M&L03 - SS Read online

  “I understand, and I can’t blame you for taking precautions after the curse your people had to endure for so long.”

  “It’s not just the curse that makes me paranoid; it’s the fact that my father trained the sorcerer who cast it.”

  Grayson looked at me sharply and I nodded my head. “Now you understand why I still insisted on the blood oath even after I learned we were family.”

  “If it didn’t make any difference, why was it important for you to know we shared bloodlines?”

  “There are some spells that anyone could cast, even human magicians if they happened to know the right words and they had the right supplies. But not all spells are that simple and not all sorcerers are created equal. Having the same kind of blood means we should be able to wield the same kind of magic. After seeing the forest you created, I thought your abilities might be limited. Now I know that’s not the case.”

  He looked away for a moment then faced me again with unshed tears shinning in his eyes. “My mother tried to train me before she was killed but I was more interested in manipulating time. I thought we had all the time in the world.”

  “That’s a hard way to learn that lesson,” I said, clapping him on the back. “But don’t worry; we’ll have you caught up to speed before you know it. Now let’s go back to Supernova and fix that forest.”

  I opened a portal and we both stepped through into his forest.

  “I knew it wasn’t very good but I didn’t want to admit I was out of my depth. I was afraid Katerina wouldn’t want to let me stay here if I couldn’t do the spells she needed.”

  “Supernova is a safe haven operated by The United Clans. It’s open to anyone who needs a safe place to live and Katerina wouldn’t kick you out if your magic wasn’t up to snuff. She’d simply find you a different job - maybe in security. Time demons always make great security agents with their ability to reset time. I don’t believe that will be necessary though because I honestly think you’re off to a good start with the forest. However, the annual tournament is a major event and we can’t have your debut performance turn out to be a huge flop.

  Illusions can be created from our imaginations but the best illusions will always start with echoes from the past, or even the present as long as you’re using a real place or object as the basis for the spell. Most sorcerers have photographic memories - not for everything, but for anything they take the time to commit to memory. For that reason, I would encourage you to spend your free time surveying different types of landscapes, making sure to take in every detail so that when you have to create scenes like this one, they will be more realistic. Don’t just focus on the visuals either. Think about what you hear, what you smell, and what you feel. If possible try to take someone important with you because the stronger the emotional attachment you have to a scene the more realistic it will become.”

  “Is that how you made those chairs sturdy enough to sit in, and real enough to recline?” Grayson asked, pointing towards the recliners.

  I grinned and motioned towards the chairs making them disappear. “That is a different kind of magic altogether. Watch and feel the magic.”

  I let the spell whisper through my mind as I reached up and wrapped my hand around the grip of a sword. With a slow, smooth motion, I brought my hand down and across my body. As my arm moved, the rest of the sword slowly appeared out of thin air.

  “What did you see?”

  “I saw you create an illusion of drawing that sword from thin air.”

  “Now, what did you feel?”

  He cocked his head to the side. “I’m not sure.”

  “I think you are,” I said handing him the sword. “But you’re telling yourself it’s not possible.”

  He took the sword, tested the strength of its blade then met my eyes. “It’s real isn’t it? Not an illusion.”

  “Yes. Normally I would have completed the spell quickly to prevent you from feeling the magic. That way it would seem like I conjured a real sword out of thin air, which we both know is impossible.”

  “It felt like a portal, but different and there wasn’t even the slightest hint of a shimmering rainbow. How could you open a portal without it being seen? For that matter, you seem to be implying that you used the same magic to make the recliners appear and disappear. How could you do that without pushing them through the portal?”

