Master of Magic

by Bebe Lightsmith

  “Is that what you think of me?” I demanded. “Your sword is everything, and I’m just your ride?” Ryker stared at me for a long moment.

  “Well, that was interesting,” Owen said, suddenly next to me. He held the gigantic Knights Code in his hands. I could hear out in the halls that alarms were being raised for the stolen book.

  “Achilles is wrong,” Owen then started, laying the book down on the ground and opening it to the appropriate page. At the top, in large looping letters, it read: The Code of Kings. “Well, he perceived it wrong.” He pointed to a spot.

  “The King of Kings will wield enough magic to sustain Excalibur. He will be a knight worthy of the leadership of all knights and will follow the Code without hesitation and with vigor. He is the protector of the Queen of Sorcery, that is his purpose and his duty, balancing the universe in every way.” Owen read out loud.

  “What?” Ryker demanded, storming over to read it himself.

  “The Queen of Sorcery?” I pondered out loud. This was now the second time I had heard of the title. I pointed to the words and looked up at Owen with a questioning gaze.

  “Never heard of her.” He shrugged. “Have to do more research on that one.” He winked.

  “I have followed the Code my entire life. Tobias Achilles uses it as a weapon.” Ryker snapped after a moment. That’s what he focused on?

  “May I get out of here, please? I need some air.” I spit through clenched teeth. At the moment I wanted to send Ryker to a hell plane, which I knew wasn’t exactly rational. Owen nodded and waved his hand over the door. I felt the magic release and slipped out. Knights rushed around every which way trying to find the thief who stole the Code. As soon as I closed the door, the opening disappeared, making the hallway look like one solid wall.

  “You. What are you doing here?” A large knight started to storm towards me. I wasn’t in the mood for another knight trying to assert their dominance over me, so I turned the other way and started to walk down the hall.

  “Hey, I asked you a question.” He grabbed my arm, forcing me to turn and face him. I felt my magic swell. The big knight’s eyes widened as he looked down at me. My green magic started to swirl around me. He took a step back, visibly cautious of my display of magic.

  “And I don’t have to answer to you or any other knight. Do we understand each other?” I snapped. His eyes widened, and he looked around like he might find someone to explain the enigma before him. “I know you knights are used to getting your way, but this time you’re just going to have to cope.” I snapped, turned on my heel, and walked away. My display must have worked because he didn’t bother me again.

  I walked down the long winding hallway until I made it to the front lobby. Knights were still gathered in small groups, talking amongst themselves. I saw Tobias Achilles and his father with a couple of other knights. Straightening my posture, I marched right over to them. The group of men seemed surprised that I approached them.

  “My name is Ivy Le Fay,” I said, holding out my hand to General Achilles.

  “Ah, I was wondering why you were allowed to attend.” The General actually smiled for me. “Of course, your presence is always welcome, My Lady.” He then gave me a small bow. The others did as well.

  “It’s been a while, Toby.” I then turned to him. He had not attended MBIA our last year. We all assumed he either failed or moved onto another career field.

  “He transferred to West Point.” General Achilles said, giving his sound a proud slap on the shoulder.

  “My Lady.” Toby said as a greeting, “You grow prettier every year.” That was when an idea formed in my head.

  “You flatter me.” I laughed, giving him a flirty wave. “General, I was wondering if perhaps Tobias would mind escorting me to my hotel. It’s such a long walk and a strange city.” I gave him a wide-eyed innocent look.

  “Of course, My Lady. Tobias would be happy to escort you.” He gave me a wide grin and then shoved his son forward. Toby held his arm out to me, and I looped mine through. We walked together out the front doors.

  “So, how are things?” Toby asked once we were outside.

  “Fine, you know, Team Camelot graduated number one from MBIA,” I said.

  “Right, you guys were always projected for greatness.” He nodded. “Though just because your Grams was from Camelot doesn’t mean that you have to follow suit.” Oh, this was going to be easier than I thought. Goody.

  “I mean Owen and Ryker are great and all, but sometimes I feel unheard,” I replied, looking up at me with the best pouty look I could muster. Toby visibly shook himself, clearing his throat.

