Magicorum Box Set (Books 1-5)

28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Bryar Rose

We walk through the woods. Spindly trees loom over us, the thin branches covered in tiny green leaves. The air smells of fresh soil combined with the bitter tang of salt water. In Italy, the ocean is never far away. We step out of the forest and onto another clearing. This one holds a single villa.

I pause. The sense of déjà vu is strong here. Throughout my soul, there’s this all encompassing sense of knowing this place. Belonging here. A little girl’s laugher sounds. I tilt my head. The child version of me is near.

Colonel Mallory steps closer. “I can see this spot is affecting you.”

“It is,” I say. “Why?”

“I magically sealed your memories up to age six, sugar. It was for your own good, but nothing works perfectly especially over time. Lately, my spell has been leaking on you, allowing you to see people from the past as if they were here today.” He sighs. “Wasn’t my best spell, but it did the trick.” He gestures to the villa. “Shall we?”

I look to Knox. “Is it me, or does that guy talk in riddles and half truths?”

Knox slants his gaze toward the Colonel. “All the time. But he’s fae. Goes with the territory.”

Across the clearing, the Colonel holds open the door to the villa. In this case, using the word door is being generous. The Colonel’s holding what’s little more than a screen that’s held on by a single hinge. Knox and I follow him across the threshold.

Inside, the place looks a lot like the other villa I saw. There are threadbare rugs on the floor. Odd patterns of black mold cover the walls. A few sticks of warped furniture are piled in a corner. All of the stuff looks like it was the height of design in 1950. In other words, there are lots of sleek black wooden tables and uncomfortable-looking chairs.

The place familiar and not, all at the same time.

The Colonel pulls back a frayed oriental carpet, revealing a cutout rectangle of wood set into the floor. My eyes widen.

“That’s a door to the basement.” Bands of anxiety constrict my rib cage. “I’ve seen that before.”

“Yes, darlin’. You have.” The Colonel picks up one edge of the wooden slat and pulls it aside, revealing a staircase leading downward. He looks to Knox. “You might want to carry her for this part.”

The Colonel marches down the darkened steps. My legs feel boneless beneath me. Every muscle in my body starts trembling.

“I can walk fine.” Total lie.

Knox steps up to my side. “Let me do this for you, yeah?”

I work my lower lip with my teeth. It’s silly to act like I don’t need some support right now. I give Knox a shaky smile. “Thank you.”

Leaning over, Knox scoops me in his arms and walks me down the rickety wooden stairs. When the reach the bottom, he resets me on my feet. What I see takes all the air from my lings.

This is the room from my dreams. It’s all here. The dirt floor. The small bed against one wall. The great wooden chest against one wall. And a small sandbox in the far corner of the room. When I speak, my voice has a dreamy tone. “I’ve seen this place.”

“Like I said, I had to lock down your memories, sugar. It was only to protect you.”

“Today, I saw the child version of me. It was outside the temple. She had gold skin, silver wings, and red hair. Do all Trilorum look that way when we’re children?”

“No, sugar.” The Colonel’s silver eyes soften. I can’t place the look; it’s somewhere between sadness and grief. “You, sweet baby, are one of a kind.”

Knox pulls me close against his side. “What are you saying?”

The Colonel walks over to the wooden chest and sits down upon it. “Most of my life, I haven’t been a good man, even by fae standards. Over the centuries, I made some fine enemies, all of them in the Fairy Lands. I escaped to this realm, but assassins got sent my way on a regular basis. Then, on one of my escapes, I ran across Jules. Sure, he was a zombie and mummy, but he was also a power to be reckoned with. He promised to hide me from my enemies. In return, I was to bring him meals of humans that I thought worthy of death. So I did. I hid here and did Jules’ bidding. Mind you, that was before Jules refined his tastes into Magicorum.”

The words make my stomach churn. I was to bring him regular meals of humans. “You didn’t.”

“I’m not proud of it, sugar. If it makes any difference, I did take care to find only the most disgusting specimens. But find them, I did. And I liked living here, I won’t deny that either. As a matter of fact, everything was going long fine until I found something in the temple one day, laying smack dab at the foot of that geyser.”

I can’t help but notice how the Colonel uses the word geyser instead of fountain of magic. Something in the back of my mind says I know what he really means, but I can’t quite find the words yet.

The Colonel rises, opens the wooden chest, and pulls out a drawing. “I drew this of you, right on the day I found you.”

With trembling fingers, I pull the sheet of paper from the Colonel’s hands. On it, there’s an image of a baby with golden skin, a shock of red hair, and tiny silver wings. And in that moment, I know one thing for certain. “That’s me.”

The Colonel nods. “You were such a little thing. Here I was, living in the lap of luxury. Jules was still hiding me from my enemies in the Fairy Lands.”

My forehead crumples as I think through this news. “But I knew Jules for years under an alias. Why wouldn’t I have recognized him?”

