Master of Magic Read online

  “You’re not gay, are you?” Owen asked Natalie over his shoulder. She shook her head.

  “Of course he’s gay, he likes other men.” Gabi snapped, scrunching her face in fury.

  “She likes men. That makes her straight,” Owen argued. Gabi took a step forward, glaring up at Owen.

  “You’d be best to keep your nose out of our business, warlock.” She spit between her teeth.

  “She is my business, human.” Owen retorted.

  “Gabriella?” Another wife of a knight appeared at the end of the hall. I wasn’t sure who she was married to, but she had the same botoxed face and dyed blonde hair that most of them developed. Gabi turned and greeted her friend like she was not just insulting her daughter.

  “Claudia, how nice to see you!” She turned, wrapping her arms around the other woman. They gave each other air kisses and proceeded to walk back down the hallway, away from us.

  With the threat averted, I grabbed Ivy’s hand leading her away. Owen would take care of Natalie. I felt Ivy’s hesitation, but she followed me down the hall and into one of the elevators.

  “That was rough.” Ivy sighed, emotion making her eyes glimmer.

  It occurred to me that Ivy might not have ever seen anything like that. Her parents were always accepting of her, and I was sure that if she had been born transgender, they would have supported her unconditionally. She had the rare opportunity to never face adversity as far as prejudice or intolerance. Owen was right, she was so pretty that no one was ever mean to her. Therefore, she got to keep her child-like innocence, her most inner and pure self.

  “You should have seen it ten years ago,” I commented.

  One time, when Natalie had first really started to embrace her true inner self, I had to watch while her mother gave her a beating like I had never seen. My father and I had our problems, but I never worried about my physical safety. We were in early grade school, and Natalie had asked the teacher to not call her Nathan anymore. The teacher had been receptive and complied with her wishes. Gabi, upon receiving a letter from the school with the name Natalie instead of Nathan, had been furious. Director Belvedere hadn’t been there, but Constance had been, as she often picked us up from school. I’ll never forget how she told us to wait in the car and then marched across the busy street to where Gabi and Natalie stood. Constance yanked Natalie from Gabi’s crushing grip. I saw her mouth move, but couldn’t hear what she said. Gabi turned pale white and then backed away from her. With that, Constance, with Natalie in tow, came back to her car and set Natalie in the back seat with us. From then on, Natalie spent the afternoons after school with us until her father was able to get her after work in the evening.

  Natalie only had to endure her mother on a regular occasion until we were nine and shipped off to knight school. It was akin to the agoge in ancient Sparta. In fact, the Spartans had been a community of knights. Owen came with us, of course, as the powers-that-be didn’t want to separate an Emrys from a Pendragon. There, Natalie was given the freedom to really blossom into her self. The instructors and administrators at the Northeastern Order Academy had always accepted her and treated her fairly.

  “My heart breaks for her,” Ivy said, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I couldn’t imagine ever being talked to that way, especially by my own mother.” I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her into my side. Ivy had been sheltered from the ugliness of the world, and now she was starting to see it. I just wished I could protect her from it as well.

  “Natalie is one of the strongest people I know, she’ll get through it,” I assured her.

  “But she shouldn’t have to get through it. Why can’t people just be nice to one another?” Ivy asked, looking up at me with wide innocent emerald eyes. I wished I had an answer for her, but I didn’t. Instead, I just shrugged.

  When the elevator doors opened, I led her into the restaurant, and we found a table in the back corner. Already several knights were seated, laughing and catching up, as many of them only saw each other this one time a year. My father and Sterling would fly in that night, but Sterling had never attended a conference even though he was Legacy Emrys. This would be his first, and I had asked him to come.

  “Okay, so tell me whose who,” Ivy said, moving her face closer to mine, so she didn’t have to talk so loud. I glanced around the room, not knowing many of them, just the Legacies, as I was expected to memorize each one of them as a child.

