Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga - Lady Adellandra Dratianos (electric book reader TXT) 📗

back to bed, but I need you to watch over your brothers and sister while I’m gone.”
“Momma,” Kelly whined.
“Please?” Ariana begged. “I’ll let you know as soon as I can, okay?”
Kelly nodded, kissing her mother’s cheek before heading to the living room. “Okay. Will you tell him I love him?”
Ariana smiled, grabbing her purse and keys. “It’ll be the first thing I say.”
She left the house, deep in thoughts. Where would he be at this hour? Could he possibly still be at the station, working? Only one way to find out.
When she opened the door to the Hill View Police station, a powerful brush of empathy almost took over her. She could feel someone in deep emotional pain, fighting for their sanity.
The officer at the desk called her out of her reverie.
“May I help you, Miss?”
Ariana shook her head, clearing her mind. “Yes. Yes, you can, in fact.” She said. “I’m looking for my husband, Derrick Reading. Is he here by any chance?”
“He’s in his office.” The officer replied. “Let me show you.”
Before either of them could move, they heard him calling her name. “Ariana.”
It sounded urgent, desperate.
She looked into her husband’s eyes and gasped. The Protector’s Pendant was glowing through his shirt, his eyes bloodshot. Fearful, she ran to him. “Derrick!”
She caught him as he fell into her arms. “Help me, Love.” He whispered, desperate. “There’s something inside me. I can’t get it out.”
“It’s okay. I’m here.” Ariana remarked, kissing his lips.
She got a vision of the demon again. It wanted him, badly. It was playing with his mind.
Just then, Derrick’s eyes turned yellow. Whatever it was smiled through him. Suddenly, Derrick wasn’t himself. The demon had finally taken him over.
He reached for Derrick’s gun, pointing it at her. She stepped back, frightened.
The officer pulled his out, pointing it at Derrick, or what he thought was Derrick. “Put the gun down, Detective.”
The demon turned his head to the officer and laughed. Sweeping an arm in front of him, a blast of wind caught, blowing him clear across the room. The gun the officer was holding dropped to the ground, firing. Ariana ducked at the sound before turning back to her demon-stolen husband.
“I know you’re in there, Derrick.” She replied. “You can fight it.”
The demon kept Derrick’s gun aimed at her. “He cannot fight me.”
“Maybe he can’t, but I can.” Ariana gathered as much courage she could muster. She flicked her wrists in his direction. “Freeze!”
The short spell froze him from the neck down. The gun dropped to the ground but didn’t fire.
Ariana was glad.
“You cannot defeat me!”
“I don’t want to.” Ariana replied, feeling the anger in her system bubbling. “I just want to make you disappear.”
The demon inside Derrick’s body laughed. “I dare you!”
Ariana smiled. “Gladly.” She crossed her arms, closed her eyes and concentrated.
What kind of spell would make a demon leave a body? She thought to herself. An exorcism! Of course!
Time to put her advanced powers to the test. She felt for her Ancient Mystic Force, deep within her soul. She grasped the Dark Magic, the anger making it glow. In her mind, she meshed both the Ancient Mystic Force and the Dark Magic together, creating a powerful combination. Not even she knew what would happen next. All she knew is that she wanted her husband back, whole and sane again. The only way was to exorcize the demon from his body.
Softly under her breath, she chanted a short spell.
“Dominicus, Exordium Bane!”
With each repetition, her voice grew louder and louder. She held her arms out, directing the Magic through her hands to her husband’s body. “Dominicus Exordium Bane!” She screamed, the Magic throwing the demon from Derrick.
She could hear it shrill as it left him. Derrick’s eyes rolled to the back of his head, making him fall to the floor. She rushed to him, power-drained but worried. She knelt next to him as she began to lose consciousness.
“Ariana! Are you alright?” Shane’s worried voice called to her, rushing to her side.
She wouldn’t answer the call as her vision turned black.

Shane Morehouse searched the area with his niece Kelly at his side. Officer Chalmers, who had security duty, was waking from his faint. Ariana lay across Derrick’s chest, both of them unconscious. He couldn’t do anything for them so he went to Chalmers instead. Kelly raced her mother’s body.
“Hey, Chalmers, what happened in here?” Shane asked, helping the older man up.
Chalmers moaned, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
The men stood.
“It look like a tornado hit.”
Chalmers managed a low chuckle. “Maybe it did?”
“Do you remember anything? Anything at all?”
“Some.” Chalmers told him. “She came in here, looking for Derrick. He came from around the corner, embracing her.”
“Yeah. Go on.” Shane had to know what happened. The entire station reeked of Magic.
Chalmers was silent as Shane led him to a chair, handing him a glass of water.
“It’s strange, man.” Chalmers mumbled. “One moment, I was at my post, the next, I was across the room.”
Definitely some kind of Magic. Shane thought. “Call an ambulance for those two.” He directed. “I’ll investigate the area.”
“Sure thing, Detective.” Chalmers picked up the phone and dialed.
Shane walked around, picking up pieces of trash. There was Magic here, he could smell it. He grabbed his Dream Locket from around his neck, looking at the scene through fresh eyes. Something had been here, he thought, and it hadn’t been pretty. Derrick’s body was glowing yellow, and Ariana’s was a Ancient Mystic’s silver.
“Whoa, silver?” Shane muttered under his breath.
Kelly turned her head, questioning him with her eyes. “Uncle Shane? What is it?”
“Magic, Kelly.” Shane whispered. “Strange-colored Magic.”
She turned back to her parents, eyes closed. He knew she was trying to use her Healer’s Power to wake them. It didn’t work.
“Stop.” He suggested. “Don’t wear yourself out.”
He turned his thoughts back to the colored-Magic. The last time he’d seen silver-colored Magic was back in the Wars for Power during the first Crusades. Dixilynne Ryan, the System’s boss then, used it against the Master, Orthos. She claimed it was the darker side of her Magic working in her favor.
Would Ariana know to use it? If so, what prompted her to do so?
“Detective Morehouse?”
Shane turned to see a fellow cop, Officer Dan Barkly standing beside him. “Sorry, Barkly. Was kind of in a daze.”
Barkly laughed. “Yeah, I could see that. What do you make of the area?”
“I don’t know what to think.” Shane remarked. “Has the ambulance arrived, yet?”
“Yep. It’s taking them away now.”
“Where to?”
“Philbrooke, I think.” Barkly answered.
Shane rushed past him without another word, Kelly at his heals.

