Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga - Lady Adellandra Dratianos (best detective novels of all time TXT) 📗

It gave her hope.
“You’re right. I can.” Luna remarked. “I just choose not to waste it on scum like you, cousin.”
Damian was shocked at the last word. He grasped a staff from thin air and pointed it at her. It made Luna cringe. “How dare you assume I am one of you!”
She could feel the evil burning through his system to the end of the staff. What she couldn’t do is stop the bolt of red Dominionite Magic that came from its end. All she could do was cover her eyes and hope for the best.
At once, the Unknown around her turned black, and she was unconscious.

III

Once in the Abyss, Shane, Derrick and Ariana changed dress. Immediately, they were the Shadow, the Protector and the Young Guardian. As usual, Ariana took control.
“Shadow, find the Grand Magus in the Unknown.” Young Guardian commanded. “Protector, come with me to find the Enchanted Child’s Invisibite self. We’ll meet up with the Child somewhere safe in the Dream Realm. That way, we’ll be able to Exorcize the Mind-dweller away there. Understand?”
The Shadow and the Protector nodded their heads.
“Hurry.” The Protector supplied.
“How do I Exile myself?” Shadow asked, confused.
“See the Gatekeeper. It will show you the way.” Young Guardian announced. She took the Protector’s hand. “Let’s go!”
After a moment of searching in complete darkness, the light from the Protector’s Pendant-Locket showed the way.
“At least this thing is good for something.” The Protector teased.
Young Guardian giggled, despite her urgent mood. “We can do no other than oblige it, now can we?”
The Protector noticed her own necklace was glowing silver-white. “If I’m not mistaken, your token is telling you something.”
His arm wrapped around her waist, securing her safely to his side. She fingered her Dream Amulet. “I wonder. . .” She cleared her throat and called a quick spell. “Show me what you wish me to see.”
In front of them shimmered a vision of thirteen-year-old Kelly, the Enchanted Child. The vision was glittering, like a pretty fairy. She was dressed all in white, with small wings in the middle of her back like a fairy. She really looked like a reddish-brown haired fairy from storybooks.
“Momma. . .” Kelly’s voice was but a musical whisper.
“Where are you?” Young Guardian called to her daughter’s vision. She knew right away the Child was in danger somewhere, just by the look in her silver-blue eyes.
“Follow your charms.” Kelly whispered. “I’m weakening. Hurry to me.”
Young Guardian’s head ached. She reached to soothe it, but the Protector’s hand was already there.
As quietly as she’d come, the Enchanted Child’s image was gone.
“Where did she learn such imagery magic?” The Protector asked into the air.
Young Guardian shrugged, holding her head. His hands felt warm under her own.
“Does it hurt much?” He asked softly, removing his hands and kissing her forehead.
“Can you feel it?” Young Guardian whispered, falling to her knees. “The pain from both of them is driving me mad.”
“You can’t be mad.” The Protector announced. “Only I’m allowed to be mad. There can’t be two of us running this place, can there?”
He was joking with her. In his soothing voice, he was calming her nerves and taking away the pain in her mind.
“How are you mad?”
“I married you, didn’t I?” The Protector kissed her lips and held her close again. He wanted so much to totally take away the pain. “Follow your sensors, Love.”
“There’s too much going on in my head.” Young Guardian supplied. “Not only am I bound to the Grand Magus, I’m bound to the Enchanted Child.”
“Concentrate on the Enchanted Child then.” The Protector supplied. “Shadow’s taking care of your twin.”
With a look of determination, she sighed. “I certainly hope so.”

