by T J Kelly
“Say what you will, but you’re officially my hero. I’m going to make sure I call on you whenever I need help. Chasing off enemies, deflecting danger, reaching for things on the top shelf. Important stuff like that.”
Peter laughed. “Sure, why not? Especially the reaching thing. I bet you have to play the damsel in distress all the time, considering how short you are.”
“Guilty as charged.” I grinned at him, giving up on worrying about how that must look with my swollen face.
My aunt bustled into the room, smiling at the two of us. “How are my patients doing today?”
Peter and I assured her that we were fine. She checked me first, looking intently at my face and gently running her hands over the bump on my head before examining my ankle and knee. Her touch was experienced, and even though I was sore, it didn’t hurt.
“You’re healing nicely, Lia. You need to keep as still as possible to promote the healing spell, but there are some crutches in the corner for you when you need to use the restroom or take a shower. Please keep your time on your feet to a minimum and be gentle when you wash your hair. I used magic instead of stitches, so no need to worry about getting anything wet. But you have a large knot on your head, and that won’t feel good if you press too hard.”
“Thanks, Aunt. I really appreciate all of your help.”
“Anytime, my dear.” Peony turned to Peter and said, “As for you, young man. How do your throat and lungs feel?”
“Better. My throat is still a little sore, but it doesn’t hurt to breathe at all.”
“Considering you inhaled about a gallon of water when they used a drowning spell on you, I’d say that’s remarkable progress.”
Peony continued her examination, checking Peter’s cuts and broken leg. I saw the bandages around his chest when my aunt moved the blanket aside. He must have broken some ribs, too. And a drowning spell was no joke. Peter went through hell while I was unconscious. I felt so bad. No wonder Chas was apologizing to him when I first woke up. We both owed Peter big time.
My aunt removed the bandages from around Peter’s head. There was a huge gash running from one side of his forehead to the other, disappearing into his hair. There weren’t any stitches so Peony must have used magic on him, too. It looked bad. Really bad. Something told me that if Armageddon hadn’t arrived when he did, Peter might not have made it.
When she was done with her examination, Peony helped us to our feet. Peter hobbled to the shower attached to the infirmary, and I walked a bit farther down the hall with the help of a crutch to the retiring room to take mine.
It felt wonderful to be clean. My aunt was right, though, my head was sore, and I had to be careful while I washed my hair. It took a little more effort than usual to dry myself afterward since I kept losing my balance. I braided my hair while it was wet, not feeling up to using a hairdryer.
I studied my face in the mirror. I looked like Frankenstein’s monster. The left side of my face bore the brunt of the damage. My jaw and cheek puffed out to the side, and I had a black eye. I still had a fat lip. There were a few gashes on my face, one near my chin, another that split the skin between my cheek and jaw, and several on the right side of my face. It looked like somebody had taken sandpaper to the tip of my nose. I smiled at myself in the mirror to see what that looked like, then cringed at what I saw. How anyone could look at me without shrieking in horror or laughing was beyond me. I was doubly grateful that my aunt and Peter managed to behave so normally when we were talking earlier.
I never considered myself to be vain. I knew I was pretty enough if nothing special. Still, it wasn’t fun to see myself looking like some kind of monster. I sighed and then pushed those thoughts out of my mind. There were more important things to think about than how creepy my face looked. Besides, I was getting a little tired of feeling sorry for myself. It was what it was. If I couldn’t change it, I needed to move on.
A change of clothing was waiting for me when I was through. Somebody had left me a nice set of soft sweatpants and a t-shirt, both dark gray. The color suited my mood exactly.
Peter was already back in bed when I returned. He looked strained, and I wondered if he hurt himself in the shower. I sat down on the edge of my bed. The sheets had been changed and the bed made while we were out of the room. I set my crutches aside.
“How are you feeling?” I asked him, concerned.