They rushed through the Emergency Room doors.
“What’s gonna happen to them, Uncle Shane?” Kelly asked him. “Are they gonna be okay?”
He sighed, plopping himself down on a chair in the waiting room. “I sure hope so.”
Kelly sat beside him. “So do I.”
Shane’s head pounded as he put his hands on his temples. They sat for ten minutes before hearing their names being called. He looked up to see his sister-in-law Anna.
“Shane, I’m glad you’re here.” Anna remarked out of breath. She’d run to greet him.
“What happened to them?” Shane asked her. “Why did we find them unconscious when we got there?”
“Calm down, please.” Anna instructed.
“Is Momma okay?” Kelly asked. “How’s Derrick?”
“Everything’s okay, honest.” Anna announced. “Derrick’s sleeping and Ariana’s at his bedside. Once she woke up, she complained of weariness so I fed her. Derrick, on the other hand, hasn’t woken up yet.” She turned to Kelly. “She knows you’re here, and told me to take you home.”
“I wanna see them first.” Kelly announced, determined.
“Can we, Anna?” Shane asked, hopeful.
Anna looked at the two of them and sighed. “Follow me.”
Story #3:
The Silver Magic

Claudia Woods was glad everything was back to normal. The Maiden was gone, so there was nothing else to fear about her wildly growing Healer’s Magic. She had finished moving into Craig’s house after saying a heartfelt goodbye to her twin Christopher and younger brother Antony. Her life was falling into a wonderful routine.
Only one thing bothered her, and Craig was the reason. Since asking her to move in with him, he’d been acting peculiar, even distracted. At first, he was glad she was there, but now, he barely even noticed she was alive.
One night, a week after her encounter in the Abyss, Claudia decided she’d had enough. Craig hadn’t paid much attention to her since the boys’ fight at the bar. She was getting to the bottom of this, whether he liked it or not.
“You’ve got some explaining to do, Craig Black.” She remarked as the couple dressed for bed.
Craig stopped what he was doing to stare at her. “What are you talking about?”
“What’s up with you lately?”
“Nothing. Why?”
Claudia narrowed her brows. “Don’t lie. Tell me the truth.”
He stared at her for a moment before sighing. He turned his head away from her, sitting on his side of the bed. “I don’t think Derrick likes me anymore.”
“Nonsense.” Claudia remarked. “Why would you think a silly thing like that?”
“It’s not silly. It’s true.” He supplied, depressed. “Derrick doesn’t need me anymore. He’s got Shane now.”
“Stop thinking like that.” Claudia ordered. “Just because they happen to be brothers-in-law and partners doesn’t mean Derrick doesn’t need you anymore.”
“You haven’t seen him lately.” Craig admonished, facing her. “We used to be like brothers in the Academy. When he ran away years ago, I was the first one to notice his absence. He’s been different since he came back, and Shane’s to blame.”
“So he was the one to take Derrick out of a wretched family life? So what? That was years ago, Craig, and you know it.” Claudia remarked.
“They’ve been best friends ever since.”
“Not true.” She supplied, explaining. “Ariana told me those two barely spoke a word to each other before the twins met. It was only when they became the twins’ Earthly Protectors did they become friendly with one another. Before Derrick ran away from home, he had you.”
“Well, he doesn’t need me anymore.” Craig repeated.
Claudia took her pillow and threw it at him. “That’s it! I’ve had it!”
Craig could do nothing but stare, stepping back. “Claud?”
“I’m putting an end to this pity party of yours here and now!”
Before either of them could do or say anything else, the phone rang. Craig answered while Claudia listened in.
“Hello, Richardsons.” His eyes bulged as he took in what the caller was telling him. “Sure, Anna. We’ll be right there.”
He hung up, staring at the phone for a moment.
“Craig? What is it?” Claudia went to his side when he didn’t answer right away. “What did she want?”
He finally looked at her. “It’s Derrick. He’s at Philbrooke.”
Claudia gasped. “What happened?”
Craig shook his head. “They don’t know. Ariana’s there, too.” He was silent, sitting on the bed in disbelief. “He needs me.”
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
It only took the couple a few minutes to reach the hospital’s emergency room. Waiting for them were Anna, Shane, and Kelly. When they reached the trio, Shane explained what he found at the station.
“Intense.” Craig said, sharing a look with Claudia.
“You say she used silver Magic?” Claudia answered.
Shane nodded, “Only I don’t know why, or what for.”
“Let’s find out, shall we?” Claudia replied.
“Not so fast.” Anna stopped them. “Not everyone can go in at once. I’ll take Claudia and Kelly while you boys wait