IV

Shadow easily found his way to his Sweetling. He used his Empathic sensors to locate her, the magic for Empathy coming from his necklace. Like the shadow for which he named himself, Shadow crept into the Unknown’s Dark Tower dungeons. Luckily for him, they were the same here as they were back in the Dominion. Once coming close, he sent out a telepathic message.
Grand Magus, I’m here for you.
In her cell, Luna stirred. Her head still hurt from the lightning blast. Could she have heard the Shadow’s comforting tone in her mind? Just in case, she sent back. Where are you?
Good, he reasoned. She got it. To her, he supplied. Just outside the door. Where is the Merchant?
No, she wasn’t hearing things. It really was Shadow. Her Shadow. With the image of happiness and love, she relayed. Away for now.
Use your Empathy.
Shaking her head, she cried in her head. NO!
Grand Magus, I’m here to rescue you from the Merchant. Please, use your Empathy to sense me.
Why?
It is the only way I can pinpoint your location, and be certain the Merchant is gone long enough for me to do my job.
She hated when he was the Shadow. He wouldn’t let up for anything. Cool, relentless, suave, sophisticated and a most brilliant hunter.
Compliments will get you everywhere, my dear. For the last time, sense me!
She let out a soft sigh. Closing her eyes, she opened her Empathic sensors for the first time in months. She could sense him where he said he was, just outside the door.
He got the Empathic push he needed to see through her eyes. Making sure it was safe for him to do so, he raised his arms to the locked door. “Release!”
A brilliant glow of light came from the center of his being to his call. It shot out of his hands to cover around the door.
From inside, she watched the glow penetrate the door, making it disappear. She watched as he raced to her rescue. The Shadow touched the bars, only to come with scarred hands.
She fiercely felt his pain with her Empathy, turning it off. “Shadow!”
“I’m okay. Just shocked.” Shadow reassured her. “What kind of Magic is that?”
“I thought you of all people would recognize Dominionite Magic!” She cried. “Get me out of here!”
“Right.” Shadow supplied. “Hold on, Sweets.”
He stepped back from the cage and tried using the same magic on it as he’d used on the door. It didn’t work. The beam of Gold-Magic was literally devoured by the bars. The only thing it did do was disappear.
“Great.” He mumbled.
“Any more bright ideas?” She demanded.
He looked up at her and saw the glowing Silver Magic of her Dream Pentacle. “Have you tried your Silver Magic since you’ve learned it?”
“Not really, see?” Luna shook her head, but grasped the Pentacle in her hand. She brought it up for her eyes to see it. “It’s glowing!”
“So is the Pendant-Locket.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.” Shadow sighed. “Try it out. Use the Silver Magic.”
Shrugging, she pointed it at the bars, concentrating the Magic’s silver beam to hit them. It only disappeared as well. “Okay, now what?”
Shadow was excited when his smile showed he had a thought in his mind.
“Shadow. . .” Luna warned.
“When you sleep at night, do you change at all?”
“What do you mean?” Luna asked. “And what does it have to do with getting me out of this blasted cage?”
Shadow laughed. “Calm yourself, Grand Magus.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“It’s who you are.” Shadow remarked.
“Not here, I’m not.” Luna supplied. “Only in the Dream Realm, and you know it.”
“Of course I know it. I also know if you become the Grand Magus here, you’ll have a better chance at escape.”
“Huh?” Luna echoed.
“Change your image.” Shadow urged. “Become the Grand Magus.”
“Very well.” Luna stepped away from the bars and waved her hands in the air to change her image to that of her own persona, the Dream Realm’s Grand Magus. “There. Happy?”
“Not yet.” Shadow remarked. “I want you to do one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Use your Silver Magic on me.”
“What are you, nuts?”
In his best tone, he commanded. “Do it!”
She pointed the Silver Magic of her Dream Pentacle at the Shadow. At the same time, he pointed his Gold-Magic of his Pendant-Locket at the Grand Magus.
“Say the spell with me, Grand Magus.”
“Trying to kill me?” Grand Magus remarked.
“Have I ever hurt you?” Shadow asked. “Truthfully.”
“No.” It was a quiet admission.
“I’m not going to now.” Shadow supplied softly. “I need you to say the spell with me, in order for it to work.”
“Spell? What spell? For what to work?”
Again, his adamant tone cried out. “Do it!”
The Grand Magus and the Shadow stared at one another. His eyes controlled, concentrating both on her and the combined magic. Her eyes scared and wondering what he had in mind.
“This is where your Wiccan studies can really save your life, Grand Magus!” Shadow cried. “Think closely of what we’re doing here. Of what these colors represent to witches everywhere.”
What did gold and silver mean?
“The Lady and the Lord.” Grand Magus whispered. “I know a spell.”
“Good. I was hoping you would. Call it.” Shadow demanded.
“First, put your hands against mine.” Grand Magus instructed. Once he did so, she closed her eyes. He did the same, knowing he must. The Gold-Silver Magics together formed a circle around them, connecting them in more ways than one.
The Grand Magus called a spell.

“Harkening the Ancient Mystic’s might
“To Silver Lady and Golden Lord bright.
“Together form a power light as day,
“Where darkness once was, now go away!”

In a radiant light of Gold-Silver Magics, the bars of the cage disappeared. When the last sparkle of magic dust disappeared, they were shocked. They found themselves in each other’s embrace, kissing and hugging so fiercely, they thought they would each collapse.
“Let’s get out of here before the Merchant finds us.” Shadow supplied.
“We have to find Princess Tempest.”
“Not yet, Grand Magus.” Shadow remarked. “Time to find Young Guardian and the Protector.”
Grand Magus was confused as they headed far away from Dark Tower as they could possibly go. Not asking who the Protector was, she asked him. “Where?”
“In the Abyss.” Shadow took her hand and pulled her close for a kiss. “Away we go.”
Story #5:
The Test of Power, Part Two

They found the Protector and the Young Guardian waiting for them. The Enchanted Child in all her beauty held tightly to the hands of her mother and stepfather.
“Can we go home now?” The Child asked.
“Not until Shadow and the Grand Magus meet us here.” The Protector replied.
The Child promptly let go of their hands to run ahead. Young Guardian followed, greeting her war-torn sister.
“Grand Magus! Shadow!” Young Guardian cried, hugging them both. “You’re alright!”
“Did you ever doubt?” Shadow playfully kissed her cheek. He hugged the Child extra hard. “Are you okay, kid?”
The Enchanted Child shook her head. “I forgot the chant to take me home.”
“We’re not going home right away, honey.” Young Guardian replied. “Do you think the Mind-dweller would follow her entire self to the Province?”
“Why would he dare?” The Protector supplied. “It would mean his destruction.”
“He’s right.” Shadow remarked. “There’s too much goodness in the Dream Realm for a Mind-dweller to stay long.”
“Do you mean to tell me a Djinn is haunting her?” Grand Magus asked, astonished. “How? Why?”
“Worry about that later.” Shadow commented. “Do either of you remember the spell to get her Spiritual self back to her Magical self?”
Both the Grand Magus and the Protector shook their heads.
“What about you, Young Guardian?” Shadow asked. “If I recall, Orthos sent both you and the Child to be Invisibites. Do you remember what spell Max used