  “I’ve spent a few centuries studying portals and found that they do not have to be the stationary, translucent barriers you’re used to seeing. I still create regular portals of course, but only when I don’t care who sees or feels them. When I need to hide a portal, or when I want to make people believe I can conjure something out of nothing, I create a different kind of portal. These portals can be wrapped around almost anything - chairs, swords, people... Then I have three choices. I can pull the object through the portal as I did with the sword, I can collapse the portal leaving the object on the opposite side from where it started, or I can leave it open so that the object is visible from both locations. I rarely choose the third option of course because it would allow anyone with magical abilities to feel the magic and possibly realize it was a portal. That sword and the recliners all came from my apartment.”

  “Does anyone else know you can do this?”

  I shook my head. “No. You are the only person I have ever told this secret.”

  Grayson bowed to me with his hand fisted over his heart. “I am honored you chose me for this privilege.” I returned the gesture then he straightened and asked, “How do you keep the portal from shimmering like a rainbow?”

  “That is really just about fine tuning the spell. If a normal portal is made with a dull blade then these are made with the sharpest scalpel. One leaves a jagged scar while the other barely leaves a mark. These portals cause a lot less damage to the natural world, therefore you can’t see the fabric of time and space attempting to repair itself, which is what causes portals to shimmer with a rainbow of colors.”

  Grayson shook his head. “I have a lot to learn before I attempt anything that complicated. I couldn’t even open the portal that you closed the other night.”

  I shrugged my shoulder. “Then we’ll start with the basics. Look around and tell me what you see.”

  He glanced around. “I’d like to say I see a forest, but if I came upon a forest like this I’d immediately be on guard. There’s something unnatural about it.”

  “Exactly,” I agreed. “A forest has many trees, not hundreds of copies of the same tree. And those trees are not evenly spaced, nor are they surrounded by an equal number of leaves and pine needles.” I pulled his runic stone out of my pocket. “I’m going to make some adjustments to your spell and I want you to listen closely and watch what I do with my hands.”

  Using hand gestures and a few incantations, I made some alterations to the spell adding moss, thickening the underbrush, creating obstacles with low hanging branches and fallen trees. Then I gave the trees more character by varying their sizes, the texture of the bark and the locations of the knots and other blemishes.

  “That’s amazing,” Grayson approved.

  Smiling, I said, “Oh, but I’m not finished yet.”

  With a few more whispered words, the damp scent of the forest filled my nose and a gust of cool air rushed through the trees making them creak and groan as they swayed in the wind.

  Grayson tried to tame his unruly hair once the wind died down. “Are the changes permanent?”

  I nodded. “I’ve embedded the changes into the stone. Every time you cast this spell, the forest will look just as it does now. Do you have the rest of your spells for the tournament with you?”

  “Yes, when they told me who called for me I grabbed them all.”

  “Good, let’s take a look at them.”

  We spent the rest of the afternoon fine-tuning his spells for the tournament then we worked on portals and security wards. If he was going to be the resident sorcerer at Supernova, he may as well learn how to maintain the wards I alre
ady had in place. It also wouldn’t hurt if he knew how to lock the place down if it ever became necessary.

  The wards at Myths and Legends, as well as our other properties in the human realm, were designed to keep out anyone who meant us harm. They weren’t perfect, since magic often had loopholes that went unnoticed until they were exploited, but for the most part, they kept us safe and helped hide our true natures from the humans. Without the need to hide our abilities from human notice, the security here at Supernova was a lot more relaxed. We wanted it to be a safe haven, but we also wanted a place where supernaturals could be themselves and let their hair down so to speak. Which meant when things went south they usually went from bad to worse without stopping anywhere in between.

  About an hour before the banquet was set to begin, I said goodbye to Grayson and went to my suite to get dressed. I hadn’t seen or heard from Renee so I used the spell I cast on her the night before to check her location. Once I knew she was home and hadn’t run off on me, I jumped in the shower and prepared for what was bound to be an interesting evening.