“I’m all right. I don’t think standing was the best idea, but I managed. Peony said Ged’s back. She went to give him an update on our status. I hope she’s going to tell him that we are both functioning human beings who need information to tide us over. I want to know if he caught the guys or not.”
Peter didn’t look angry, but there was a hint of steel in his voice. I didn’t blame him - I wanted Armageddon to catch the guys who did this to us, too. Peter had taken the brunt of the attack although I could tell it was aimed at me. I felt protective of him. He deserved justice.
Not that I didn’t want a little justice for myself.
Armageddon and Peony walked into the room. My uncle came straight over to where I was sitting and placed his hand gently on my right shoulder, the least injured part of me. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I’m fine. Aunt Peony said I should be better in a week. It’s Peter you ought to worry about.”
“Hey now, I’m good,” Peter interrupted. He still sounded strained. “Just a little tired.”
“I brought you something,” my uncle said. He waved his hand, and a small red tin appeared on the table next to my bed.
I laughed, delighted at the appearance of the familiar tin that usually held my cook’s shortbread cookies. I opened it, and sure enough, it was packed to the rim. Heavenly.
“Aw, man. I should have hammed it up a bit. Maybe I would’ve gotten presents, too,” Peter joked.
“This isn’t because I feel sorry for her,” Armageddon said. “I brought those as a celebration of her first work-related injury. The papers have come back from the Council, Lia, and according to them, you’re an Irregular now. Congratulations!”
My uncle leaned over and swiped one of the cookies out of my tin. The man was a menace.
I turned to my aunt. “Can’t you control your husband, Aunt? Here I am, a poor orphaned invalid, and he’s stealing from me.” I batted my eyelashes at her. Armageddon choked on the cookie he was eating, and we cracked up.
I was surprised they made me an Irregular so quickly, but my uncle would have pulled any string he could. Mort had told me that it was the only way Armageddon could keep me safe, and I believed it. I was a threat to so many people, I should have come with a warning label.
“Did you find out anything about the men who attacked them?” Peony asked. Peter and I settled down, keen to hear the answer.
Armageddon shook his head. “I could trace them back to a family compound before the trace disappeared. There are too many shields and spells blocking the way so it will have to wait until I get a warrant from the Council. I filed, but they’ve already balked.”
Peony’s eyebrow raised. “Which family compound?”
“The Taines.” Armageddon’s eyes flicked to me and then back to my aunt. “I don’t think they’re going to stop chasing after Lia anytime soon.”
I felt awful. Not only were people I cared about hurt because of me, but it was Chas’s family that was behind it. He must have been really upset when he found out.
“Where’s Chas?” I asked. I hadn’t seen him since I woke up the first time, and I couldn’t wait to see him again. I set that thought aside for the moment, knowing it meant trouble for me.
“He’s still with the guards. Chas is helping them recreate the sequence of events.” Something in my uncle’s voice sounded out of place to me. I could tell Peter thought so, too, because I could see him studying Armageddon with his eyes narrowed.
“How did they get through the defenses?” Peter asked.
“The ridge and the slope where the Chocolate Lilies gro
w is not my land. It’s across the border in the state park. I have permission to harvest from there, but it doesn’t belong to me. Once you crossed over, you were no longer protected. They stayed on the other side of my borders the entire time.”
“Oh, man,” Peter said. “Did you tell Chas? He must feel terrible.”
Armageddon didn’t answer for a moment. He straightened the black vest he was wearing and then said, “I haven’t spoken to him. More pressing issues took precedence. However, I’ll make certain he won’t forget that bit of information in the future.” There was something ominous about the way my uncle said that. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to remain strictly within my borders for now, Lia. I know that will be inconvenient, but until we can find a way to discourage your enemies and activate your magic, it simply isn’t safe enough for you to leave.”
“No problem, Uncle Ged,” I readily agreed. I hated the thought of being penned in, but I hated the thought of other people getting hurt even more. Not to mention I thoroughly disliked being in the infirmary. Avoiding future attacks was at the top of my priority list.