  “You see those two over there?” I asked, gesturing to a table by the windows. The two knights were of Indian descent with their dark skin and sharp features. “The one with the long hair is Legacy Vali, and the other one is Legacy Karna.” Ivy stared up at me with confusion in her eyes. “Vali is a Hindu demigod, known as King of the Gods, under the thunder god Indra. Karna is the demigod of the Sun God Surya, according to the legends of course.” Though knights were not born of the gods, they did have the powers of their mythology. Though after generations, most knight legacy lines lost their outward magic. Ryker is the only one with magic at this time, or so I assumed.

  “Whoa.” Ivy breathed, her eyes skimming across the room. “What about them?” She nodded her head towards a table of four.

  “The Chinese is one is of Legacy Jade, supposedly the first emperor of China. “I explained. “The gigantic black guy is of Legacy Shango, the Spirit of Thunder. The Persian guy is of the Legacy Mithras, a god of war and the guy next to him is of Legacy Bhram Gur. He’s basically the Persian equivalent of Arthur.” Ivy grinned up at me. I knew she liked to learn about all the different cultures and myths.

  “And those two?” Ivy asked.

  I would recognize the twins anywhere. With a smile, I stood and waved them over. Though they were identical, Michael was slightly brawnier than Roberto. When they stood before us, I shook their hands. I hadn’t seen them since our time at the academy.

  “Holy shit, Ryker, I heard you would be here,” Michael said, giving me a pointed look.

  “And who’s your beautiful friend?” Roberto asked, taking her hand in his and kissing it. Ivy blushed and released a little giggle.

  “This is Ivy Le Fay.” I introduced them. The twins’ eyes widened as they stared at her anew. “Ivy, this is Roberto Romulus and Michael Remus.” Ivy stood and shook their hands, giving them a bright smile that stunned them both. I had been with her for two years, and sometimes her beauty still amazed me.

  “Legacy of Morgana, eh?” Roberto said, sitting down next to her. Ivy just shrugged and gave him a smile.

  “So, you’re of the Legacies Romulus and Remus, but you’re twins, how does that work?” Ivy asked. One thing that I admired most about her was that she was never afraid to ask questions. The twins grinned and exchanged a glance. They’re ancestors derived from southern Italy, and they looked the part with their dark olive skin, deep brown hair, and greenish brown eyes.

  “Like our father and uncle before us, only one of us can carry on the legacy.” Michael started.

  “But one of us will have twins, and they will be assigned their legacy names at birth.” Roberto finished.

  “How do you know which name to give which twin?” Ivy asked, leaning forward. She already enchanted them. I swear she could get information from anyone.

  “Well, you’re grandmother named us,” Roberto said after a moment. Ivy’s eyes widened.

  “Maybe you’ll name ours someday,” Michael added.

  Roberto cleared his throat, “So, I hear you found something interesting.” He gave me a knowing look. I knew immediately he was discussing Excalibur. Though she made her debut to the Virginia Order, the rest of the world of Knights had yet to see her. In fact, a wild rumor was floating around that she wasn’t even Excalibur. The twins glanced over their shoulders, ensuring that no one was listening in. They leaned in then and Ivy and I did the same.

  “We’re with you, King of Knights, but there are some that might put up a fight,” Roberto whispered.

  “What do you know?” I asked. This was what Owen was t
rying to warn me about. I knew if I felt around enough, I would find people willing to give information.

  “It’s mostly the older knights that don’t believe that you found it,” Michael whispered. That was nothing I didn’t already know.

  “I suspect tomorrow we’ll have a good show.” Roberto gave me a pointed look. Though the Knights of the Virginia Order had already sworn fealty to me, the other knights of the world had yet to see Excalibur. It was easier for people to believe what they saw.

  “Even with it, though, there are some whisperings about breaking tradition.” Roberto went on. The shock of his statement jolted through me.

  “What do you mean?” I demanded, leaning forward. Michael and Roberto exchanged a look. Michael nodded and then Roberto turned to me.

  “Oy! I thought I heard you two mother fuckers!” A gigantic Knight, standing well over seven feet tall, with long bright red hair and beard stood at the hostess stand. The young human female stared at him in shock. Roberto and Michael stood, tossing their own insults.

