Fearless (The Blue Fire Saga) Read online

  Dominic opened the book and held it out to Leesa. She took it gingerly into her hands. It was surprisingly light—more magic at work, she guessed. She looked down at the pages, which were now covered in a flowing black script. The words were foreign to her.

  “What does it say?”

  “It’s a book of spells, plus some other useful information about your magic. To use while I’m gone.”

  Leesa glanced back down at the book, confused.

  “But I can’t read a word of it.”

  Dominic smiled again. “Not yet,” he said.

  He placed his hands on the sides of Leesa’s head and uttered more magic words. Leesa felt a slight warmth flow into her skull, but nothing more. The feeling was different from Rave’s heat, but had a similar magical quality to it.

  “Try now,” Dominic instructed.

  She looked down at the pages and gasped in surprise. She could understand every word of the strange language.

  “Wow! Can you do that for other languages, too?” She flipped through the pages, grinning. “I was thinking of taking French next year—I could get an A without having to do any work at all.”

  “Sorry. The spell only works for the waziri tongue. Our language has been nascent inside you since I imparted my magic to you. It just needed to be activated. If you want to learn French, I’m afraid you will have to do it the old-fashioned way.”

  “Drat.” Leesa feigned a pout and then smiled again. “Oh, well, who wants to learn French, anyway?”

  She flipped back to the first page of the book and saw Blitha egras sumuss—the plant growth spell. She felt her excitement growing as she began to imagine all the other kinds of spells and magic the book must contain. But then she remembered how patiently Dominic had instructed her on the growth spell, and how she hadn’t yet come close to performing the air shield spell, even with his tutoring. She wondered how she would ever learn any other spells without the wizard’s help, even with the book.

  Another concern suddenly struck her. She looked up at Dominic.

  “That thing you just did with my head—that was active magic, right?”

  “Yes, it was.”

  “So the black waziri could sense it, then?”

  Dominic nodded. “Yes, they can. But they already know I used magic here, so it doesn’t matter.”

  “They won’t be able to sense the spell in me, though, I hope.”

  “No. The magic was only active when I used it. In you, it is now passive magic.”

  Leesa was still worried, despite Dominic’s reassurance.

  “Will they know you used a translation spell?”

  Dominic realized where Leesa was heading. She was worried that if their enemies knew he had used such a spell, they might conclude he had an apprentice wizard, something she and Dominic were working very hard to keep secret.

  “No,” he assured her. “It does not work that way. They can only sense that I used active magic, not what specific kind. Nothing about any of this will lead them to you.”

  Leesa nodded. “I figured you knew what you were doing…but I wanted to make sure.”

  “No problem,” Dominic said. “You were wise to check.”

  He took the book from Leesa and thumbed slowly through the pages.

  “I placed the spells in the order I think you should try to learn them,” he explained. “I chose the order on a combination of ease and usefulness.” He handed the book back to Leesa. “I know this is not the best way for you to learn, but it’s better than doing nothing while I’m gone, and it is safer than being with me, for the time being, at least. Remember what you have learned so far. Always start with your everywhere and nowhere technique, and when possible, try to find a real example of what you are trying to do to provide you a visual image. When that is not possible, try to create as realistic an image in your mind as you can before you attempt the spell. You should probably begin each session with something you can already do—simple telekinesis, perhaps.”

  Dominic’s voice turned even more serious. “Remember most of all not to be discouraged by failure. Just as with everything else you have accomplished to this point, there will be many unsuccessful attempts before you finally succeed at any of the spells or other magic in the book.”

  Leesa listened closely. She thought back to the beginning of her training. She had struggled even to learn the everywhere and nowhere thing—her name for the ancient waziri breathing and mind clearing technique that was the precursor to all successful magic. Doing it was second nature to her now. All she had to do was take a deep breath and think her trigger word—“breathe”—and she was ready to go. She had also spent hours and hours practicing control of her ability to move things with her mind, and knew she had only scratched the surface of that power. Learning magic had been painstakingly slow and difficult even with Dominic to help her. With him gone, she knew she had better be prepared to accept lots of disappointment.

  “I’ll remember everything you’ve said,” she promised. “I know it won’t be easy.”

  “Do not overdo it, either. Too much work can be just as bad as doing none at all. A tired and frustrated mind can perform little magic.”

  Leesa hadn’t expected to hear that. She had been imagining herself practicing for hours every day, to make Dominic proud of her progress when he returned.

  “How much is too much?”

  Dominic thought for a moment. “Limit yourself to an hour or so on most days. Every now and then you can do more, especially if you feel you are on the verge of achieving something. But you should also take a day off every now and then.”

  Leesa nodded. “I understand.” She tucked the book under her arm. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

  Dominic sighed. “A month, at least. Probably more. I dare not come back until every trace of the magic I expended today is gone from my aura. Until then, the black waziri will be able to track me by it, even from great distances.”

  “Where will you go?” Rave asked.

  Dominic looked at Leesa. His lips formed a half-smile.

  “Everywhere and nowhere.”