I tried to stifle a yawn, but my aunt saw it. “Ged, we need to let these two get some sleep. The more rest they get, the quicker they’ll heal. Go on you two, take a nap, and we’ll talk more later.”
Twinges of pain shot through my body as I shifted the blankets so I could lay down. I was overdoing it. After another gentle pat to my shoulder, my aunt and uncle left the room. I looked over to where Peter lay, his eyes already closed.
“Do you think they blame Chas?” I asked.
Peter sighed and opened his eyes a crack. “I think it’s entirely possible. It’s hard to forget who his family is, but I can’t imagine Chas taking us off of Ged’s land on purpose. He’s on our side. Ged will remember that.”
I sighed and nodded. Peter’s eyes closed again, and soon he was asleep. I stared at the ceiling wishing I could see Chas again, and fell asleep remembering how wonderful it felt to sit beside him, our legs touching.
TEN
Visions of Fire
My week in the infirmary flew by. Peter was really funny, and he didn’t seem to mind talking about Chas. We debated about whether or not he was capable of betraying us. Peter scoffed at the possibility, which made me feel better. Unfortunately, Armageddon kept Chas busy by sending him on assignment. I didn’t see him again until after I was completely healed.
Peony did her best to keep me occupied by overloading me with books to study. I was worried about Peter, but my aunt assured me that he would be fine. I pushed my concern to the side and focused on enjoying his company when he was awake. Otherwise, I read whenever Peter slept, which was quite often. I tried to be silent for his sake, but occasionally, I laughed at some of the funnier bits. Most people didn’t find ancient texts amusing, but some of those magicians were hilarious. Only a closet nerd like me would notice, though.
I moved out of the infirmary and into my own room exactly seven days after the attack. I felt terrible leaving Peter behind, but I visited him several times a day, regardless of my training schedule. Surviving the attack together forged a bond between us and our friendship blossomed. I had always wanted an older brother, and since I was now living with Armageddon and Peony, he was close enough.
Mort continued with my combat training, and he certainly didn’t take it easy on me. Since I was completely healed, he told me there was no reason to be nice. And he wasn’t. I ended up flat on my back on the mat so many times I lost count. But I did manage to throw him occasionally, and it wasn’t because he let me win. He said that as long as I could get my enemy to back off even for a moment, it would give me time to gather my magic and vanquish him. Alternately, if I still didn’t have my magic by the next time I was attacked, it would give me a chance to run.
We all knew that I would be attacked again. Soon. But as long as I stayed on the castle grounds, I would be safe. If a little bored.
Spring came late to the mountains, but the spring equinox happened the same time every year. Or as we called it, Eostre. Our magician new year was a huge deal and ten days after I left the infirmary was the big day.
I spent my free time making silk pouches the size of bean bags to give away as Eostre gifts. They symbolized good luck and sweet dreams, and I thought we could all use a little of that. I couldn’t cast a spell on them, but a dusty old tome I discovered in my workshop was the key to my success. It listed detailed instructions for mixing my own combinations of herbs to fill the silk bags with instead of cotton stuffing. Using certain preparation methods infused them with indirect magic so for the first time in my life I was able to design spells of my own, even if I was only using magical herb blends. Besides, they smelled great.
I developed a mixture for Peony that would sharpen her awareness. She was always thinking deep thoughts, and sometimes simple things passed her by. Her herbal blend started with a crisp snap of ginger and lemon, then ended with peppermint.
I wanted Armageddon’s bag to soothe him. He cared about every agent in the Irregulars, his household staff, and especially his family. He oversaw so many people that I thought a moment of peace would be a pleasant experience. His pouch gave off the clean scent of lavender to clear away stress, then transitioned to vanilla and sugar cane to bring in a note of cookie dough. Because everyone loves cookies, especially my uncle.
Mort spent a lot of time helping me, and I wanted to thank him somehow. Because he was a wicked fighter and always on guard, I made his mixture with cinnamon, pumpkin gourd, and nutmeg, tucking in a little star anise for a bright burst at the end. It smelled like autumn, and warmth, and family. It would help him relax.
