War Magi Read online

  “You seem well, Amanda.”

  “Thanks, you, too,” Amanda replied. “Sorry I didn’t visit sooner; things have been interesting recently.”

  “Balor keep me up to date with your adventures, young one,” he said. Amanda smiled, enjoying his Chinese accent and the way he left words out of sentences. She was much older than he was, but he often referred to her in this way.

  “Has he?” she answered and looked over at the figure standing off towards the cliff face that rose up above them. The gargoyle-like Scion, with his lion-like face, bat wings, and hulking body that looked like it was made from stone glanced at her and smiled a fang-filled grin.

  “I hope he’s been kind about me,” she said with a wink to him. A little beyond Balor to her right was the large shallow depression in the cliff face where Gentle Water’s stone-built home stood, an inviting orange glow coming from its windows. She’d enjoyed a delightful afternoon of green tea and discussion in there before coming out here.

  The rocky garden sported a small babbling brook that ran through the carefully sculpted area with its statues of Buddha and temple dogs lit by stone lanterns.

  It was perhaps the most peaceful place Amanda had ever seen.

  “Of course,” Gentle Water answered with a smile of his own. “You seem to make quite big impression on Magi of Nexus.”

  She sighed. “That’s what bothers me. I feel like I’ve brought nothing but ruin upon the Nexus. From the moment I got up there, it’s like my very presence is brewing war between the dynasties.”

  “I doubt it that bad, little one. And, even if is, I very much doubt it your fault.”

  “I was the one that followed the Archons out there after the attack on New York…”

  “What else you meant to do? Ignore threat these Archons and Crux pose to Earth?”

  “I guess not,” she replied.

  “Amanda, you are good person. I know you well. I know you always try and always do best. Have faith, young one.”

  She nodded to herself and smiled. “Thanks, I’ll try.”

  “Good.”

  With one final breath of the fresh, clean air, she stood up and walked over to him, taking his frail feeling hands in hers. “Thanks for the tea. It’s been good to see you again, but I’ve gotta go. I have a date.”

  “I not keep you any longer. It good to see you, too. Come back soon, yes?”

  Amanda nodded. “I will. Stay safe,” she said, and kissed his forehead. She backed up as he smiled at her.

  “Farewell, young one.”

  “Bye,” she replied, and worked her Magic, Porting away from Gentle Waters’ home in the mountains.

  ***

  Amanda sat back in her chair and set her cake fork down on the plate before her amidst the crumbs of the delicious slice of baked vanilla cheesecake she had just eaten. It had only been small, just like the previous twenty gourmet courses they had eaten here. Some of them had only been a mouthful, but they had all been simply divine.

  They were in a small town in western Spain near Barcelona, and Maria had brought her to a restaurant that she had said had been voted as the best in the world, with a waiting list that was months long.

  Amanda had to admit it was indeed something special. The restaurant itself was spacious with only a few tables in here, giving you plenty of privacy, and the staff were kind and courteous. But the highlight was the food, which was both beautifully presented and divine to eat.

  “Did you specially request that last course?” Amanda asked, looking over the table at Maria. She wore a beautiful dark dress with a plunging neckline and a necklace that glittered in the half-light of the restaurant. She wore her dark hair loose tonight as she smiled over at Amanda.

  “But of course, only the best will do for you. I wanted to treat you; it’s been a while since we really went out and enjoyed ourselves.”

  Amanda nodded. “It has been a while,” she answered, and took a sip of the wine.

  “And, I know I said it before, but thanks for wearing that dress again.”

  Amanda grinned, noting Maria’s wandering eyes. “I know it’s your favourite.”

  “You like it, too,” Maria protested.

  Amanda glanced down at the sheer red fabric that clung to her body. It was a long dress with shoulder straps, a low neckline, an even lower gathered back, and a generous slit up her right leg. Intricate applique had been embroidered into the dress to maintain her modesty, but it was still a rather daring outfit to wear. She completed the look with a pair of red shoes secured with straps that wrapped around her legs and came up to just below her knee.

