Magicorum Box Set (Books 1-5)

23. Chapter Twenty-Three-1

23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Bryar Rose

My hands tremble as I pick up the Codex Mechanica. Memories from my journey through time with Scar appear in my mind. Back then, the first wardens had placed three discs onto spindles and set them inside the box. Once you closed the lid, the slits in the box top showed the edges of the discs, which were all covered in glyphs. In turn, the discs spun and stopped, showing different glyphs through the holes in the box’s lid. The thing is an ancient slot machine on steroids.

I gingerly set the Codex Mechanica onto the tabletop. The wooden case is warped and cracked. The colorful paints that once decorated the exterior are now faded beyond recognition. Two bronze clasps still hold the lid in place. I carefully undo the fasteners and open the box’s lid. With each passing second, my heart thuds harder against my rib cage.

This moment is really here.

We’ve found the Codex Mechanica.

Now we’ll find the fountain as well.

It doesn’t seem real.

Inside the box, I find the discs, each one about the size of my palm. The first one is made from gold, the second is made from a single ruby and…that’s it.

The silver disc is missing.

I carefully lay everything out onto the tabletop. Maybe I missed something. Nope. The silver disc is definitely missing.

Knox has been watching my actions the entire time. “Something wrong?” he asks.

“There should be three discs.” I keep counting the items, like the third disc will appear if I just review the numbers enough. A chill creeps up my back.

Tell me I didn’t get this far only to find a busted device.

Knox brushes his fingers over the pieces. “It’s amazing that the thing has lasted thousands of years and is still in such good shape.” He picks up the golden disc. “I bet it’s like any machine. Assemble it with most of its parts and it will mostly work.”

Now, I know for a fact that Knox can put together a carburetor at a rate to boggle the mind. He basically built his own Harley from scratch. If anyone can figure out how to make this device function, it’s my mate. I step back. “Want to give it a try?”

Knox doesn’t reply. He just starts putting things together. The expression on his face is the definition of ease and confidence.

I wish I could be so calm, but nothing about finding this fountain has been easy. First, I spent years trying to decipher the papyri. Second, there was no small amount of drama to find the Codex Mechanica. And third, now that the device is in our hands, it might even be busted.

“I got the two discs in place.” Knox carefully closes the box’s lid and reseals the hook and eye clasps.

“Nice work.” The interior is a mess of brass brackets. It would have taken me hours to figure out.

“Thanks.” Knox taps the top with his pointer finger. “Now, let’s see what you can do.”

Immediately, the two working discs spin. After that, they pause. Through the slots in the box top, a pair of glyphs appears. Along with Alec, Knox spent years trying to translate papyri, so it’s no problem for my mate to read what the box says.

“Seek the lost disc,” reads Knox.

The discs rotate once more before pausing once more again. Knox translates again. “It’s in the geyser.” He frowns. “Geyser?”

“When I went to the past, there was definitely a geyser. There was no question that it was the fountain.” I bob my head. “Well, not to me anyway.”

“But Scar didn’t agree.”

“The geyser was covered in streaks of gold, silver and red. It had to be the remnants of magic. And the glyph for fountain can also mean geyser.”

“It’s a tricky symbol,” says Knox. “It can also mean form or something, right?”

“True.”

“So it might not be the fountain.”

“I suppose.”

That’s what I say, but I still think the geyser is the fountain.

The discs spin once more. “Location,” reads Knox. The tiny wheels spin again. More glyphs appear. “Caesar’s villa.” The discs shift until there are no more glyphs visible through the box top. The device stops moving.

“Guess that’s the end of the message,” I say.

“Julius Caesar’s villa,” Knox murmurs. “I visited that place when I was hunting for Denarii.”

Now, I know Knox spent years hunting down evil Denarii in general, and Jules in particular. Somehow, it’s different knowing that my mate was roaming around Jules’ house. My voice lowers to a hush. “What was it like?”

Knox tilts his head. “The villa?”

“Yes.” I’m still whispering for some reason. “Was it filled with zombie brains or secret plans to take over the world?”

“Nah,” says Knox. “It was just a bunch of old run-down buildings. There was a ruined roman temple and some modern houses, but those looked abandoned years ago. There were no people or interesting-looking stuff, either. That said, I was looking for Denarii, not fountains. What did you say it would look like again?”

“Based on my trip back in time, the fountain of magic should look like the chopped-off top of a geyser. Are you sure you didn’t see anything like that?”

“Unless it was undead, I didn’t notice anything in those days.”

“Okay.” Taking in a deep breath, I resolve to start the next phase of our adventure. “Next stop, Italy.”

“Not just yet. We need to chat first.”

Maybe it’s because we’re mates, but I instantly know what Knox is talking about. “About Elle and Alec.”

Knox holds up his phone. “I turned it off after the fight at Boucle-Roux. No one’s been able to call, thanks to the new spell Alec put on my phone. You know Elle and Alec must be losing their minds now. We can’t expect them to hold off searching for us forever. In fact, I’m surprised Alec hasn’t used a tracker spell already to starting yelling nastygrams at me through space. It’s not like the guy is Mister Patient.”

A pouf of red smoke hovers in the air before us. Warlock magic. Within a few seconds, the haze takes the shake of a transparent version of Alec’s head. Only, it’s about four feet tall. In fact, if the wizard’s head from Oz were transparent, red, and a surfer guy? That’s what’s in the room right now.