Peter may have been a new friend, but I talked to him a lot, and he told me that he still couldn’t believe he had been given a new life. He was allowed to become the man he was instead of the man he was meant to be. Armageddon freed Peter from the Dark that had engulfed the other Makennas. He was confident about who he was, but I wanted him to remember that he deserved all the good things he got. That even though his parents hurt him and devalued him, the rest of us knew he deserved every good thing he got - and more.
For his silk bag, I mixed pine with cinnamon, and added some sugar cane for him, too. It smelled like Christmas, and excitement, and anticipation. As silly as it sounded, I meant for him to experience what it was like to be the good boy who received everything under the Christmas tree that he had ever wanted. In a way, I made him a bag filled with acceptance, confidence, and joy.
The pouch I made for Chas preoccupied me the most. Chas had carried the burden of Dark with him during his ascension. Not enough to pull him from the light side, but enough to unbalance him.
I knew what that was like. My family carried more Dark within them than anyone realized, even my uncle. Our balance was still more light than dark, but just barely. The Rector clan held onto a strong moral compass that showed us the right path, but we conquered dark magicians because we shared their power source. We were righteous and firm with our enemies because we knew they too could overcome the dark side but chose not to. That meant they deserved the consequences of their actions.
Chas had lived with his family until he was fourteen. He experienced the bitterness of a dark life and only recently had been delivered from it. I made his bag out of black silk shot with silver threads. Inside it, I included a tiny pinch of dried Chocolate Lilies for a hint of bitterness that would be overwhelmed by the other herbs in the spell I made. I added reeds, orange peel, and a pinch each of wildflowers, acorns, pine needles, and spicy lemon thyme. It smelled like the woods around the castle on a bright, sunny day. I wanted his gift to give him hope and happiness.
The last ingredient was something I was almost afraid to include because it was so personal. In the end, Chas would be left with the scent of sun-warmed strawberries and basil. It was the scent of my shampoo and body soap - faint, sweet, and a tad peppery. I hoped it would remind him of me, and that it would make him smile.
&n
bsp; I had just finished tucking the little bags in a wooden box when Peony stopped by my workshop. I waved at her and hurried to meet her near the door. I didn’t want her to see the scraps of fabric and herbs and realize what I was making. It would ruin the surprise.
“Good afternoon, lovely girl,” my aunt said. She and I had grown closer during my stay in the infirmary. We hugged each other in greeting. I loved that I had such a warm relationship with her. It took away some of the pain whenever I thought about my mother. “What are you up to this afternoon?”
“I just finished my Eostre gifts,” I said. “Mort smashed me up pretty good today, so I thought a little time working on simple, pleasant things would center me.”
Peony laughed. “I’ve often wished he allowed magic in our combat sessions so I could wipe the floor with him. He’s a powerful magician, but I still have an edge on him. I’m more creative in my punishments.”
“Oh, I’m sure you are!” I laughed. Peony was so sweet and gentle, but she had a core of steel that I had come to respect. It wasn’t immediately apparent because she was dainty and doll-like with wavy blond hair and blue eyes. She didn’t leave the castle grounds on assignment often, but there were deep, quiet murmurs about her power in the dark circles. Once I got to know her, I knew why.
She could wipe them out all by herself.
Peony laid her hand on my arm and the soreness from that morning’s session with Mort dissipated. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. How are things going, Lia? Ged said you still felt frustrated. You do know you don’t have to trigger your magic immediately, don’t you? We are trying to get you ready in time for the trials, but if worse comes to worse, we can always set up a new Rector Enterprises under your name and take back the contracts when they expire in three years.”
Always a backup plan. I loved that. “I know, but I really want to get it back now. The next three years won’t be too bad, but some large contracts are coming due that will end the benevolence projects. It can take decades to convince the government to allow us back in once that happens.”