  “Oh, and you’re with the King of Knights I see!” The redheaded Knight lumbered towards us. “Ryker, how the fook are you?” Angus Orik, of Legacy Orik the Red was a jolly fellow. I remembered him from when he visited the academy from Ireland when we were tweens. Angus wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the ground. That was something he had loved to do when we were kids because I was always smaller than the rest of them.

  “Oh aye, and I see ya caught ya a right pretty filly.” He said, letting go of me and gazing down at Ivy.

  “I’m Ivy Le Fay.” She said, holding out her hand.

  “Morgana’s girl.” He bellowed, pulling her into a hug. He looked like he might crush her.

  “Would you sit down and shut up?” Roberto snapped, pulling up another chair. “We were talking about tomorrow.”

  “Aye, it’s goin’ tae be a fight.” Angus nodded. “But we got ya back, the entire clan and me.” Angus had inherited the leadership of all the knights in Ireland, who he referred to as his clan.

  “I know the Scotts, and the Norse are behind you too,” Michael added.

  “Everyone else is divided. The younger ones are more open to you, but you’ll have tae pull leadership out of the older one's cold dead hands.” Angus winked at Ivy. She smiled up at him, and I could tell her and the gigantic knight were about to become friends.

  “I heard rumor that Legacy Achilles was going to challenge you,” Roberto whispered.

  “Fook Legacy Achilles,” Angus grumbled. Those were my thoughts exactly. Pendragon and Achilles had been fighting for leadership of Europe since Arthur asserted himself King of Knights. The Achilles heir thought that the title should be won in tournament instead of assigned to a sword. Excalibur disagreed.

  “Thump him on the heel, that’s what I say.” Roberto nodded.

  “Oy! Angus Orik, you big mother fooker! What the bloody hell are you doing here?” Garret Percival yelled across the restaurant. I guessed discretion was out of the window.

  “You fooking Scott, I’ll rip yer bloody head off.” Angus laughed, and the two giants embraced.

  “Where are the others?” I asked Garret.

  “All are here except for Conner.” He answered, squishing himself between Ivy and me.

  “I know where he is,” I assured Garret but didn’t tell him anything more. Conner was running a reconnaissance mission for me. The Knights of the Round Table had all officially sworn their fealty and loyalty to Ivy, Owen, and me. They were our personal guard of sorts.

  “I bet anyone a hundred dollars that chaos ensues tomorrow.” Roberto sighed.

  “I’m looking forward to a good brawl.” Angus flexed his muscles and then winked at Ivy who giggled.

  “No one is brawling, you let me handle everything,” I told them. All my group had to do was swear fealty to me in front of the other knights; I would take care of the rest. Then I looked at Gerrart and Angus. “If anything goes south, I want the two of you to protect her, understand?” I asked them nodding to Ivy. Ivy glared at me, her green eyes shimmering. I knew she hated it when I assured her protection over my own, but I wasn’t about to stop. That was something she would have to get over. I also knew she wouldn’t argue with me in front of them.

  “Aye, with me life,” Angus nodded, setting his massive hand on the top of her head.

  “Always.” Garret nodded. Well, at least that made me feel better.

  “Where’s your other half?” Roberto asked, glancing around.

  “Owen’s upstairs. He should be down in a minute.” I replied.

  “Well, at least an Emrys will be there, that might assure order.” Michael nodded. The knights had always had great respect for the Emrys line and for Merlin’s magic. Though, I doubted Owen would bring order to the chaos. He tended to thrive in disorder.

  “You couldn’t have told me there was a party going on down here?” Speak of the devil. Though it was odd because he just appeared. I didn’t see him walking up from the hostess station, but I was distracted.

  “Oy! There’s the wee Warlock, ya scared the piss out of me.” Angus stood and hugged Owen much like he did me, lifting his feet off the ground. Owen’s eyes filled with panic as his body squished under the force of the gigantic knight hugging him.

  “Damn bro, you got giants blood in you?” Owen asked, pushing away from Angus.

