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Confessions of the Magpie Wizard Book 3: Dissolution (Chapter 99, 100, 101)
🕑 Added 2021-07-15 20:13:22 +0000 UTCArt of Maggie by the amazing Rianne! đŚrianne | COMMISSIONS OPEN (@RianneComms) / Twitter
Chapter 99
For once, I was able to fight my instincts. My desire to hurl a stream of curses at Maggie would only deplete my air, and I was already running low on that.
I strained against my glass prison, finding it didnât budge an inch. Glass is rather fragile, but deceptively strong under the right circumstances, and being entombed in a solid block of the stuff qualified. I found that I didnât have enough room to change the positions of my fingers to cast another spell besides Iron Skin, which wasnât going to help me at all.
Or was it? I strained the fingers of my left hand as far as I could, hoping I could change the shape of the Iron Skin. I leaned on my visualization of the spell, imagining it growing to the left. Spots were forming in my vision when I risked the last of my breath on another casting.
âIron Skin!â
The results were mixed. I created a smaller set of energy armor over my left arm and shoulder to conserve energy, and a spiked pauldron as long as my forearm punched into the libraryâs air. I breathed greedily as I unsummoned the energy structure, my gasps turning into a pained grunt. Shards of glass ground against me as I tried to move, slashing thin gashes in my flimsy white dress shirt.
âKiyo? Are you there?â No response. There would be no help.
I considered my resources. I still couldnât move my hands well enough for another spell. Could I use Iron Skin to punch my way out? Not in time; I had to find Maggie before she could get away.
I wondered why I still felt something draining away my magic, when I noticed a more regular slice of red mixed in with the riot of colors from the stained-glass window. The Svalinnâs Mercy I had cast to protect Kiyo was still trapped inside. Thankfully, I hadnât accidentally dismissed it.
I poured energy into the floating shield. It hadnât been protected from the liquified glass like I had, so I had to break the hardened mass that clung to it. I couldnât see how far up I had to go from my angle. It felt like trying to wiggle a toe by remote control, but I slowly managed to build up some speed. Finally, with a last burst, the glass-encrusted shield broke through the top of the frozen waves.
I had my magical pickaxe freed, but I would have to chip away at the glass blindly, and straight at me. I grit my teeth, knowing what was to come. Our Father Below Willing, this scheme wouldnât take me all the way to Wizardâs Desolation or rip me to shreds. Or both.
âIron Skin!â The armor slid into place.
Svalinnâs Mercy is an impressively durable spell, but I worried that it would give out as I slammed its point into the glass matrix over and over again, before scraping it downwards to drag away the chunks it had freed. I wanted to look away as the blurry shape flew right at me, but I couldnât move. Just as well, since I needed to make sure my aim was true.
Ever so slowly, the world before me became less of a blurry mess. One last strike freed my upper body, though my ears rang as the edge of the shield slammed into my faceplate.
I was able to gingerly climb my way out, not daring to drop the Iron Skin. By the time I had climbed out, my shirt was slick with perspiration. I felt the first leadenness of the soul that signaled I was close to Wizardâs Desolation, and I hurried to unsummon all of the energy structures I had built. I had some spells left in me, but I would have to be strategic.
âKiyo, where in blazes are you?â I asked the empty air. âI know youâre cross with me, but you could have still helped out a little!â
There was no response. I scanned the room, not wasting energy I didnât have on my Mimic Sight.
I was about to assume that Kiyo had forsaken me when I noticed Lucileâs barrel sticking out of the glass structure, directly behind where the Svalinnâs Mercy had been trapped.
My hand shot to my mouth. âOh, no.â How long had I been in there? It felt like an eternity. Was Kiyo stuck inside? The area around the rifle was especially thick. Did I see a dark smudge in there, or was that my imagination running wild with a trick of the mind?
I desperately circled the half-shattered glass spire, ignoring the crunching beneath my shoes. âI canât see a damned thing in there!â Could she even be seen? Kiyo turned into a crystalline form when she vanished; if she had been trapped in that state, she would have been impossible to detect in the kaleidoscopic colored glass.
Some part of my mind that wasnât seized with panic told me that she would have long since suffocated. There was no guarantee she was in there, anyhow. For all I knew, she had run for help. I needed to track down Maggie and mourn Kiyo later if need be.