  “Well, you could always request a team transfer. Team Mycenae would love to have you.” He replied, giving me a wide smile. Toby was handsome in his own way. Tall with large bulging muscles, short blonde hair, and soft brown eyes, his chin was covered with a spray of golden scruff, giving him a more rugged look that suited him.

  “Did things with Ryker not work out?” He then asked. I had to answer this carefully.

  “He’s hot and cold. I’m starting to think I need someone . . .” I took a moment to run my eyes up and down his body, “More dependable.” Toby smiled at that.

  “Dependability is an asset.” He nodded.

  “So, you have a claim as king?” I asked after a moment. We passed a small park, and I tugged him along to walk through the beautifully landscaped trees and gardens. D.C. was the most beautiful city in the world. I was convinced of it.

  “It happened at the end of our first year at MBIA.” Toby started. Oh good, he was going to be forthright. He looked down at his hand for a long moment. “You remember, at the end of the year we had that field test?” I remembered vividly. That was the first time I had encountered Wendigos, terrible undead creatures who fed off the flesh of humans. Ryker, Owen, and I had managed to work together to take them all down. “Well, anyway, we all faced different stuff you know, and we had a Dybbuk.” I nodded in understanding. “I was able to punch it, like make physical contact.” Toby explained, “So from there, I told my father, and after a few tests and some training, we figured out I had magic. Then it came out that Ryker also had magic and Excalibur.”

  “So then you decided to try to challenge his claim?” I asked.

  “It’s my birthright just as much as his.” He shrugged. We paused for a moment to stare at a family of ducks in a large pond.

  “Excalibur is your birthright?” I pushed. He could either grow impatient with my questions or answer them, either way, I got more answers than I started with.

  “I know it seems backward,” Toby replied patiently. “I mean, of course, Arthur Pendragon wielded Excalibur, and he became King of Knights, so it only makes sense that his Legacy would follow.” He paused for a moment, “But the Code never says it has to be a Pendragon, and Excalibur is the Sword of Kings, not of Pendragons, so it was worth a shot.”

  “I think you were right to challenge him,” I said honestly. Ryker's temper tantrum earlier had made me realize how much he relied on Excalibur. That was a weakness. Toby gave me a wide grin.

  “I’m glad you think so. I was afraid you’d be angry with me and turn me into a frog again.” He chuckled. I let out a long laugh, leaning into him.

  “That was Owen, and it was an accident.” I laughed, looking up at him. We were standing close together, and I knew he felt the pull of a pretty girl gazing up at him.

  “You still haven’t made it up to me.” He teased, leaning farther down, so our faces were closer together.

  “I turned you back into a human, didn’t I?” I asked in a flirty voice. “Would you prefer to be a frog?”

  “Would you kiss me if I was?” He asked. Boys were so easy. Give them a couple laughs, a few smiles and long blinks, and they were like putty in your hands.

  “Do you really want to be king?” I asked, allowing him to move closer to me. Our noses skimmed as he set his hands on my shoulders.

  “Right now, I want everything Ryker has.”
He replied in a husky voice.

  There it was. The answer to my question. Toby didn’t want to be king; this was all just a competition to him. The Achilles and Pendragon legacies had been in a cold war since the Renaissance and now was the time to strike. I would bet my entire trust fund that the General had more to do with Toby claiming the throne than him actually wanting to be king.

  I gave him a promiscuous smile and then turned on my heel, out of his reach. I heard him chuckle behind me, but he emerged next to me and held out his arm again. We walked in comfortable silence for a moment, going through the park to get to our hotel.

  “I apologize if I was too forward, My Lady.” He said as we exited the park. I gave him a small smile.

  “No worries, Toby. I have missed you this past year.” I replied. In truth, I barely even thought of him. We were friendly that first year at MBIA, and I knew he was attracted to me, but there were so many other distractions happening at the time that it was easy to hold him at bay. We did have some good times, though, at some great parties.

  “I’ve missed you too. I’ve thought of you many times.” He nodded as we entered the lobby of the hotel.