“Did someone mention my name?” asks head-Alec. “I may have sent a spell out to detect if a certain person starts to think about other people beside himself.”

“Yeah.” Knox rolls his eyes. “I did mention you. Your spell worked.”

“Good. That means you’re done hiding under whatever rock you’ve crawled under. Now turn on your damn phone, Claw Boy.”

I stare at Alec’s floating head. This is so strange. I go on tiptoe to whisper in Knox’s ear. “Can he hear me?”

“Nah,” answers Knox. “Only me. We have an agreement that we don’t bug each other when our cell phones are off.” Knox says that last part extra loud.

“Unless,” relies Floating Head Alec. “The other person disappears, freaks out their best friend, and then starts talking about said best friend. In that case, the best friend can send a magical version of their floating head to chat.”

Knox chuckles. “You made that up.”

Alec gives another from his collection of eye rolls. “Duh.”

“Give me a sec with Bry,” says Knox. “What’s wrong? I can smell the worry.”

Floating Head Alec’s eyes get large. “What’s up with Bry? Should I transport over?”

“A minute and some privacy.”

“Look,” I begin. “I still feel the same way I did back at Boucle-Roux. There’s no reason to get Alec in on this. Elle, either. It’s too dangerous.”

Knox tilts his head. “You really think we can keep them out?”

Floating Head Alec pretends to look around the room. “What shall I do when I’m being ignored and using up incredible amounts of magic to try and communicate?” He makes an exaggerated a-ha face. “I’ve got it. How about I count down until you decide to acknowledge me? Nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah…”

Yes, Floating Head Alec is now singing the jeopardy theme song. My life is beyond bizarre.

“Nah nah nah nah NAH nanananana. Nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah. NAH nah nah nah. Nah. Nah. Nah. Boom, boom. I can do this all day, and I know you find it totally annoying.” He clears his throat. “Second verse, same as the first. Nah nah nah nah…”

While Alec keeps singing, Knox pulls his phone out from his jacket pocket. The device is glowing red with magic. Holding it between his thumb and forefinger, my mate jiggles his cell from side to side. The question is there but unspoken: Should I turn it on?

“Do it,” I sigh. When Alec sets his mind on something, there really is no way to stop him. Plus, he has a terrible singing voice.

Knox turns on his phone, and the floating Alec head disappears. Within seconds, the cell blares out Darth Vader’s march, which is Alec’s special ring tone. Knox takes the call. “Hey.”

Through the tinny speaker, Alec complains in rapid-fire style. Knox’s best friend talks so quickly, it’s hard to make out what he says, but I do catch a few choice words, like dickhead and stubborn.

Knox raises his voice. “You want to come here?”

This time, I can hear Alec’s voice clearly. “What do you think, Fur Bunny?”

“Then stop your bellyaching and transport over already. We both know you have enough of my personal crap so you can find me anytime.”

Alec’s tinny voice sounds again. “I was trying to be sensitive. We have a deal about this stuff. And you went out of town to find Bry. I knew you’d track her down. There was no way I’d just transport over and interrupt. You and Bry could have been having a moment.”

“You guessed it, genius,” says Knox. “We were having a BIG moment. And with that little song of yours, you just interrupted us.”

My face blazes red. Earth, please open up because I need somewhere to hide.

When I speak again, my voice comes out as a chirp. “There was no moment.” I know Knox is just busting on Alec, but it still feels important to clarify the moment-thing. It’s not like we were getting naked in Knox’s fancy dining room.

In his castle.

Which his ex-girlfriend just decorated in red slime that looks a lot like blood.

Did I mention my life is weird?

Knox hangs up. “Alec will be here any second.” He eyes me carefully. “I scent concern. What worries you… Is it how I told Alec we were having a moment? I forget you weren’t raised with shifters. We’re really open about stuff like that.”

Once again, my mouth starts moving on its own. “No, I’m totally fine. I get that you and Knox just bust on each other. And if you wanted to, you can tell our friends how we kiss and stuff. So totally good. I don’t care. Not me. At all.”

Wow. Terrible speech, Bry.

I clear my throat. “You know what? It might be time to change the subject.”

Knox’s blue eyes glisten with mischief. “If you say so, but you’re really cute when you’re embarrassed.”

“Okay. So. Well. Since Alec is on his way, I’ll just revive my inner wolf now.”

Knox’s brows lift. “You’ve had her in stasis all this time?”

“What can I say? My wolf really wanted to bite your ex’s face off. Or her ankle, finger, or toe.”

Knox cracks out another one of his thinking-faces. In this one, he acts like he’s contemplating something super-serious, but he’s mostly kidding. “Sounds like you made the right choice.”

“Thank you.” I wink. “I’ll just wake her up now.”

Closing my eyes, I concentrate on picturing the strands of golden power that interlace through my soul. Sure enough, I picture them as they weave and dance in space. I send them a command.

Awaken my wolf.

Inside my heart, my inner animal stirs. After smacking her lips, my wolf does one of those animal yawns that make you wonder how anyone’s tongue could possibly be that long.

“You put me to sleep,” she grumbles.

“You were in stasis,” I say in my mind. “There’s a difference. And then, I only did it because you were losing your cool and wouldn’t listen to reason. Ty just gave us the Codex Mechanica, by the way. That couldn’t have happened if you’d attacked her.”