I rejected that idea out of hand; I had to know for certain. I had nearly killed her once with the remote bomb, and I wasnât about to abandon her again. Not while there was a ghost of a chance.
âI thought I heard something back here! Bahadour!â
I was saved by Maggieâs heels clicking on the tile at the libraryâs foyer. Anticipating the attack, I leapt out of the way, barely avoiding the thin carpeting of glass Iâd left behind in my escape.
The former stained-glass window was not so lucky. The red burst of hatred burrowed straight through it, melting it and sending bits of glass and Lucile in all directions. I covered my head to avoid the spray. A long, crystalline piece landed just in my line of sight. Was it my imagination, or did that look like a human finger?
Everything went red again, my heartbeat roaring in my ears.
If I had been in a rational state of mind, I would have demanded that Maggie tell me why she was back. Who knows, she might have even told me. Her hand was on her hip as she said something or other, her mouth curled in a cruel grin. Iâm sure it was cutting and boastful.
I wasnât remotely in the mood to care what she had to say. I launched a Bloody Lance right back, which she just managed to block with a Svalinnâs Mercy floating about her head. The blast destroyed her defensive spell, sending tendrils of energy raking across her face. Her eyes went wide with terror, and I think she realized she had poked the bear one time too many.
âFireball Barrage!â She threw a flurry of miniature fireballs behind her as she ran out the door. The bookshelves were her target, not me. A sensible strategy, forcing me to choose between pursuit and putting out the growing inferno behind me.
Too bad she wasnât dealing with me in any sensible state. My Angel was gone. Maggie was drawing in air and Kiyo wasnât. She never would again. Never make love, never chide me for being randy, never talk my ear off about some video game I didnât fully understand, never even complain about running. It was all Maggieâs fault, and it was time to balance the scales.
I slipped my hand in my pocket, activating the technology jammer before I took off after her. There would be no escape down the elevator, unless I copied Hiro and pushed her.
No, I decided, catching a glimpse of a panicked Maggie slipping up the stairs to the roof. That would be far too quick.
Iâd never been one for torture, but it seemed like a fine time to learn.
Chapter 100
It didnât take me long to catch up with Maggie at the top of the stairs. She was in the middle of a spell I recognized as a particularly nasty hex, akin to walking through a bear trap made of solidified magical energy.
I had left my hands free for casting, so I didnât have my sword ready. A right cross did the trick, though. Funny how for all of a wizardâs exotic powers, a punch to the face was still just as effective.
âYou brute!â said Maggie, staggering back towards the Headmasterâs protective thicket, blood flowing from a freshly broken nose.
The air positively stank of lavender. Mimic would give me no warnings if Maggie tried to use Glassblower again. So, I couldnât give her the chance.
âYou think I wouldnât hit a woman? Iâm a damned demonkin! Diamond Shower!â As livid as I was, I knew I had to conserve energy until I was ready to strike the final blow. The shards of ice didnât penetrate Maggieâs armor, but the yellow flashes showed I was draining her more.
âI thought you were at least a little refined, Not-Soren,â she spat, drawing her weapon again. âCan I have your real name? I want to know who Iâm really fighting.â
âNo!â I snapped, following suit. I lunged forward, my sword glinting in the afternoon sun. I couldnât relent for a moment. She was too slippery. There would be no escape for her this time.
âThen I think Magpie will do,â she said, blocking with her own blade. âItâs the name Kiyo gave you. Itâs the only one I know that belongs to you.â
âI told you, keep her name out of your mouth!â
âI donât see what the big deal is,â she replied, parrying another strike from me. âIf she was so great, she wouldnât have abandoned you.â
âShe didnât,â I said, the sense of loss making my heart heavy.
Realization dawned in Maggieâs eyes. âOh, did my trap catch her? Good. I was worried Iâd missed.â
âDonât sound so satisfied!â I was being sloppy, brute forcing my way through the sword fight. If she hadnât been just as spent and flustered as I was, Maggie would have had me.