“I can explain that,” says the Colonel. “Right before your sweet baby self appeared, Jules got in a big fight with another one of my fae enemies. My enemy lost, but Jules got half his face ripped off in the process. It took him years to consume enough organs to rebuild his look. Until then, Jules wore a—”

“A mask,” I finish for him. “He wore a golden mask.”

I had seem him, after all.

“That’s right. Jules wore a mask, but he still needed meals. And I needed a place to hide. Only with you, I wasn’t the only one hiding anymore. I used my magic to make a hidden nursery and I became something I never thought I’d be. A father.”

The thought that had been nagging at the back of my mind becomes clear. I know what the fountain is. Lifting the Codex Mechanica, I speak once more into the device. “Tell me where the fountain of magic is.”

The gears whir.

My heart beats at double speed.

Knox translates once more. “The fountain of magic is in the basement of the dragon fairy’s villa.” His brows droop with confusion. “Bry, I don’t understand. It should say the fountain is in the temple.”

“No, the device is right,” I say. “It’s me. I’m the fountain. Magic created me; I have no parents.”

Knox rounds on the Colonel. “Is this true?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Knox turns to me. “Are you sure about this?”

I nod. “Remember how the hieroglyph for fountain could also mean form or figure? That meant a person. And back in the temple? The Shadowvin didn’t ask for the geyser to be transported to Egypt, only me. In fact, this whole scam has been in order to trick me into visiting the pyramids willingly.”

“That’s right,” The Colonel opens up the chest once more. “Once I figured out who you really were, I spent years looking up everything I could find on the Shadowvin, first wardens, and the fountain of magic.” He pulls out a heavy leather-bound book and offers it to me. “This book tells the story of the first recorded fountain. It was a boy named Calibur.”

“Calibur.” I turn the name over in my thoughts. It seems a fitting name.

“The records show they tried to drain Calibur when he wasn’t willing,” adds the Colonel. “Only got a trickle. So you’re right, sugar. The magic flows best when you’re willing. The Shadowvin have been trying to lure you to Egypt.”

Knox rubs his neck in a slow rhythm before focusing on me again. “What about your trip to the past?” he asks. “You saw a Trilorum in a white cloak. Was that Calibur?”

“I didn’t see the person’s face.” Lines of fear snake their way up my back. Something about this next question sets off my fight or flight reflex in a big way. I focus all my attention on the Colonel. “The person I saw in the past, was it Calibur?”

“No, sugar. I’m afraid not.” He goes to offer me the leather book again. “This lists every Trilorum who attended the annual ceremonies.”

I hug my elbows. “I don’t need to read it now. Just tell me what happened to Calibur.”

“The person you saw was a Trilorum. He or she attends the ceremony in order to symbolize Calibur.”

My eyes widen as I think through the Colonel’s words. “What do you mean, symbolize Calibur?”

The Colonel’s silver eyes fill with pity. “According to the records, after Calibur gave his bounty—meaning that after he was drained of his magic—then he died.”

The walls of the room seem to press in around me. I can only repeat the Colonel’s last word. “Died.”

Knox steps before me and cups my face in his hands. “That won’t be you, Bry. Never you.”

Nodding, I swallow past the lump of terror in my throat. If there’s any chance for me to survive, it will because I learn how this whole ceremony thing works. “And what happened to Calibur’s magic?”

“According to the records, Calibur’s magic was stored in the pyramids. Every year, a little magic was released during the ceremony. In the ritual you saw, the first wardens tried to let all the remaining magic out and consume it. Instead, the magic made them into the Shadowvin.”

For the first time in my life, I can truly guess what was my real fairy tale life template. “The fountain of magic is born once every five thousand years. On the autumn equinox, I give my bounty. And then, I die. That’s my real life template.”

Before me, Knox leans in, pressing his forehead against mine. “No, Bry.”

The Colonel resets the book into the wooden chest and slams it shut. “I read everything I could on this subject. As long as the Void and the Shadowvin didn’t rise again, I thought you would be safe. That’s why I tried to hide you. No one needed to know who you really were. But the Shadowvin did rise again. And the equinox takes place tomorrow night. I’m so sorry. Magic created you for a purpose.” Heaving out a sigh, the Colonel sits upon the closed chest. “I’ve done all I could. You’re going to have to live out that story now, sugar.”

My lower lip quivers with sadness. “I have to die for you all.”

Knox pulls me against his chest. “I don’t believe that. My wolf doesn’t believe that, either. There’s something we’re missing.” Knox looks to the Colonel. “Tell us more about what happened with Bry.”

The Colonel gives me a sad smile. “You were my little golden-skinned girl, toddling around down here. The ruby strands of your hair glistened so brightly. And let’s not forget your lovely silver wings. They rippled behind you as you ran. I wanted to keep you here with me, but I couldn’t hide you forever. Soon, you figured out how to escape this place and roam the grounds.” He chuckles. “We had a few close calls, and that’s when I realized the sad truth. I had to give you away. If Jules so much as saw you, he’d have figured out what you were: the reincarnation of the fountain.”