  Amanda looked back up at her lover. “Of course I do, it’s beautiful, but more importantly, it reminds me of you.”

  Maria blushed slightly, making Amanda smile at how cute she looked. Maria had given her this dress before a party she’d attended in New York. A party for the local Magi to celebrate the liberation of the city from the Dark Magus Lucian, who had controlled the city for decades. Amanda had moved into New York not long before because she’d loved that city, but Lucian had taken offence, leading to a conflict that had ended in Amanda killing Lucian.

  That party marked a turning point in her life, she remembered, and because she’d been wearing this dress at the time, it would be forever linked to her life as a Magus.

  “You remember the first time you wore it?” Maria asked.

  “Like it was yesterday. I remember being nervous about wearing such a daring outfit, but it went down great. It was the first time I visited Ultima Thule as well.”

  “The first time you left Earth, too,” Maria added.

  Amanda nodded. “It was. And the first time I heard of the prophecy about me.”

  “That must have been a strange day?” Maria asked.

  “It was a little different, yes,” Amanda answered with a self-conscious smile.

  “I remember the first time I visited Ultima Thule. Stepping outside and looking up at Saturn, just right there, almost filling the sky above me. It was a pretty crazy feeling.”

  Amanda nodded, remembering the same feelings of wonderment and awe at being on one of Saturn’s moons. She’d travelled much further since then, but those early trips away from Earth were etched into her mind.

  “It was Trevelyan who took you out there, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it was. It was a bit of an awkward visit, actually. He showed me the prophecy and told me of his belief that it referred to me. That was a lot to digest, and I felt a bit uncomfortable, really. Having someone say that to me was bizarre. I didn’t know how to handle it.”

  “He was right, though,” Maria said.

  Amanda sighed. “I guess so.”

  Maria looked at her with a slight frown. “Are you okay, Mandy?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay.”

  “Don’t lie to me; I know something is bothering you.”

  “I can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

  Maria just smiled back at her, her eyebrows rising towards her forehead.

  “I was just talking to Gentle Water about this earlier on,” Amanda began. “I’m just not sure I’ve done the right thing recently.”

  “You mean with Earth joining the Nexus?”

  Amanda nodded. “The Nexus seemed to be doing fine without us, and now we’ve gone out there and messed everything up by trying to join. The Nexus seems to be on the brink of war with itself over this. I just wonder if we should have done it at all. Maybe I should have just chased the Archons and hunted them down myself?”

  “You could have done that,” Maria answered her. “But after that dragon attack, Trevelyan and the Magi Council didn’t have much choice, did they? Remember, it wasn’t just your choice to join the Nexus.”

  “But I’ve led the charge, which is another thing. I’m not a leader. That’s just not me. I just want to help, but everyone seems to want me to lead.”

  “I know you’re not comfortable with that, but you’re a better leader than you realise.”

/>   “I don’t mind leading a Coven, that’s fine, but I have no desire to do what Elden does, or Trevelyan. I’m never going to want to be the leader of Earth’s Magi.”

  “So, no Queen Amanda, then? No Empress Page?”

  Amanda laughed. “No. I don’t think so. I’m happy as I am, but I do want to hunt down those damn Archons.”

  “And for that, I think you might need help, even with your considerable Magical skill.”

  “Oh, I’m certain of it. Hopefully, Crystal can find the Demiurge out there somewhere, because I think we’ll need him.”

  “You’ll also need the whole of the Nexus behind you.”

  “Which is my problem entirely. The Nexus looks like it might fracture, but I don’t know what else to do. I can’t exactly turn around to Trevelyan and ask him to cancel joining the Nexus. The Earth needs to be able to defend itself, and for that, it needs the support of the Nexus. We’ve come too far, now, but if I continue down this route, will it mean the Nexus falls apart, just when I need it to come together?”