âYouâve lost, you know,â she said. âYour little friends are dead. If I finished off Jones, then the only ones left alive to contradict me are you and Tachibana. Iâll pretend to be one of the hostages.â
âYou think theyâll believe you?â
âMaybe not,â she conceded. âBut after you ruined everything, I need to be the one to spin the story.â
âI ruined everything? Thatâs some revisionist history! Who was the one who couldnât leave well enough alone and started blackmailing me?â
She barked a humorless laugh. âYou didnât deserve any joy! Youâre wearing the name of the sweetest boy I ever knew, you faker!â
âAnd you think you should just go right back to your cushy teaching job after everything youâve done?â
She reared up, her haughty look of indignation worthy of a highborn devil. âExcuse me? I did my time in bloody Madagascar, and England, and even Sumatra. If teaching degenerates and losers like your stupid class is a âcushy job,â then Iâve earned it!â
âSpectral Web!â This time I caught her, the aqua tendrils of energy wrapping around her ankles. I kept a lead in my hand, and I pulled as hard as I could with my off hand. She pitched sideways, her sword skittering out of reach when she slammed into the asphalt.
âTo Me!â The sword flew back into her grip, and she rolled into a sitting position, slicing through my leash.
Seeing an opening, I tossed my own sword aside to free up my hands.âBahadour!â I was low on magic, but I had plenty of rage to spare.
Maggie pumped energy into her sword, its golden runes almost blinding as she deflected the Bloody Lance away. I had to duck to avoid it.
âHow did you do that?â I had never seen the reinforcing runes on a human sword do that before.
âA lady has to have a few secrets,â she said, slashing the last of my web. âWhy do you think I chose this sword?â
âBecause itâs all your scrawny little arms could manage,â I quipped. If her blade could stop a spell like that, Iâd have to separate it from her before I launched the killing blow. Riling her up would make her sloppy, and it was good fun in its own right.
Her sword returned to normal as she raised it into a defensive pose. âThereâs nothing scrawny about me. If you hadnât been so set on Jones, Iâd have let you find out firsthand.â
âNo thank you. Your boy toys tend to turn up dead.â
âYou were singing a different tune earlier,â she cooed.
âIt was an act,â I said.
âThat was too good of a kiss to be an act,â she countered.
âAnd you kiss too much like a dead fish to be a femme fatale, but thatâs what comes of chasing children instead of men.â
âThey were all of age!â She narrowed her eyes. âDonât act like youâre better than me, Magpie. You lied to Jones, and you couldnât keep your hands off of me earlier.â
âThat was⌠I wasâŚâ Gnawing guilt took some of the edge off my righteous indignation. âI thought I wasnât going to see her again.â
âAnd now you never will,â she crowed, thrusting with her sword. âYou should thank me. Jones was an irritating little twit.â
I parried her thrust, and the swordfight resumed in earnest. We were both tired and sloppy. She didnât try any more combat magic, making me suspect that she had burnt herself out with her trick with the stained-glass window. âI canât believe youâre the same woman who cried over Haru Obe and Soren Marlowe,â I said. âShe was your student too, you heartless bitch!â
âA defective who dated a demonkin for months without noticing,â she said. âHumanity doesnât need her weighing us down.â
âShe knew the whole time,â I said. âShe just didnât care.â
âSeriously?â she asked, ducking under a sword slash. âWhat a rotten judge of character.â
I flinched. I wanted to disagree with her, but she was right, damn her. I steeled myself. No, I could hate myself later once Maggie was dead.
Realization dawned in Maggieâs eyes. Sheâd seen the moment of weakness, how her words had slipped past my armor. âAs if you really cared about her, you womanizer. You tried so hard to spare her feelings, to pretend you werenât undressing me with your eyes every moment.â
âI did! I do!â I snapped, punctuating my words with a thrust that her enchanted cape just stopped.
âYou canât hurt her anymore, so you can stop pretending now.â
âIt wasnât an act!â
âAre you sure?â She hopped back, intentionally making her sizable chest bounce. Damn my eyes, they were drawn to the movement.
Her gambit had worked, my attention split for just a moment. For the second time that afternoon, a steel blade plunged into my gut. Not as far as Kiyo had managed, but the growing slickness in my side told me it was a good hit.
