face his fellow wizard. “Andion.” Eyes narrowed with distrust, he approached. “Why would you offer to help my wife?”

  The elder wizard smiled. “Perhaps it is because I will not be the one fighting Athena today. That is your duty. If my protection of your wife makes your task easier, then we all benefit. I will take care of her. As you know, none of the witches can touch her as long as one of us is with her. Do not worry.” Andion approached, holding out one gnarled hand, which Tess didn’t take. Instead she stared at him with a mixture of suspicion and disbelief.

  Keeping her behind him, Jaxon took another step toward the older wizard. “You tell me now I should trust you when you have tried to end her life?”

  Andion dipped his head. “Would you rather risk putting her in further danger by sending her home? None of us knows if Athena has prepared for such a move on your part. She could have one of the witches waiting as before.”

  Jaxon and Tess exchanged glances. “It’s true. We haven’t considered that.”

  Jaxon glowered at her. “You just want to stay.”

  “Yes, I do. I want to make sure you’re safe.”

  “I am perfectly safe. I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”

  Andion agreed readily. “He is perfectly capable, Tess. Now shall we go?” This time, the wizard took her arm without her consent and began to guide her toward the open wall. “May the Fates be with you, Jaxon.” He held out his hand in a gesture of comradery.

  Jaxon took it but Tess saw the lack of conviction on his face. He still didn’t know whether Andion was a wizard to be trusted. To that end, she would keep her own guard up. “Protect her with your own life.”

  The warning behind the words rang clear. “As she will be the wife of our leader, I can do nothing else.”

  Jaxon’s fingers closed around the wizard’s hand. “I am putting my heart in your hands.”

  Andion inclined his head. “My knowledge is not feeble. I know this already.” He pulled his hand away and cupped Tess’ elbow. “Shall we go?” He guided her away across the sodden grass before she could argue. Once they’d reached an area he considered safe, they stopped. “We shall s
tay here.”

  She tipped her head back to see Andion’s face and studied the flowing white beard, the long, silky strands of snowy hair. “Why did you really volunteer to protect me?” Any conversation was better than allowing her thoughts to focus on the upcoming battle.

  “Because I am afraid of the witches,” Andion returned in a dry tone of voice.

  “You know, I think there’s hope for you yet.” Suddenly Tess’ heart lurched in her chest. Charged with energy, the air thickened around her and made breathing difficult. The darkness reached out for her, a signal to a powerful evil. “Andion, this isn’t right. Something’s going to happen, something we can’t control.”

  The elderly wizard looked down into her upturned face and for once, she thought she saw a flash of understanding, compassion even. “There are many things we cannot control. We have to accept them as well as the changes they bring.”

  “Are there going to be changes today?”

  He looked away. “Many.”

  Tess didn’t like the sound of that. “You’ve seen something, haven’t you? You can see things.”

  Andion tossed her a glance before returning his eyes toward the concrete rapidly approaching the ground. “I can but I cannot share them. These visions are not given to me to change the outcome. They are given to me to prepare the Assembly for the changes which will take place.”

  “So you’ve told Falcon then?” Silence greeted her question. “Jaxon at least?” Her fingers bit into his arm. “You’ve at least told Jaxon, haven’t you? Is he walking into a trap?” Her voice grew hushed. “Andion, you have to tell me if my husband is walking into a trap.”

  Shocking them both, he covered her hand with his. “The trap is not for him, my dear. That is why I offered to protect you. With Jaxon occupied, you would be vulnerable.”

  Her breath escaped on a sigh that was half relief and half terror. “So Athena has a Plan B.”

  Andion frowned. “I know nothing of this Plan B. I simply know she is not willing to relinquish her chance at overthrowing the Assembly.”

  “Will she succeed?”

  “The visions did not tell me that.”

  She wanted to smack him, kick him, anything to pull the secret out of him. Why couldn’t he understand that she needed to know what would happen? For her own sanity. “So what did they tell you?”

  “Only that she will try.”

  “She’s been trying for twenty years. I think you got an old vision.”

  Andion squeezed her fingers before he released her hand. “Athena has tried before, yes, but this time she is much closer. Her magic is stronger and with the added reinforcements of the other coven, she will be a forceful opponent.”

  Tess tugged on the arm of his robe until he looked down at her. “You’re scaring me. Is Jaxon in trouble?”

  His face softened for the first time since she’d met him. “Unfortunately we are all in trouble.”

  A wave of dizziness made her sway. “Can’t you see that to keep this knowledge to yourself could mean the destruction of the Assembly?”

  Andion shook his head. “The visions have allowed me to make certain preparations.”

  “Certain preparations? You mean you’ve created your own Plan B?”

  “Again, I am not familiar with this Plan B.”