  “Ha! Very clever,” Leesa said, smiling at the wizard’s joke. She was glad to see he didn’t feel the danger was as yet too urgent. “Now tell me what that means,” she said.

  “It means that I will have to keep on the move—buses and trains again, I’m afraid—trying to stay a few steps ahead of my foes. I will be going everywhere, but staying nowhere.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be all right?” Leesa asked.

  “I hope so. I eluded my black brethren a hundred years ago—I do not see why I cannot do it again. This time, I am actually glad they will be able to track me so easily, for it will allow me to draw them away from here without actually seeming to. They will expect me to flee after using my magic. They will think I am running from them, rather than leading them away from you.”

  Dominic put his hands on Leesa’s shoulder and looked into her eyes.

  “If you sense any danger at all to you, Leesa, leave immediately. It doesn’t matter where you go—go anywhere, but go quickly. As long as you wear my ring, I will be able to find you when the time is right.”

  Leesa looked down at the beautiful ruby and gold ring on her hand.

  “What ring?” Rave asked.

  Leesa had forgotten that the ring was invisible to anyone but her, unless she took it off. She pulled it from her finger and held it out so Rave could see it.

  “This ring,” she said.

  Rave reached out and touched the beautiful red stone with his finger. He smiled.

  “You are full of surprises, Leesa. Life with you is certainly never dull.”

  Leesa smiled back. She loved the way Rave used the phrase “life with you.” It had such a sound of togetherness to it.

  “I have to make sure you never get bored,” she said. “After all, I’m just a simple human and you are a volkaane.”

  “Ha, ha. You are far from simple,” Rave said. His smile wid
ened into a broad grin. “Boredom has definitely not been a problem. Not by a long shot.”

  “There’s one other thing about the ring,” Dominic said to Leesa. “Should my enemies manage to defeat me, you will feel a slight burning in your finger, and then the ring will vanish. If that happens, you will know I am gone.”

  Leesa stared down at the ring again. “Then this ring had better never vanish, mister,” she said sternly.

  Dominic smiled. “I don’t plan on it. But you should know, just in case. Also, the ring has one other property. If you take it off for any length of time, I will sense it. So if you need me, remove the ring and keep it off for an hour or so. I’ll come back as quickly as I can.”

  “I understand,” Leesa said. “I hope I never have to take it off, though.”

  While Leesa slipped the ring back onto her finger, Dominic reached into his magical wallet. This time, his hand came out clutching a thick sheaf of hundred dollar bills. He held them out to Leesa.

  “In case you need to travel quickly, this should get you anywhere you need to go and pay for a place to stay as well.”

  Leesa looked down at the money. There had to be a couple of thousand dollars there, at least. She had momentarily forgotten about all the cash and treasure Dominic carried in his wallet. A few thousand dollars was but a tiny portion of the wealth he carried with him. She took the money.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I hope I don’t need to use it.”

  Dominic stuck his hand back into his wallet and pulled out five gold coins. He handed them to Leesa.

  “Just in case you need more money,” he said. “Be careful how you use these. They may draw attention.”

  Leesa stared at the beautiful gold coins. They were the size of silver dollars, with the face of some long dead ruler on the front. The gold alone would be worth a fortune, but she guessed the value of the coins surpassed even the value of the metal. The waziri had been collecting payment and treasure for ages. She thought the coins were probably payment for services rendered to some ancient kingdom. She would love one day to hear the stories behind Dominic’s treasures.

  Thinking of the waziri brought her mind back to the black wizards.

  “If the black waziri do come to campus, will I recognize them?”

  “Well, they will not be wearing black capes or anything strange like that, if that’s what you are thinking,” Dominic said, smiling. “But I think you will recognize them. They are not dissimilar to me or Josef in appearance.”

  Leesa pictured the vanquished black wizard in her mind. Wrapped up in the struggle, she hadn’t realized it at the time, but Josef did look a bit like Dominic, with the same sharp features and pointy beard.

  “Okay. Thank you. I’ll keep a sharp eye out for them.”

  “Plus, Rave would sense their power,” Dominic added, “the way he did with me when I first appeared at your door. Hopefully, he will detect it in time for you to avoid them completely.”

  “I’ll be alert for it, then,” Rave assured Dominic.

  “And now, I really must be going,” Dominic said. “I will head north, away from your college. Eventually, I will reach somewhere I can get a bus. I’m hoping the amount of magic I used here will distract them from the much smaller amount I used to save you from the car.”

  Leesa bit her lip, trying to hide her disappointment. She had thought Dominic would at least return to Middletown with them and catch a bus from there. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

  “Is there that much of a rush?” she asked. She knew Dominic used normal transportation, but that was to avoid using his magic and giving himself away. The black waziri would have no such constraints. “How fast can those black wizards get here? You wizards can’t, like, magically transport yourselves from place to place, can you?”

  Dominic shook his head. “Only over very short distances—a hundred feet, perhaps. The energy expenditure to do even that is enormous. No, they will have to travel like everyone else does. It will be at least a day, maybe more, before any of them can reach Connecticut.”

  “Then why can’t you come back to Middletown with us and leave from there?”