Surprising me, she didnât immediately go for the kill. Instead, she took a step back, though her sword stayed at the ready. âI knew that would work, you little horndog. Everything about you is an act. You arenât Soren Marlowe, you arenât a patriot of the League, you arenât even a Holy Brother. I bet you arenât even English. I donât even need to know your true name to know you; youâre a little slug whoâll do or say whatever you have to, if it would save your skin. Can you just be honest with yourself for once?â
I kept my eye on her sword. I still had a few major spells in me, but I didnât dare waste the energy until I knew they would stick.
âYouâre describing yourself, my dear,â I said. âHow many of your Holy Brothers have you stepped over just to get on this roof? Haru, Soren, Rei, Paul, Ratte, Frettchen, Maus, and Neci. Am I missing anyone?â
Her face flushed crimson. âExcuse me? I will not be lectured by some demonkin about morality! Not when you killed Rei and Haru yourself!â
âYou forced me to!â
âThereâs always a choice, Magpie.â
âYes, be turned over to the Wizard Corps or do your dirty work,â I said. âThatâs a wonderful choice!â I felt my legs wobble.
I cursed in demonic. Sheâd gotten me again! This little repartee was designed to bleed me out. I didnât have the energy for another All Heal. As satisfying as it was to shove Maggieâs sins in her hypocritical face, victory would be far sweeter.
I dropped my sword, twisting my hands to cast the spell. âSvalinnâs Wrath!â Maggie was right, I did overuse the spell. Still, the ability to will a floating black dagger into an enemyâs rear was not to be underestimated.
Maggie surged forward, trying to cut me off before I could finish the spell. My side protested as I weaved out of the way of her thrust, and a single thought plunged the dagger into her back.
She lurched forward, her face blank with shock. She collapsed to her knees, the enchanted sword falling out of her grip.
I dispelled the blade, since I had better uses for my magic. âMagic Bolt!â I aimed the blue sphere at the swordâs hilt, since it did not seem to have any runes etched into it. One always must be careful of residual magic. The blue sphere punched a hole in the roof, turning Maggieâs enchanted blade into so much dust.
âWhat happenedâŚâ She inhaled, a wet, ragged sound. Iâd pierced a lung. I must have been tired; I had been aiming for her heart. âThis canât be how it all ends.â
âIt isnât,â I said, putting my hands in a casting pose. âBloody Lance or Rough Spout? Your choice.â
âWait, please,â she said. âYou canât kill me without telling me why. Why did you rush things today, just to turn traitor?â
âI told you,â I replied. âIt was for my freedom, and then you had to go and threaten my friends.â
âThat canât be all,â she said, blood starting to trickle from the side of her mouth. She slumped down, using her hands for support. âThereâs something about you that never made sense.â
âYet you let me into your inner circle!â I crowed, ignoring the pain in my side.
âI thought I had won you over,â she said. âThat you had seen the light. Why did you do this to me?â
A feral grin spread across my lips. âMy dear, are you crying? Do try not to embarrass yourself! Youâre not going to save yourself after what you pulled.â
âYou donât understand,â she said, her breath barely above a whisper. âEveryone always used me. The Wizard Corps, Tachibana, Maus. I was just a tool. I thought you were different.â
âYou thought I was going to fall in line because you flashed me a little cleavage and stole a few kisses? Iâm not that easy!â
âNo, you werenât one of them.â Her breathing was more labored. âMy special boys⌠I could trust them. I was their everything.â
âAnd then you tossed them aside like used tissue and moved on to the next yearâs model,â I said. âYou even berated me for trying to save Haru!â
âThe cause⌠he was a threat to the cause⌠I didnât want toâŚâ
The look of shock in Haruâs eyes when Iâd told him about Maggieâs kill order flashed through my mind. âThe cause of saving Maggie Edwardsâ worthless hide, you mean.â That settled it. Rough Spout it was. It was a trickier spell, but her unrepentant ass deserved to suffer. âGoodbye, my dear.â The demonic runes swirled around my hands. I might have spent longer visualizing the spell, since I wanted to savor the moment. It might well be my last bit of joy as a free man.
Maggie thrust her hand forward, nearly toppling over in the process. âLovely Fireworks!â My eyes were dazzled by a cascade of sparks.