  “Do you have an idea which might save the Assembly’s collective asses?” Tess snarled the words.

  He didn’t look taken aback at her tone. He merely sighed. “Perhaps it would be better if you were to pay attention. I believe we are about to witness history. This is the first time a wizard and a witch with the abilities of these two have locked horns in quite some time. It should be an interesting battle.”

  Unable to resist, she shoved him. Andion stumbled back and stared at her. “You’re nuts. My husband’s life could be in jeopardy and you’re talking about interesting battles. Jaxon should never have agreed to let you protect me.” She took a step away from him and came up against an invisible wall. “What’s going on?”

  “I cannot allow you to leave my side, Tess. You could be hurt.”

  “You’ll be the one getting hurt once Jaxon finds out about this.”

  “He wanted me to ensure your safety. I have done so.”

  “Please lower the field. I won’t go anywhere. I just don’t want to feel trapped.”

  Andion flicked a glance down at her before relenting with a wave of his hand. “If you move away from me, I will have no choice but to reconstruct the field.”

  “Is Jaxon going to die?” Her voice was a whisper of fear.

  “I cannot tell you that.”

  “But you think a wizard is going to die today?”

  The wizard’s silence was the only answer she needed. Tears filled her eyes and she tried to pray but the words wouldn’t come. Fear clenched its fist around her heart while her breath staggered in her lungs. Andion believed his silence would reassure her but the panic intensified as Jaxon readied himself to face Athena.

  And Tess could only watch in horror.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Athena and Jaxon circled one another, two sparring partners dancing around a makeshift ring. Eyes locked, they didn’t flinch, didn’t retreat. Jaxon could hear the beating of Tess’ heart, knew panic gripped her but he couldn’t take the time to offer encouragement. To look away from Athena would give her the advantage. He had to make the first move and he had to do it when she least expected it.

  The witch’s feet lightly touched the ground as she darted back and forth in front of the wizard. “Are we going to dance all morning?”

  “I’m not much for dancing actually. I think I’d rather…” He dipped, rotated and touched the sky with a curl of electricity from one finger. Sparks rained down and showered Athena with glowing coals.

  The witch extinguished the tiny flames with a wisp of her breath and blinked at her adversary. “Please tell me that’s not all you have because if so…” she touched her palm to her mouth as if covering a yawn, “this is going to be a quick battle.”

  Jaxon’s eyes narrowed. He’d waited for the moment, that brief arc of time when Athena would lower her own guard. And now it was here. “We cannot have that, can we?”

  The whirlwind approached rapidly, ensnaring the trees and grasses surrounding them. A violent circle of wind and force, it tore across the land, the squall of its descent deafening. Just as he expected, Athena looked up, prepared to deflect the tornado. Arms swept wide, Jaxon began the spell.

  “May the Fates recall the words spoken a fortnight ago in Wizards’ cell. I call upon you now at last to release this ancient spell.”

  “No!” Athena stumbled forward one step before dropping to her knees. She could only watch while Jaxon’s rumbling voice continued.

  “Bind the witches’ evil hearts and capture the magic they hold. Free them from the darkness and give them light once more.” The whirlwind increased in intensity, circling over the gathered witches who cowered in terror.

  He closed his eyes, drew in a heavy breath and finished the spell. “Give them back the lives they lost when magic first entered their own. Erase the darkness coating their souls and send these witches home.” He clapped and the earsplitting screams of horrified women rent the air. The Coven of Allesandra, together with the Coven of Ballhastra, fell to their knees, hands clasped over their ears as they writhed on the ground.

  Tess gasped, tried to pull away from the clamp of Andion’s hand on her arm but he held her fast. “Andion, they’re in pain.”

  “You cannot help them now. The spell has been cast.”

  Hestra’s voice rose above the others, a plea for mercy as golden daggers stabbed at her skin, opening wounds. Mists of black poured out of her flesh, twisted into a braid before spiraling toward the damp sky. “Athena, please make it stop.”

  At once, in unison, the wizards turned, all eyes on Athena’s wooden form. “Athena?” Falcon was the only one to speak, taking a step forward.

  “What’s the matte
r?” Tess whispered.

  Andion didn’t look at her when he responded. “The spell. It has not touched Athena. That is impossible. This spell was created by two of the strongest wizards in the Assembly. Falcon and Jaxon’s magic is stronger than the magic of any witch.”

  Athena lifted her hand and dipped it inside the collar of her dress. Her fingers curled around a solid stone amulet. She extracted it and brought it into full view. “I believe I forgot to mention I had this, Jaxon.” She dangled the chain with a chortle of glee.

  “The Amulet of Xeros. Where did you get that?” Jaxon’s voice pulsated with a blend of vehemence and amazement. “It has been locked inside the Serenity Chamber inside the citadel for years. You could not have had access to it.”