  Maria sighed and reached across the table, taking Amanda’s hand in hers. “You’re a good person, Mandy. You have a good heart, and I know you only want to help. But sometimes people don’t know what’s good for them, you know? They don’t know what it is that they need. Right now, the Nexus needs you, and it needs Earth, but it doesn’t know that yet. It will, though. It will one day realise that you were right, and on that day, they will stand shoulder to shoulder with you and with Earth. I have faith in you, Mandy, and so do many others.”

  Amanda smiled and gently squeezed Maria’s hand. “I hope so, because when the Crux and the Archons come calling, we’re going to need everyone.”

  “Ladies, are you finished?” a waiter asked as he walked up to the table.

  “Yes, we are, thank you,” Maria answered him, and then turned to Amanda. “I think that’s our cue to leave.”

  Amanda nodded. It was the early hours, and they were the only ones left in the restaurant, so they gathered their things, paid, and left, walking out into the pleasant evening air.

  “You know, I don’t want this evening to end,” Amanda said, pulling Maria in close by the waist.

  “It doesn’t have to, not yet. In fact, I think I know the perfect place to go,” Maria said as they walked up the street.

  “You do?” Amanda asked, their hips knocking together as they walked.

  “Yep,” Maria answered and grabbed Amanda’s hand, pulling her up a side alleyway. She looked around, checking they were out of sight of anyone before turning back to Amanda. “Don’t want to scare the locals, do we?”

  Amanda smiled as Maria worked her Magic. Essentia flared and rushed around them, and with a whip-snap, they left Spain behind and snapped into existence part way around the globe. They were standing on a white sandy beach with azure waves gently lapping the shoreline. In the East, the sky was beginning to brighten, but it was still dark where they stood. Above, the brilliance of the Milky Way glittered in the night, arcing across the sky high above them.

  Amanda knew where they were right away, her innate Magic allowing her to pinpoint her location on Earth. This was the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.

  “I’m not sure I’ve ever been here before,” Amanda commented. With a quick thought, her complicated strappy shoes disappeared from her legs and appeared in her hand, letting her stand on the sand and feel the grains between her toes.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, admiring the paradise beach. Behind them were palm trees and greenery, and off to her left a wooden jetty snaked out into the sea, flanked on either side by luxurious looking wooden huts with palm leaf roofs.

  “I thought we could watch the sunrise together,” Maria suggested.

  Amanda smiled and pulled Maria in for a kiss. “That sounds perfect,” she said as they walked down the beach holding hands, letting the cool water splash around their feet.

  “It’s amazing out there in space, but sometimes, it’s good to come back just enjoy some simple pleasures, you know?”

  “And I love having you back here,” Maria answered with a squeeze of her hand.

  They wandered for a while longer before walking a little way up from the water and sitting beside each other to watch the sun creep over the distant horizon, throwing its orange glow over the sea as dawn broke.

  Amanda watched it, her arm around Maria, enjoying the moment and sharing it with someone she loved. As the night turned into day, Maria lifted her head from Amanda’s shoulder.

  “Have you got to go?”

  “Not yet, no. I have a little more time.”

  “Good, because I have one of those huts booked, and I don’t want to be there alone.”

  “Oh, really?” Amanda asked. “You want to have your wicked way with me, do you?”

  Maria smiled and shrugged. “Can you blame me? Seeing you in that dress again? It’s taking all my willpower to keep my hands to myself, young lady.”

  Amanda laughed. “Young? Hah! At my age, if it weren’t for my Magic, the girls would be swinging around by my ankles,” she replied, grabbing her boobs and squeezing them for emphasis.

  Maria exploded with laughter and pulled Amanda in for a hug. “Oh shit, I love you, babe, don’t ever change. Come on, let’s go check out this hut and test the bed springs.”

  They both got up, smiling. They walked up the beach, along the jetty, and into one of the rustic little houses held up above the water on stilts. Amanda walked inside as Maria closed the door behind her. The inside was beautifully laid out and spotlessly clean with pristine white cushions and bedding. The open windows looked out over the green shallows of the ocean as the sun slowly rose on another day.