  “Just good stock, lad.” Angus laughed and then grabbed a chair for Owen.

  “Is everything alright?” I asked, giving him a knowing look as he sat down.

  “Fine.” Owen rolled his eyes. “I hate that bitch.”

  “It’s time to drink!” Angus announced, slamming his huge fist on the table. “Bar Keep!” He shouted. A terrified looking waitress scurried over to the table. A magical team would come through the hotel after we left and wipe the human's memories. They would think that an international business conference had just come through, instead of knights. Therefore, there wasn’t really any need to hide much.

  “I want ale, and none of that horse piss you Americans like to pass off,” Angus demanded. When the waitress scurried away, the knights turned to me. At that moment, I realized that this was probably my last night as a normal knight, if I ever was one. Once I was coroneted, my duties as a king would start to take over my life.

  Was I sure I wanted this?

  We spent the evening catching up with our old friends and drinking way too much. Others joined our group, including several members of the Round Table. As the night wore on, I found myself growing more and more anxious about the next day. Though there was a general party mood around the table, I could feel all of their tension. They knew as well as I did that we were walking into a fight. Not to mention, we knew that the Cult of Uasal had knights in their ranks. I knew that the next day would bring conflict, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened.

  Chapter Two:

  Ivy:

  The convention center was packed. Men milled around everywhere, and I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. I caught more than a few curious glances as I made my way through the crowded halls surrounding the gigantic arena in the center of the building. All the knights of the world could fit into the room. Security stood at every door, checking that each person who entered had the tattoo of the Order to gain entrance. I didn’t, so I had to find Ryker to get in.

  When we had gone back to our rooms the night before, Natalie had asked to stay with us instead of her parents. I couldn’t blame her. I had never seen such a display of intolerance and hatred before. She took Ryker’s bed, and Ryker slept with me. That night he had been so sweet as we cuddled together. He admitted to me that he wasn’t going to voluntarily take any more jobs that would separate us for so long. I agreed, but would understand if an opportunity came up that would take him away. I didn’t feel right being away from him, it was like I was missing a limb or something. I found my eyes skimming the room looking for him, even when I knew he wasn’t there.

  Early that m
orning, he had left the room after getting ready, saying that he just needed to walk for a while, clearing his head. I understood, but my worry for him increased. Winding through the crowded hall, I found him at a side entrance with Agent Rogers and Admiral Gilgamesh.

  “Ah, there’s our resident witch.” Agent Rogers gave me a wink and a handshake in greeting. Owen stood with the group as well, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and holding a cup of coffee. He had drunk entirely too much the night before.

  “Told you not to try to keep us with Angus,” I whispered up to him. Owen just nodded his head, sipping his coffee.

  A five-minute warning was announced and urged people to take their seats. We walked to one of the doors, and the security officer stopped us. Admiral Gilgamesh didn’t have to show his tattoo, as everyone knew who he was. Agent Rogers quickly unbuttoned the first few buttons of his dress shirt and pulled the material aside. Ryker did the same. Then the security guard looked at Owen.

  “Tattoo.” He grunted. Owen gave him a wide grin.

  “Well, I would, but it’s kind of in a private place.” He said as he started to unbutton his pants.

  “They’re with me,” Ryker said, gesturing to Owen and myself. Ryker gave Owen a glare, and the warlock laughed.

  “No guests.” He grunted.

  “We’re not guests, we belong here,” Owen argued. The security guard glanced at me.

  “Names.” He said after a moment.

  “Owen Emrys,” Owen said.

  “Ivy Le Fay,” I said. The guard’s eyes widened as he realized who we were. He turned to look at Ryker, finally realizing who he was as well.

  “Let them in.” Admiral Gilgamesh was suddenly next to us. The guard looked at him and nodded, stepping out of the path. Owen patted the guard on the chest as we walked past, but I felt his release of magic.

  “What did you do?” I whispered, following the others up the stairs to the bleachers. Admiral Gilgamesh and Ryker stayed on the main floor, taking their seats of honor.