by T J Kelly
The upper floor of my workshop had been removed. An interior balcony lined the room instead of a complete third floor, allowing a bird’s-eye view of the intriguing rings making up the Wheel of Fortune. And anyone standing within the rings had a direct and unfettered view of the domed ceiling.
“The windows on the ceiling are gorgeous,” I said. My eyes watered a little from the sheer beauty of the stained glass tarot depicted in dark jewel tones. I smiled, pained when I realized that somehow, Peony used the images of my parents for the Priestess and the Hierophant.
It was a sweet reminder that they would always be watching over me. Since our ancestors were a magician’s guiding spirits, my parents were supposed to function a little like guardian angels. As long as I could feel them.
Which I didn’t.
I pushed that thought out of my mind. The Ceremony of Remembrance worked. Armageddon said it did. And I trusted he knew what he was talking about.
To distract myself, I turned to my right to view the eastern section, the area controlled by Turning Point. Changes often came with the dawn. Tricky and wicked tools were stored there, but then I realized there were so many items crammed in there that it would probably take me a year to catalog them all. My gaze shifted again to the door between my workshop and bedchamber. It was located in the south, the section of the compass representing Movement. The door itself didn’t need to be located in the south, but it was easier to control who crossed the threshold when it was.
“She did an excellent job, didn’t she?” Mort asked me when I finished soaking it all in.
“Oh, yes. Aunt Peony, you outdid yourself. I’ll never be able to repay you and Uncle Ged for all you’re doing for me. This is amazing. Thank you so much.”
I couldn’t put into words how much their faith in my abilities meant to me, but I got the feeling Peony understood. She seemed a little absent-minded, but she was spot on with the work she did in the workshop. It took a keen eye and quick mind to get the alignment lines right, even if the ground floor was already there when she started.
“Anytime, my dear. Why don’t you come upstairs with me? I want to show you something.”
We walked across the room towards the stairs. I was worried that I would trip and damage the opulent rings in the center of the floor, but Peony and Mort didn’t seem concerned as they strode across them. Mort’s boots didn’t leave a mark even though the soles were so bulky. The rings must have been charmed against damage.
I looked around, wondering how many other items in the room could take care of themselves. Likely all of them if they once belonged to my mother and father.
We climbed the stairs and made our way to a small sitting area tucked behind a privacy screen. It was in the west, so there was an applewood table for tarot readings. The crystal balls that were also used in divination would be packed away, hidden in silk-lined boxes to avoid exposure to direct light. Magnified in their crystal depths, the sun could start a fire.
Nobody said magic was easy. And it certainly wasn’t safe.
“Peony,” Mort said, admiration coloring his voice. “I do believe I’m jealous. Nothing I have is remotely close to being as fantastic as this. Lia, you’re a lucky girl. I hope you remember that. Now, I must go. I should have left sooner but I couldn’t resist taking a look. I’ll see you again at tea time.”
Mort bowed with flair and headed back down the stairs. Peony and I took a seat. Prowling around castles was a tiring business.
“I hope you like your room. Do you think you might enjoy living here? I’ve always wanted a daughter. When Ged sent me a message telling me you were coming, I was so excited I couldn’t wait to choose the decor. Decorating for my sons wasn’t nearly as fun.” Peony’s eyes sparkled.
“It’s perfect,” I assured her. “I can’t think of anything that would make it better. Nobody could. You and Uncle Ged are so sweet to me. Thank you.”
“Oh, my dear, speak nothing of it. We were more than happy to have you move in with us. We’ve asked for you to come and stay so many times before.”
I nodded. “I know. I’ll tell you what. I’ll stop thanking you excessively if you do me a favor.”
“Certainly! What would you like?”
“Tell me everything you know about Chas.”
Peony brightened. I was positive she never expected me to be so open about being smitten, but I figured it was obvious. And I didn’t think my aunt would make fun of me or get that stupid look on her face.
“Well, what do you know about him?”
“Just what Mort told me, which was that he stopped his father from harming a child and that Mort and Uncle Ged saved him from his father.”
“That’s a long story, and Chas should be the one to tell you the rest of it. But I can assure you that even though he has some darkness in him, more than the government is strictly comfortable with, he’s a valuable addition to our group. And he’s loyal to Ged. He’s been with us for five years now and has always been so polite and gallant. He’s smart, and he’s funny, and he has a singing voice that can make you melt inside.”
I sighed. “How many girls chase him, Aunt? You may as well tell me now.”
Peony laughed. “He doesn’t spend a lot of time in the village. I think it embarrasses him to have every female aged fifteen to fifty devour him with their eyes every time he wants to shop for soap or a toothbrush. But when he is on assignment or has to attend one of the Council’s parties, he never has trouble finding a date. Not that he’s vain about it. And, I saw how he looks at you. If you want to get to know him better, I’m sure he wouldn’t object.”
I could feel my cheeks warm. “Uh, thanks. Oh! I meant to ask you,” I said, changing the subject. “Where have my cousins gotten to?”
“Richard and James are both on assignment. They’re deep undercover. If they weren’t, they would have been here to meet you. They were only seven and ten when they saw you as a baby. There’s no way they would have missed an opportunity to meet you otherwise. They should be back by this time next year.”