âRuhspont!â I could hear the asphalt bubbling as the potent acid did its work, telling me Iâd completely missed.
âAlheln!â shouted Maggie, her husky voice gasping as the hole Iâd punched in her back closed up.
My vision was beginning to clear, but not quickly enough. âWhen did you learn-â
I doubled over as the heel of her palm struck me right in my stab wound. âIâm a spellcasting teacher, you dunce. Itâs called reverse engineering. Thanks for teaching me those runes and showing me the spell.â
âD-donât mention it,â I managed, my vision clearing to show me a fully healed Maggie Edwards looming over me. âYou know I can see up your skirt, right?â
Maggie chuckled. âIâm sure you can. I hope you enjoy it, since itâs the last thing youâll see. Enjoy a taste of your own medicine.â She leveled her hands at me. âRuhspont!â
Chapter 101
By all rights, that should have been the end of me. If I thought of the Enemy as being anything other than, well, the Enemy, I might have suspected that He had intervened.
Being a rational man, I can see the truth in hindsight. Wizards canât create matter out of nothing, and Ruhspont involves gathering trace gases from the air and combining them with water vapor to form the acid, which is why itâs such a complicated spell. We were hundreds of feet off the ground on a dry August day, so I had just spent most of the available stock of both on my oversized Rough Spout, leaving Maggie with pitiful dregs to work with.
I didnât appreciate it much at the time. Even the thin stream of watered-down acid splashing across my chest was agonizing. I doubled over, and I only kept my hands off my chest through an act of will. Ruhspont isnât improved by smearing it around or getting it on oneâs fingers. That only spreads the damage, and Iâd seen enough human wizards make that mistake. An All Heal was in order; shame I didnât have the wherewithal to make it happen.
Instead, I put my hands to better use, levering myself back onto my feet. I could barely see straight, much less focus on a spell. I wished Iâd had some whiskey to dull the pain, or those delightful human painkillers Iâd heard so much about. By Our Father Below, was this how Marikoâs whole arm had felt? No wonder her handwriting was still sloppy.
Maggie was occupied with glaring at her hands like they had betrayed her. Seeing the movement out of the corner of her eyes, she snapped to attention, watching me cautiously. She must have thought I was still in fit shape to fight.
Well, I hated to let a lady down, even the wicked ones. Especially the wicked ones. âThat was the worst Ruhspont Iâve ever seen,â I said, managing to keep the lingering pain out of my voice. All of those jokes about Rough Spout Iâd traded with my demonic fellows didnât seem as funny anymore, but Iâd live.
At least I was in better shape than the roofâs asphalt. My Rough Spout had eaten a hole wide and deep enough that I could have completely hidden myself in it, if not for the jagged wires and piping I had exposed. Maggie stepped away from the deathtrap, half-formed runes dancing around her fingers.
I rolled my eyes; I had seen that bluff a few times in England. âAre you pretending you still have magic to spare? Who are you kidding? It canât be much, with all of the acid youâve been throwing around.â
âYou arenât in any better shape,â she snapped. âI never thought youâd put up so much of a fight.â
âDonât flatter yourself. If weâd both been fresh, Iâd have had you in an instant. Youâre lucky you had friends to whittle me down. Itâs time to end this.â
Maggie cupped her ear, cursing under her breath. If I strained, I could just make out police sirens in the distance. I reached into my pocket and shut off the technology jamming fabricata. No sense stalling my reinforcements.
âYou know itâs pointless,â she said. âNo matter who wins, weâre not in any shape to escape. What do you say to a truce? We might be able to slip out if we work together.â
âI say donât insult my intelligence,â I snarled. âEven if I could trust you, you killed my Kiyo.â
âDarn, I was hoping I could get you to turn your back on me.â She settled into a defensive pose, blowing an errant strand of red hair out of her vision.
âYouâd have made a fantastic devil,â I said.
Her eyes narrowed. âYouâll pay for that.â
I considered my options. Ideally, Iâd want to blind her with a brilliant spell, but her mask would negate that. I could have tried closing in and tagging her with Electrify, since one touch could have downed her. However, I decided I was too unsteady on my feet to close the gap before she launched her own attack. Bloody Lance was the best option; the Dark Lord knew I had enough pent-up anger to supplement my flagging magical reserves.