  “Well, thank you for walking me back. It’s good to know that I can always rely on such a handsome knight.” I smiled up at him. He grinned ear-to-ear at my comment and gave me a small bow.

  “Any time, My Lady.” He took my hand and kissed the back of it.

  With that, I turned and went to the bank of elevators. After reaching the correct floor, I walked into my room. Owen and Ryker still weren’t back. That was fine. I really didn’t want to see Ryker at the moment. Opening the long mirror hanging on the wall, I stepped into my dimension. Excalibur still sat where I put her. Over the years, the dimension had really emerged into the modern world. Instead of wilderness, the central part of the plain was now covered in buildings. It was more of a small town now than just the little tent in the woods I had started with. Owen and Ryker had both moved in and created their own spaces. I dragged Excalibur, stone and all, into the large building I erected for myself. On the outside, it looked like one of those log-cabin mansions but with the modern touch of having tons of windows and sharp corners. The inside was still a wreck. My Grams had been slowly sending me things from her dimension to mine. I hadn’t told the guys, but every night, a phoenix would appear at the start of my dream to deliver a box of books or artifacts, or whatever Grams had decided I needed. I hadn’t had time to sort through it all since most of my nights over the summer had been filled with Ryker. I was angry with him though, so I guessed I could take a few days and sort some of this out.

  Leaving Excalibur by the front door, I stepped further into what I imagined would be a library/living room. It was the largest room in the house, with wall to ceiling windows on one side that overlooked the immaculate gardens I had constructed. Approaching a large pile of old books, I started to categorize them. Some were ancient histories, others were magical theory books, and some were even grimoires that Grams must have picked up over the years. As I started arranging the books, I uncovered a small, thick tome at the bottom. The front was covered with grime and dust. Moving my hand over the cover, I whipped away most of the dust to see the words cauterized into the leather.

  “The Queen of Sorcery.” I read out loud. My eyes widened as I realized what I held in my hand. Turning to leave the house, I magically locked the door and then exited the dimension. Settling on my bed in the hotel room, I opened the book. There was no author, and it was handwritten in steady scrolling letters.

  Chapter Three:

  Owen:

  “Where is she?” Ryker asked as we milled through the crowded lobby at the hotel. After we had exited the supply closet, General Achilles happily told us that Toby escorted our fair Ivy back to the hotel. Ryker was too bogged down with his emotions to see that Ivy had probably done that to get information. She was so useful like that.

  “Oh aye, party at the Admirals.” Angus was saying as we passed.

  “Party where?” I asked, catching his attention.

  “At Admiral Orion’s. Chip is throwing a hell of a shindig for us.” Angus winked. He referenced the Admiral’s son, Chip Orion, who as an ensign at Annapolis.

  “We’ll be there.” I grinned and then dragged Ryker to the bank of elevators.

  “I don’t want to go to a party.” He pouted. I rolled my eyes. Ryker was destined to be King of Knights, I knew it, Ivy knew it, but he didn’t. That was the problem.

  After exiting the elevators, we went to our room. We found Ivy in hers, reading from an old book. That was an odd sight, as our fair lady did not much like reading. Instead, she preferred to obtain her information through questioning and flirting.

  “What are you reading?” I asked her, stepping into the room.

  “Do you know who the Queen of Sorcery is?” She asked me, looking up from her reading. I shook my head, not having heard the term before a few days ago.

  “I found this old book of my Grams.” She held it up, “It’s called The Queen of Sorcery.”

  “Well?” I asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.

  “It’s just history.” She grumbled, rubbing her eyes. “The title Queen of Sorcery has been passed throughout the world to the most powerful sorceress of their time. These are names like Medusa, Athena, Draupadi, Semiramis, and others.” Ivy explained.

  “So who has the title now?” I asked. She shrugged.

  “There hasn’t been one named since Morgana. She was supposed to be the next Queen, but since she was cursed with immortality, she couldn’t have it because of course immortals would be powerful.” Ivy explained. I could understand that. The powers-that-be won’t grant an immortal the title to hold on to for thousands of years. That would be unfair. But if they didn’t give it to Morgana, why not someone else? She turned the book, so I could see it, showing me a page with an illustration of a ring.