“And he’d have killed me on the spot.”

The Colonel nods. “I couldn’t let it happen. I had to change the way you look.”

Another realization appears. “You took my wings to change my appearance. It was the same thing that happened to Elle.”

The Colonel stares at the floor. “It burned my soul to take your wings. But it had to be done. Changing how you looked required a sacrifice.”

“Then you locked up my magic inside my soul with the curse.”

“Now that part was easier to do. Once you were disguised and your magic was locked up tight, I told Jules that I’d found a human orphan with magical potential. Jules did the rest. It was his usual thing. He blackmailed your aunties into raising you until you were old enough to be a decent feast. Once you were gone, I couldn’t stay here anymore, not alone. I had to go back and face my troubles in the Fairy Lands. I didn’t think I was away for long, but you know how time goes in Fairy.”

“Hours there can pass, while decades go by here on Earth,” I say.

“That’s right. It was too late by the time I figured out what had happened. You were almost seventeen years of age and Jules had started taking notice of you. He’d figured out how powerful you were and wanted to make you one of his special wives.” The Colonel shakes his head. “If Jules had realized who you really were, you wouldn’t have lasted a day.” He scrubs his hands over his face. “Sorry for taking your wings. I couldn’t find any other way to hide who you were.”

“I understand. You had to change the way I looked.”

“Then I chose your life template and named you Bryar Rose.”

My gaze lands on the sandbox in the corner. Just like in my dreams, it has wooden versions of the pyramids in it. I gesture toward it. “What was that for?”

“You asked me to conjure it up for you. Every day, you’d tinker with the placement of those silly wooden pyramids. It was like you were trying to figure out how they worked. You wanted me to make a little model of you, but you kept calling yourself the fountain.” He nods toward the chest. “I’d found some records about the old geyser, so I made that for you. That way, if you ever called it the fountain in front of a stranger, no one would be the wiser.”

I think back to my trip through time. “There were pyramids in South America as well. They all exploded. Do you have any idea how they work with the fountain?” I shake my head. “I mean, with me?”

“I don’t. And I asked you as well. You said you didn’t know, and I believed you. My girl never lied to her poppa.” His voice breaks as he speaks those last words.

This man was my Poppa, and I hardly remember a moment of it all. None of this seems real.

“So I have to go to the pyramids tomorrow night. Alone.”

Knox pulls me closer against his chest. “No. I’ll be with you.”

The Colonel nods. “As will I.”

This has been a day of terrible realizations, and this next one is the worst. “This is why magic has been killing you,” I say to Knox. “It knows I have to die and the power’s trying to protect you.”

“No way, Bry.” Knox’s voice turns rough and fierce. “Our connection is real because I’m a warden and you’re my fountain. I’ve been protecting you all along.”

“Then why am I making you sick? How can I be the one who’s placing your animal at risk…and mine as well?” All of a sudden, I realize why Colonel Mallory went ahead and put my inner wolf on a time out. She wouldn’t be handling this very well. It was wrong of him to do that without my permission, but he was doing it for the right reasons. Leaning back, I gaze up into Knox’s ice-blue eyes. “If magic is protecting you, isn’t that what I should do, too? After all, I am magic.”

“It’s like I’ve said, Bry. We have to trust in what we feel for each other.” He kisses the top of my head. “Think, Bry. You’ve figured out so much. I know it’s in your mind somewhere.”

Closing my eyes, I sift through everything I know. My mind keeps returning to images of the Void. “The Void never said he wanted to destroy anything. He just wants to find the fountain. Find me. Maybe he doesn’t want to consume my power. Maybe he’s here to help me somehow. And you three wardens watch over while it happens.”

“So we all go to the pyramids tomorrow might,” says Knox. “We just need to get the three wardens together.”

“Trouble is, we only have two,” I say.

A small smile rounds the Colonel’s mouth. “Now, I think I can give you some good news at last. You’ve got the warden of fae magic waiting back in the temple.”

For a long moment, I can only stare at the Colonel. Then, the answer appears in my mind’s eye. “It’s Elle. She’s the warden of fairy magic. No wonder all the fae kids at school follow her around.”

“Does she know?” asks Knox.

“Heavens no,” replies the Colonel. “If that girl knew the full extent of her powers, she’d flatten all of us while just trying to cast even a basic spell.” He points at me. “Except you, darlin’.”

Knox links his fingers with mine. “We can’t wait around here, Bry. We need to get our friends together and leave before the Shadowvin return.”

“Agreed,” I say. Now that I know who I am and what I need to do, my heart fills with a kind of steely resolve. “We have a day to plan our trip to the pyramids. Let’s get started.”

Knox brushes a gentle kiss across my lips. “We’ll make our own story.”

I can’t help but smile. “Yeah.”

But even as I say that word, part of me counters with another term.

Maybe.