  Chapter Eight

  ~ Solomon ~

  The banquet was a black tie affair. However, since I wouldn’t be caught dead in a traditional tuxedo, I wasn’t wearing a tie and my jacket had a Mandarin flare with gothic embroidery and buttons. My pants were sadly lacking any of the usual chains, buckles or cargo pockets, but I was going for a more understated, elegant look for this event. I might prefer dressing like a teenager with gothic or punk tendencies, but being in the entertainment industry, I did know a thing of two about costumes, and I could dress appropriately if the occasion called for it.

  In the banquet hall, I found Doyle and Katerina seated with several other clan leaders at a large round table near the front of the room. Like the hundreds of other tables in the banquet hall, the tablecloth covering this one was crimson with gold trim - the colors of the dragon clan. When I sat down beside Doyle, there was an empty chair to my left, which I assumed he’d saved for Renee.

  “Did you have a chance to catch up with Renee yet?” he asked as quietly as he could, trying not to draw attention to the fact that she wasn’t there.

  “Things didn’t go as well as I’d hoped they would,” I murmured in response.

  Any further conversation was cut off when the herald announced the Dragon King and Queen. We all stood then bowed with our hands fisted over our hearts as Dragon and Serafina made their way to their seats. Even with her rather large belly, Serafina glided gracefully beside Dragon in her floor-length crimson gown. When they reached the center of the head table Dragon remained standing after helping Serafina into her seat. Leaders from several other supernatural groups were seated to their right and left. Dragon said we could be seated and there was a lot of shuffling as everyone situated themselves again.

  “Welcome to the nine hundred thirteenth annual tournament,” Dragon’s voice thundered through the room making the hundreds of supernaturals attending the banquet cheer loudly.

  When we quieted down he continued, “This tournament began as a way for shapeshifter clans to work out their differences without going to war. Since then, it has evolved into a highly anticipated competition between not only shifter clans but groups from many other supernatural races as well. The battles are fierce, the match-ups intense and many of us, males and females alike, become the savage warriors we were born to be.”

  Everyone cheered, the wild energy of our beasts vibrating in the air.

  “With that in mind, I expect to see blood, sweat, and more than a few injuries, but try to remember that we are all friends here, and I’d like to keep the deaths to a minimum.”

  “Does that include the vampires?” someone shouted from across the room and it felt like everyone took a collective breath, which they held awaiting Dragon’s response.

  Dragon cast his fiery gaze over the crowd. “This year marks a first for the tournament as we welcome Danarius Demarco, the new Master of the New Orleans vampires. As our guests, he and everyone under his control should be afforded the same respect and treatment that we would extend to any other supernatural group here by our invitation.” Dragon looked to his right where Danarius was seated a few chairs down and smirked. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t thoroughly enjoy kicking their asses.”

  There was a lot of hooting and hollering as Danarius rose from his chair and bowed slightly to Dragon. “On behalf of myself and my people, I thank you for the opportunity to compete in this tournament.” Then he looked out over the hundreds of supernaturals gathered before him and said, “We look forward to the challenges we will soon face and the victories we will soon celebrate.” Several growls sounded around us but Danarius was completely unfazed as he sat back down with a smirk of his own playing at his lips.

  Dragon chuckled. “I’m sure that will make things interesting...”

  Dragon continued speaking but Katerina drew my attention when she snorted. “Well that certainly took some balls.”

  Doyle shrugged. “Or he’s just as crazy as Travali was.”

  Katerina studied the vampire for a moment. “I don’t think that’s it Doyle. Travali’s insanity made him dangerously unpredictable, but I believe this vampire poses a much greater threat. From what I know of him, he is driven, self-contained, and can be quite devious when he needs to be.”

  I raised my eyebrows and she gave an elegant shrug of her shoulder. “I’m just putting your advice to good use. If we’re going to let these vampires into our homes we should get to know them better, then prepare for the worst because there’s no hope for the best.”

  Laughing quietly, I whispered, “That’s not exactly what I said, but I suppose it’s close enough.”

  “That vampire is a ruthless son of a bitch,” Doyle growled. “If it wasn’t for Rook, Rachel would still be addicted to Oblivion because of that bastard.”