  “That ring will appear on the person who gains the title.” She explained. I could see the wheels turning in her mind. In the illustration, there was an engraving on the ring that matched the symbol Morgana had drew on my card – the star and the witches knot.

  “And you think you are capable of such a feat?” I asked. Ivy looked up at me, her green eyes shimmering with power.

  “I think I’m more than just convenient transportation.” She snapped glaring at Ryker, who was lurking in the doorway of our adjoined rooms. He let out a little surprised grunt and then stared shamefully at the floor.

  “The ring is called the Command Ring. Supposedly it was made by some unknown primordial god or something.” She went on. I remembered the message that Morgana had sent us – the one ring to rule them all. “The book says the ring will find the true Queen of Sorcery. Once the sorceress gains the ring, there can be no debate or discussion about the title again until she dies.”

  “You think that’s what your Grams was referring to?” I asked. She glanced away for a moment, her eyes showing the complexity of her emotions. Ivy was good at hiding her thoughts and feelings, but sometimes, when it was just the three of us, she showed us how she truly felt.

  “I hope so, or maybe I am just transportation.” She mumbled. I took the book from her and shut it, setting it carefully in the drawer of the bedside table. There was nothing more that I could say to assure her. This was a journey for her own confidence, and sometimes that person needed to walk alone.

  “We have something important and impending to discuss,” I said, taking her hands in mine. She gave me a questioning look. “There’s a party at Orion's house tonight,” I said. Her eyes brightened as a smile overtook her face. I knew she would get it.

  “Oh! I’ll get ready then.” She grinned, rushing off of the bed and going to her suitcase.

  “I told you I don’t want to go to a party.” Ryker snapped to me. Ivy turned, giving him a scathing look.

  “I really don’t give a shit what you want to do. I’m going to this party, with or without you.” She snapped her finge
rs to emphasize her point. “And I’m wearing this.” She held up a small scrap of clothing that had green sequins all over it. She then started to take off her shirt. Ivy was never a shy one.

  I stood and pushed Ryker out of the room, shutting the door behind me. Ryker glared up at me, the muscles in his jaw ticking.

  “What is your problem?” I demanded.

  “Look, you two may not get it, but I lost everything today. I lost my throne and my sword and everything that I worked so hard to achieve. So fine, the two of you go on to your party or whatever. I just can’t.” Ryker explained. He thought we lacked empathy, which I could see how he would perceive that. The truth was, however, that Ivy and I were working to regain him those things.

  “You’re being a real bitch, you know that?” The words were out of my mouth before I had thought about them. Even so, I wouldn’t take them back. Ryker glared at me, looking a little like he might punch me. Instead, he turned and grabbed his bathroom bag.

  “Fuck off.” He said and then slammed into the bathroom.

  Though he bitched the entire time, he did get ready to go to the party. Part of me thinks that had something to do with Ivy. We could hear the booming of her bitchy girl music through the wall. Over an hour later, we met Ivy in the hall.

  Admiral Orion was part of one of those legacies who came to the New World early on and happened to buy land in the right place. They were one of the wealthiest knight families in the world, so this party was bound to be good. Ivy and I had gone to one of Chip Orion's parties in the early summer. They had a huge pool and pool house. Ivy wore a green sequined, thick-cut bikini with a black halter dress cover-up. Ryker stared at her like a lost puppy while she ignored him. This was going to be an exciting evening.

  We took a cab over to the Orions while everyone ignored each other in pensive silence. The expansive mansion took up over three acres in Arlington. The main house was built more like a castle, with towering roofs and brick exteriors. The older generations were in the main house while Chip threw a frat party in the pool house. The cab pulled right up to the pool house gate, totally bypassing the main house. The Emrys family was wealthy, but I had never seen finery such as this. The pool house had natural stone floors that were lacquered to be smooth. Every aspect of the house wreaked of wealth from the real Swarovski Crystal wall sconces to the Viking stove and refrigerator.