After the competition for Rector Enterprises, then. It was sad, but I was relieved there would be fewer people to watch me fail on the public stage of the internationally televised magic trials. If I even managed to get there.
I groaned. Why couldn’t my life come with some kind of guarantee?
SEVEN
Song of Hope
Peony and I spent a lot of time together that morning. We somehow ended up sitting on the end of my bed, trying out new and unusual braided hairstyles. We had fun, but there was a practical side since I would have to keep my hair up to avoid one of those terrible workshop accidents they always talked about in school.
My aunt confided that she wanted to soak in as much girl-time as possible as if it were some kind of a secret. That’s when it occurred to me that out of all of the magicians in the Irregulars, Peony was the only woman.
This made me want to tap into my magic even more. I wanted to be a fully functioning Irregular and Armageddon’s apprentice to prove it could be done. Women magicians often worked for their husband’s family. It wasn’t a law or requirement, but women who struck out on their own or who brought their spouses into their family’s business were rare. Like being left-handed. Rarer, even. I was determined to step up and prove it could be done, even by a seventeen-year-old.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t relax a bit with my aunt. We had just finished with my new hairstyle and were laughing about Armageddon’s courtship of Peony when an eerie, unworldly siren rose in the distance. It reminded me of an air-raid drill in an old movie, only it was a little deeper and infinitely more terrifying. I dropped the style magazine I had been holding and looked at Peony for guidance.
She leaped up from the bed and knotted her hair into one of the styles we had just been discussing. “That siren means there’s an attack on the compound,” Peony said while she wrapped elastic bands around her hair. “We need to report downstairs immediately. Stay near me. I don’t
want you left alone just in case they make it through our defenses.”
I hopped off the bed and slipped on my shoes. My hair was still in the fierce side-braids Peony had just woven for me. The style we chose flowed freely in the back. Peony said she liked it because it was functional yet attractive. Enough to get my uncle to notice her in the first place. I had laughed, thinking about Armageddon as a young man smitten by my aunt. Now, instead of laughing, I was preparing for an attack and glad my hair wouldn’t fall in my face and block my vision.
What scared me like nothing else had so far was the fact that I was helpless against a magical assault and one was headed my way.
“Come along, hold my hand,” Peony ordered. I clasped her hand and closed my eyes, knowing she was going to transport us directly to our destination. I hated the idea of transferring without the protection of a carriage. I would arrive dizzy and nauseated - and terrified.
Less than a second later, we were downstairs in the sitting room. I staggered, my head spinning and the floor rushing up to meet me. Peony clutched my arm until I caught my balance.
The cabinet doors along the perimeter of the room were open. Chas was in one corner stuffing his vest pockets. I couldn’t tell from where I stood, but the objects he was scooping up looked like stun spells and amplification cones.
Peter was in another area holding a pad of paper and pencils. His stillness was startling, considering the way Armageddon and Mort were also furiously packing offense spells into their vest pockets. Peony let go of my hand and pulled on the battle vest my uncle handed her.
I didn’t want to get in the way. They all knew what they were supposed to do. They even probably had regular drills. I decided to stand near Peter since he was the only one in the room who wouldn’t trip over me.
“Can I help with anything?” I asked him quietly.
He shook his head. “They’ll be done in a moment. I can give you some defensive mechanicals if you want.” Mechanicals was another name for items containing indirect magic, where the user didn’t need to have magic of their own to trigger them. That meant I could use mechanicals despite my lack of ability. I nodded gratefully.
Instead of heading to one of the cabinets as I expected, Peter made a few marks on his tablet with his pencil. A well-worn leather vest appeared on the chair next to me. It looked like the battle vest the Irregulars wore, except theirs were black and navy instead of leather.
“There you go. I saw something like that during one of the raids where we went in after the hostages. Some missionaries were being held against their will, and the local magicians who helped wore vests just like this one. You’ll find shields and a few Shock-bursts inside the pockets. I also included Fire-grenade spells in case anyone gets close enough to you. I doubt you’ll need any of it, though. Nobody has ever managed to make it across the border that Ged built outside the garrison. Still, if I were you, I’d feel better knowing I wasn’t at anyone’s mercy. We’re about to transport, and you’ll be alone.”
Peter was right. I felt better knowing there was something I could do. As he walked towards the others, I tugged his sleeve. He stopped, looking at me curiously.
“Peter, how on earth did you do that? Make the vest appear, I mean.” Conjuring took a lot of time and energy, and not only had he created a vest, but spells to fill its pockets. From nothing. It was truly spectacular magic, and only took him seconds.
“Oh, that. It’s all in how I connect to my magic. I’m an artist. I can picture what I want, and it materializes while I draw it. I can also cast spells that way.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. Thanks, Peter.” I picked up the vest and put it on, lacing it up tightly against my abdomen, leaving only enough slack so I could still breathe. I watched Peter with respect as he crossed the room to join the others. No wonder he didn’t need to stuff his pockets with spell crystals. He could draw them. I made a mental note to talk to him about how he triggered his magic. Maybe he knew a secret that could help me.