  “The human child brought that on herself,” Katerina countered, showing her own ruthless streak. You didn’t get to be clan leader without being at least a little ruthless. “She willingly accepted money for sexual favors and when Rook and her mother interfered they publicly insulted Danarius. He had no choice but to make an example of the girl or risk being seen as too weak to lead. Besides, as you said, Rook saved her from that doomed fate.”

  Doyle started to argue further, but a member of the wait staff approached Katerina and whispered something in her ear then she excused herself and followed him to the kitchen.

  “She’s right Doyle, no matter how much we’d like to disagree with her. As clan leaders, we’ve all had to dole out punishments for insults that we’d rather have let go. It’s just the way our world works; mercy is a weakness that’ll get you killed more often than not.”

  He rubbed his hands over his face. “I know, it’s just harder to swallow when it comes to those vampires.”

  Returning my focus to Dragon I heard him stumble in his speech. It was just a slight stutter, but Dragon was an exceptional public speaker. Back home he had the human media wrapped around his little finger and he never, ever stumbled in his speeches. Narrowing my eyes, I saw that his brow was beaded with sweat and his hands were clenched tightly at his sides. He was usually so at ease in front of an audience, charming and charismatic. What could possibly make him tense up like that?

  I was about to ask Doyle if he’d noticed Dragon’s odd behavior when my eyes snagged on Serafina. Her eyelids were closed with a soft smile curving her lips.

  “Hey Doyle, how much would you be willing to bet Dragon and Serafina excuse themselves less than five minutes after he finishes his speech?”

  Doyle looked at the royal couple then at me and shrugged. “I’d bet a hundred bucks. I know Dragon does things his own way, but Claire did teach him some manners. It would be the height of rudeness for him to leave before dinner was even finished being served.”

  I smiled knowing I was about to win that bet and listened to the rest of Dragon’s speech.

  “...Tomorrow night the games beg
in. Aim true, fight with honor, and make your clans proud!” Dragon roared.

  We all cheered and clapped our hands together.

  “For tonight, enjoy the food, drink and be merry. My beautiful mate and I must excuse ourselves now, but we will see you on the dance floor later tonight.” Dragon took Serafina’s hand and they made a hasty exit.

  I laughed while almost everyone else gasped in shock and Doyle handed over a hundred dollars.

  “How did you know that was going to happen,” Doyle asked, scowling.

  “I heard Dragon stutter and noticed the sweat beading on his face. Then I saw the way Serafina was smiling. She’s been working on adding sensations to the visions she projects and I think she finally got him back for all those very public orgasms he gave her when she was human. I’m sure by now they’re acting out whatever fantasy she was projecting.”

  Doyle lost it, doubling over with laughter. When he could speak again he said, “I don’t even mind losing that bet now that I know why I did.”

  The food was brought out and even though I’d eaten breakfast and lunch, I was nearly ravenous with hunger. My body was still recovering from the hurricane and I knew that if I wanted to perform well in the tournament, I’d also need to feed again. That was something Renee and I would need to discuss later on tonight.

  Looking around the room, I was happy to see a lot of faces that I hadn’t seen for many years. During the time that we were cursed, many people avoided us because they thought the spell might rub off on them. Once the spell was broken, several new groups joined The United Clans and a lot more renewed former alliances with us. Many of those groups were attending the tournament for the first time in centuries.

  Since the banquet hall wasn’t big enough to hold everyone who was attending the tournament, only clan leaders and top ranking individuals from the visiting groups were invited to the dinner. Three quarters of the room were filled with shapeshifters and nightshifters. The rest of the tables were occupied by demons, sorcerers and vampires. Almost everyone was having a good time, talking and laughing, and enjoying the festive atmosphere. We just had to pretend there wasn’t a black cloud hanging over the far back corner of the room where a group of vampires sat with a loathsome sorcerer and a traitorous wolf shifter.