On some unseen signal, Maggie and I both started casting.
âBaha-â
I thought I saw a glimpse of movement behind Maggie, a barely seen phantom. I didnât want to hope. It couldnât be; she was gone, wasnât she? It was the blood loss, I told myself. Playing tricks with my eyes.
What if I was wrong, though?
I didnât dare fire if there was the least chance it was Kiyo. â-dour!â The words had already left my lips, but I twisted my hand upward, sending the bolt of crackling, red hatred sailing harmlessly over Maggieâs head.
âFireball!â Maggie had no such disadvantage, and she had me dead to rights.
âSvalinnâs Mercy!â Kiyo shimmered back into sight as she threw up the shield in front of me. It was a bit malformed, but sheâd been in a rush. The flames dissipated harmlessly against the energy barrier.
Kiyo staggered, clutching her head. âCrap, how do you make a million of those all the time?â
Damnation! Sheâd chosen a Hell of a time to succumb to Wizardâs Desolation.
Maggie started at the unexpected voice, but she was quick to take advantage of Kiyoâs sorry state. Kiyo didnât put up much resistance as Maggie seized the smaller woman, stealing Kiyoâs own short sword to hold to her throat.
âHands up, Magpie,â said Maggie.
âKiyo? What are you doing here?â Itâs strange to be relieved and annoyed at the same time. My heart felt lighter knowing she was okay, but
âI got the headmaster to try and get you out of that glass,â said Kiyo. âYou were already gone, and then there was this fire, then he sent me ahead to help.â Her shield failed as her magic reserves cratered. She was still conscious, but I couldnât count on any cooperation from her. âD-didnât think I was running that low.â
âI thought you said Iâd killed her. Oh well, plenty of time to fix that.â Maggieâs arm tensed, ready to draw the blade across her throat.
âWait!â Knowing Maggie, I tried to sound as piteous as I could.
A wicked grin split her face. âWhy should I?â I had guessed right; Maggie would want to draw out my misery.
âShe doesnât deserve any of this,â I said. âIâm the one who spoiled your big plan.â
Maggie scoffed at that. âShe most certainly does! Sheâs been a constant thorn in the Holy Brotherhoodâs side. Making you miserable when I execute her is just a bonus.â
Kiyoâs eyes widened in terror, but she was helpless to resist.
I grit my teeth, my mind racing as I searched for the words to save us both. I had to get them separated so I could blast Maggie, but my exhausted body and aching, pockmarked chest told me they werenât up for any more acrobatics.
Then it hit me; I didnât have to save us both. I was already doomed, after all. Even if I could have slipped out and met with Dante, I had failed in my mission. A lifetime under Fera and Girdanâs bootheel would be worse than a few months of torture at the hands of the League. Kiyo could still be saved, though.
âDo you think the Brotherhood is going to have any use for you after today? Youâve managed to get two attack squads wiped out under your watch! Even if you could take out Tachibana in your state and convince the League you had been one of the hostages, we know you would wake up with a knife in your back. Itâs the end of the road for you, my dear.â
Maggie tensed. âThen why shouldnât I take her with me?â
âUh, Magpie, you arenât helping,â said Kiyo, her gaze fixed on the sword.
I continued my sales pitch, undeterred. âUnless you do what I say, that is. You have a bargaining chip in your grasp that the League will pay dearly for.â
âYouâre the only one that cares about Jones,â spat Maggie. âPlenty of defective wizards where she came from.â
âBitch,â muttered Kiyo.
I tapped my chest, wincing as my Rough Spout wounds flared up. âNo, not her. Me. You wanted my true name? Fine.â I bowed theatrically, raising myself up halfway to give Maggie my best leer. âI am Malthus the Younger, son of the Dark Lordâs Grand Vizier, Malthus the Elder. Lately from Pandemonium, formerly a Captain of the Grim Horde. A half-devil whoâs been under your nose this whole time.â
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Comments
D. B. Fassbinder
Thank you! It's definitely been a journey.
Morgan Swanson
This was fantastic, ecstatic to see how Malthus turns out. Also 100 chapters! That's no small feat, congrats
WE NEEEEEd MoreEEEEEE
Marcus Ăsterberg
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