Armageddon turned in my direction. “We’re going out on the ramparts. I’m sorry you haven’t had a chance to run any drills. I know you feel ill-prepared. Stay in this room and keep your eye out for any sign somebody may have gotten through. If anyone gets close enough, throw one of the Fire-grenade spells and then a shield in a compass pattern starting with the North. Call my name, and I’ll come for you. You should be okay, though. The guards probably already have everything under control.”
Preparations complete, they all disappeared from the room in a burst of light. I was left behind in the controlled chaos.
I righted a chair that had fallen over and sat with a wall behind me to guard my back. My eyes flitted between the windows and the door. I was sure I would be okay, too, but I wasn’t going to let my guard down for a moment. My family’s rivals would be coming for me someday. Might as well practice diligence.
Only a few minutes had passed when Chas reappeared in the room. I was on my feet with the mechanicals held ready before I realized who it was. He raised his hands and said, “Don’t shoot, it’s just me.
Adrenaline jolted through me as I stopped short. My breath escaped my body with a whoosh. “You startled me,” I said, a little too loudly.
“Sorry about that. Great reflexes, though. Ged asked me to get you. Things are well in hand now. He wants to show you some of our defenses since they’re primed and ready.”
Stuffing the spell crystals back into my vest pockets, I hesitantly stepped away from the wall. Chas held his hand out, and I gladly took it.
Tilting my head a bit to the side, I looked up at him through my lashes and smiled as if we were sharing a private joke or secret. It was the very best way to flirt without being obvious about it. Chas’s hand tightened on mine in response. I doubted he realized it, but I wasn’t going to complain.
He tugged me closer and said, “Are you ready?”
I nodded and closed my eyes, face lifted slightly towards his. Closing my eyes helped me keep my balance. It would also make it look like I was waiting for a kiss, another good way to flirt.
Although, I probably could have kept my eyes open since I felt dizzy the moment he touched me. Then a split second of nothingness before our feet jarred against the ground outside.
I opened my eyes and looked around. We were standing on the outer bailey walls, looking down on the grassy field that served as a buffer between the castle and the forest. Several men down below were wearing Armageddon’s family crest on the left side of their uniform vests, indicating that they were a part of his household guard.
There was a body on the ground, lying motionless. I shuddered. I hadn’t realized I was still holding Chas’s hand until he slipped it out of my grasp and skimmed his fingers lightly up my arm to clasp my shoulder supportively.
I wasn’t sure if he intended to distract me with his touch, but it worked. The body on the ground no longer took my full attention. It was my body that came into focus. I was shivering just a little, and there were goosebumps on my arms under my long-sleeved blouse.
“Are you okay? Have you ever seen a dead body?” Chas asked me with concern in his voice. How lovely he sounded.
“No, I haven’t. It’s a little freaky, isn’t it?” I swallowed reflexively as my attention swung back to the man below.
Chas let out a gentle sigh. “Yes, it is. There were two of them trying to get in. The other is already in custody and with the Council. Mort transported him there. This one tried to force his way in. He could have backed off, but he didn’t. That’s how he died. Ged is tracing the spell to see if he can find a motive.”
Intentions left marks that experienced magicians could follow, and I saw Armageddon searching for a trace of them close to the wall. He was almost directly below where we stood, which was why I hadn’t noticed him before.
I didn’t want to see the body on the ground anymore. I stepped away from the edge, ever so slightly leaning my back against Chas’s chest, a touch as light as a feather. I couldn’t seem to
help myself, and it was an excellent way to see if he was interested.
Chas was talking, trying to teach me something, discussing magic and their safety drills. His words went in one ear and out the other as I focused on trying to soak in more of his warmth.
Something more than magic hummed inside of him. I could feel it all the way in my bones. He was unquestionably powerful, just like the other members of the Irregulars. But something else spoke to me, a different kind of music than the usual magical hum. It made me want to slip my arms around him so that I could get closer to it.
Chas didn’t move away. I was cautious about how close I got to him. If he didn’t respond to me - or worse yet, if he backed away - I wanted to be able to play it off like I wasn’t really trying to snuggle up against him.
I breathed in slowly, but I froze and held my breath when he leaned forward, pressing me against him more firmly and moving his hand from my shoulder to cup my arm just below the elbow.
Chas leaned his head down and murmured into my ear. “We don’t have to stay here if you find it too distressing. I know you’ve been through a lot lately. We can go over the defenses later, and I can return you to the sitting room.”
His warm breath tickled my ear, my body shivering in response. For the first time, I realized I was sensitive there. I tilted my head a little, moving my ear closer to his mouth. We barely knew each other, yet all I wanted at that moment was for him to kiss me there, then my neck, then my mouth.
I released the breath I had been holding, and then sucked in more air. I counted three heartbeats, then slowly released it, trying to gain a little control and perspective. It was hard to concentrate. I could feel Chas’s chest pressing firmly into my back, and it was driving me crazy.
“I’m okay. I can stay here for a little while longer if you don’t mind keeping me company.”
“Oh, I don’t mind in the least, Lia.”
I smiled to myself, looking across the field below and focusing on the trees in the distance. “So tell me about the first line of defense.”