  “This is beautiful,” Amanda commented.

  “I hope it’s not the only thing that is,” Maria said from behind her.

  Amanda turned to see Maria walking towards her, her dress already on the floor, leaving her naked with a naughty grin on her face. Amanda smiled.

  “Well, now that you mention it, there might be one other thing that’s caught my eye,” Amanda answered, nonchalantly.

  Maria closed the gap between them and pulled her in for a kiss, pressing herself into her. Amanda returned the embrace and pulled her in, caressing her lover as they kissed.

  “Did you wear underwear this time?” Maria asked, pulling away.

  “Only one way for you to find out,” Amanda replied.

  “If you insist,” Maria answered, as her hand moved lower and pulled the front of her dress away to reach beneath.

  Amanda gasped as Maria’s fingers slipped inside her and touched her in just the right place.

  “Well, that makes things a little easier,” Maria said with a grin and kissed Amanda again. “Leave the dress on for a while,” Maria said with a wink.

  “Whatever you say,” Amanda replied breathlessly, enjoying her lover's touch, forgetting her troubles for a little while to enjoy this time with Maria.

  Laying the Foundation

  Inisfail, Quantum Realm, Beyond our Universe.

  Essentia faded, and Amanda found herself standing inside the small, cosy cottage inside her Quantum Realm. It felt a little cooler here than it did in the Maldives, but it wasn’t cold by any means. It felt good to be back, though, and after a good night’s rest with Maria, and the pleasant memories of her touch running through her mind, Amanda spread out her arms and gave her body a good stretch, tensing her muscles and hearing a couple of pops from her joints as she did it.

  Relaxing, she noticed Samhain’s head pop up from behind a nearby chair. The large sabretooth cat just stared at her.

  “Morning, Sam,” she said. Sam tilted his head to one side and made a funny whining noise. “What? Can’t I go and spend time with Maria without a judging look from you?”

  Sam made another couple of grumbling noises and then looked away from her.

  “I think you care more than you’re letting on, young man. You don’t fool me,” she said.

  Sam
grunted and laid back down.

  “Ugh, alright, I’ll come and give you some fuss in a bit, alright? I could do with a shower first, though. Is that okay?”

  Sam replied with another, somewhat non-committal grunt. Amanda rolled her eyes.

  “Cats,” she moaned, and turned to walk towards the bathroom when the front door to the cottage opened.

  “Aaah, you are ba… Oh, the red dress,” Matt said, walking into the building with Jinx just behind him. “Have you been out somewhere?”

  “Date with Maria,” Amanda replied.

  “Nice. Lucky girl,” he said off handedly.

  Amanda caught the comment and turned to face him a little more, raising one eyebrow.

  “I mean, you know,” Matt stumbled, “it’s a nice dress. Looks good on you.”

  “You’ve seen me in this before, Matt. All those times online, in the Hypernet.”

  Matt shrugged. “I know, just never seen it in real life before. Wasn’t aware that it was a real dress that you owned, that’s all,” he replied with an innocent smile.

  “It is an appealing garment, and compliments your hair nicely,” Jinx added. “I can see why Matt is attracted to it.”

  Matt turned and gave Jinx a look. “It’s just a nice outfit…” he protested.

  “Do you want to try it on, is that it?” Amanda asked, deciding to needle him some more, and was pleased to see his attention return to her, his eyes wide with shock.

  “Erm, no. Not really. I think it looks much better on you…Cos, you know, you’re a girl…” Matt stammered.

  “Last time I checked,” Amanda replied, enjoying messing with Matt’s head a little.

  “Um, yeah…” he replied, his eyes making a pit-stop on her chest for half a second.

  Amanda smiled to herself and shook her head. “What’s up? I could reeeaaally do with getting this thing off and having a quick soak in the shower.” She could almost see him visualise the scene in his head, get slightly uncomfortable and then quickly brush it aside to focus on the reason for him coming in here in the first place.