  “For the next few weeks, wherever I go, my aura will leave a trail the traitors can follow as clearly as footprints in soft dirt. I do not want to do any more than I have already done to draw their attention to Middletown.”

  Finally, Leesa understood. Now that Dominic had used active magic, she knew the black waziri would be able to sense his location wherever he went, but she hadn’t realized he would be leaving an actual magical trail behind him.

  “I see,” she said. “Please be careful.”

  “I will. And you need to be careful as well, especially for the next few days. Our foes may spend some time searching the area where I used the shield spell. We know now they cannot detect your magic, but I think it best not to take any chances.”

  “What about Rave?” Leesa asked. “Will the black waziri be able to sense that a volkaane killed their friend?”

  Dominic shook his head. “Not after I destroyed the ashes with my magic. I’m sure they will wonder how I bested Josef, but they will detect only the remnants of my magic and his. Rave should be safe.”

  Rave extended his hand to Dominic, who took it and shook it once.

  “Until we see you again,” Rave said.

  Leesa moved forward and wrapped Dominic in a tight embrace. She pressed her cheek against his chest for a several long moments, then pulled her head away and looked up into his face.

  “You had better come back,” she said sternly.

  Dominic kissed Leesa on the forehead and then eased out of her embrace.

  “That is my plan,” he said. Without another word, he turned and headed off into the trees.

  Leesa and Rave watched him until he disappeared from sight.

  “Would you like a ride back to campus?” Rave asked. “Or would you rather walk?”

  Leesa smiled. Being carried effortlessly by Rave at impossible speeds was her second favorite thing in the world. Only kissing him was better, but his inner fire allowed little enough of that.

  “Ride,” she said, leaping up into his arms.

  Flying high above the treetops, the owl could barely keep pace with the racing volkaane. The bird had a lot to think about, but there would be time for that later, after it was done gathering information. Ordinarily, the owl would have followed the most powerful of the trio—the wizard—but the conversation it overheard made it clear the wizard was going far away. The owl already knew where the volkaane clan dwelt, but thought it might be useful to learn where this most unusual girl lived as well. Knowledge was power, and the bird liked to collect as much of both as it could.

  2. DARK COUNSEL

  Thousands of miles away from where Leesa and Rave said their goodbyes to Dominic, five shadowy figures sat in a large, dimly lit room, gathered around a dark, round table at least ten feet in diameter. The table’s smooth surface was fashioned out of a special, highly polished material that looked almost like black glass. Candles flickered in brass sconces on the chamber’s stone walls, but strangely, none of the light reflected off the top of the table. The dark surface seemed to swallow any illumination that struck it. In addition to the five occupied chairs, four more sat vacant.

  One of the seated men was significantly larger than his fellows, in girth more so than height. His high-backed chair—more of a throne, really—was larger and more ornate than the others as well. Intricate carved runes covered much of the chair’s dark wood surface. The special chair left little doubt that this man was the leader of the group.

  His body seemed almost misshapen, with a huge bulbous belly and a round, hairless head. In the dimness of the room, the skin of his face and hands seemed almost white—a milky, deathly white more reminiscent of a corpse than a living human being. He had thick lips, a broad, flat nose, and no eyebrows at all. As hideous as the rest of his countenance was, his most frightening feature by far was his eyes. No eyeballs floa
ted within their confines—no iris, no pupil, nothing. Just a flat, pinkish film. Despite his empty eyes, the man could see as well as anyone, though anything brighter than candlelight hurt his eyes.

  Over the centuries, the man’s true name had become all but forgotten. Now, to those who knew of his existence—and they were few—he was known simply as the Necromancer.

  Though it did not show on his face, the Necromancer was angry. One of his most valuable servants had just been destroyed. Somehow, Dominic had bested Josef. The Necromancer had sensed the immense expenditure of magic deployed by both wizards as they fought. Until a short while ago, he had expected to sense the end of Dominic’s life force, removing the biggest obstacle to his plan to break the seal between the world of the living and the world of the dead. But that had not happened. Instead, Josef’s energy had vanished. After more than a century, Dominic had suddenly reappeared, apparently wielding magic powerful enough to vanquish a black waziri. The Necromancer was anxious to learn how Dominic had done it.

  The other four men at the table were dressed in black, hooded robes. Their faces were expressionless, though a close examination of one would have revealed a trace of sadness and loss in his features. These four were novitiates—the chosen disciples of each of the black waziri, who had imparted their magic into the novitiates the same way Dominic had with Leesa. Mastering the black arts was not easy—despite having been at it for several decades, the men were only part way through their training. Still, they were very dangerous wizards and not to be trifled with.

  The Necromancer edged his immense bulk forward in his chair. He stretched his thick arms out over the table, fleshy palms facing down, and began to chant softly. His voice was deep and gravelly; the rhythm of his incantation was slow and repetitive. The others watched closely.

  In response to his spell, the black surface of the table began to change. Hundreds of dim, tiny white ovals began to appear, seemingly floating within the depths of the glass. As the Necromancer continued his summoning, the shapes grew brighter and clearer. They were not merely ovals of light—they were pairs of eyes, trapped within the table!