Wizard Unleashed Read online

  "What about the mom?"

  "She wasn't in the picture."

  "And he got sent to prison?" I asked, drawn in.

  Gabriella shook her head. "Never made it that far. We convicted him, but he was found in his cell hanging from an electrical extension cord."

  "He killed himself?" I asked.

  "I don't know. He wasn't very strong emotionally. His last words to me were that he was innocent and that I needed to protect his sister. I can't help but feel I let him down."

  "Man, that's heavy," I said.

  My words were cut off by the sound of Gabriella's work phone ringing. Generally, she turned her second phone off at night. The speed with which she pulled it out and answered made me sure it was the call she was expecting.

  "How was school today?" I turned my attention to Clarita who'd run out of milk and was unsuccessfully trying to suck the dregs from the bottom of her glass with a straw.

  "Nelson got in trouble," she said. "He was fighting with some other boys."

  "That doesn't sound like Nelson," I said. "Why was he fighting?"

  "The boys were making fun of me. They called me Creepy Clarey. Do you think they know I'm a witch?"

  "Kids are mean, Clarita," I said. "They might have heard something and are trying to see if you'll respond."

  "I could hurt them, you know," she said.

  I calmed myself. The simple statement reminded me of my own confused childhood, only I hadn't known I was a wizard. I just knew that bad things happened to people around me.

  "But you don't hurt them," I stated. "Why not?"

  "Hurt lasts a long time."

  I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. "Nelson is a good friend," I said. "We should do something nice for him."

  "He likes cookies," she said, with a bald attempt at manipulation.

  "Maggie makes the best cookies," I said. "We should make some this weekend and drop them off at Nelson's."

  I could hear Gabriella finishing up her conversation.

  "Are we on for artifact retrieval?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood as she hung up. Reading her face, I immediately knew I was wrong.

  "That was Dean," she said. I tried not to smile as it occurred to me he'd called her on her work phone and not on her personal one. "Robbie Fitzhugh's sister, Missy, escaped county lockup."

  "Escaped? How?" I asked. I'd recently spent time in jail and while I felt I could break out, I was sure the average teenage girl would not.

  "Dean heard about it secondhand," she said. "Something about the video being obscured. One minute she was there and the next she was missing."

  "How much does Dean know about you?"

  "He knows I'm a witch, Felix," she said. "Although, I think he believes it’s a religious thing."

  "You're Catholic," I said.

  "I didn't go into detail with him about it. Jealousy clouds your thinking," she said.

  "Did you ever get the sense that her brother Robbie was sensitive?" The term was often used to describe low-level magical types who could feel the energies around them, but were otherwise unable to focus them. I personally believed greater than five percent of the population fit into this category.

  "Maybe sensitive, but certainly not productive. As you can imagine, his home life wasn't conducive to nurturing a latent talent."

  "Any chance Missy has talent?"

  "I don't know. I never really met her. What is strange, though, is that Dean said a lawyer from a Chicago firm flew in and was about to meet with her when she disappeared. It doesn't make sense. She's just taken what should have been a misdemeanor and added a second felony."

  "She had to have help," I said.

  "Unless she's magic," Clarita chimed in.

  I tapped her on the nose. "Right you are, Monkey."

  Cy approached and slid plates onto the table. It was uncommon for us to be allowed to choose what we wanted for dinner, so I closely inspected the food selected by Belle Katty. Diced potatoes that smelled of garlic, onions and bacon smothered in asparagus cream sauce complete with a crusty roll had been selected for me, grilled cheese for Clarita, and a salad with tofu and Asian dressing for Gabriella.

  "You must be hungry," Gabriella said, eyeing my heaping plate.

  "Starving. Andy and I were hanging drywall in the living room all day." The home I'd inherited from my mother had nearly been destroyed by a rogue coven. In addition to the run-down mansion, I'd also inherited a sizeable nest-egg. Instead of working a normal job, I kept myself busy restoring the property with Andy, the husband of Kelly, a witch from Gabriella's coven.

  "Mind if we sleep over tonight?" Gabriella asked.

  "You know I don't," I said, laying my hand on top of hers.

  "We could drop off Clarita with Maggie and then run out to my client, Mr. Rosen's house," she suggested.

  "I'd love you to move in full time." I hijacked the conversation. "You could have your own room. Heck you could have your own floor."

  "I don't want to do this now," she said.

  Our relationship had stalled and I had no idea why. Every time I mentioned moving in together she threw up road blocks. It was like I'd become a safe date for dinner, snuggling, and occasional sleepovers.

  "You're holding me at arm's length," I said. "I don't know where I stand."

  "It's me, Felix. How can I be me when you're you? When I sleep at your house, I’m not even in my own coven's territory,” she said. “You have your own gravity. Things happen around you and I get pulled in. You're a wizard, Felix. I'm a witch. We're not equals. Your issues will always be more important than mine. I feel like I'm getting lost."

  "What are you saying? Is it Dean?" I asked, regretting it immediately.

  Gabriella smiled, turning her hand over so she could grasp mine. "You're both so wise and so naïve. No, I am committed to you, Felix. I've spent my life in submission to others; first Mistress Barrios, then Mistress Therpsa, the DA's office, and my job as a corporate attorney. I need control of my life. Moving in with you now wouldn’t help this."

  Gabriella was projecting calm. It wasn't magic as much as it was a wish on her part - a wish that I would love her enough to listen as she bared her soul. It had taken a lot for her to bring up the conversation. The stress of Missy Fitzhugh and a job she could barely survive had no doubt pushed her over the edge.

  "I won't keep badgering, but you need to know you're pushing away from the wrong things," I said.

  "What do you mean?"

  "This is important, so you need to answer this question as truthfully as you possibly can. When you wake up in the morning in your apartment and think about going to work, how do you feel?"

  "I know what you're asking. You're right; I don't look forward to work. It's just a phase and I need money to pay bills," she said.

  I nodded. "How do you feel when you're coming to meet me for dinner at the house, knowing you'll be spending the night?"

  She smiled and looked at the table. "That's not fair. You know how I feel."

  "No. I really don't. Tell me," I said.

  "I'm excited. I get to see you and Clarita and it's relaxing. Well... except for the fact you're keeping a demon in the basement." She lowered her voice as she said the latter. "Some nights all I can think about is just sinking into you and disappearing from the world, Felix. And that scares me."

  "Gabriella, you have too much to give to be wasting it on corporate law. It's sucking the life out of you. You're afraid that you're losing yourself to me, but you're really giving yourself away for a paycheck."

  "What would you have me do?"

  "Defend people like Robbie Fitzhugh," I said. "Get on the other side of the courtroom and use that big beautiful brain and that big beautiful heart of yours for a purpose. Stop fucking around with Whyte Wood and get your coven back on its feet. It's not me you need to be running from. You're slumping toward mediocracy and blaming me for it."

  "Stop using that language around Clarita," Gabriella said as she sat ba
ck in her chair and pulled her hand away from my own.

  "Sorry, Monkey. I shouldn't talk like that."

  "That's okay. All the kids at school do it," she said.

  Gabriella picked at her salad, refusing to look up.

  "Look, I'll drop it for now," I said. "How about we get out of here. I'll follow you to my house and we'll leave Clarita with Maggie. We can go grab the thingamajig and you can sleep in one of the spare rooms."

  "Would you share your bed?" she asked quietly. "I’d like to be close with you."

  "You just can't resist messing with me, can you?" I said.

  Chapter 2

  Handsome

  Gabriella must have called Maggie en route as my truck's headlights illuminated a white and brown Saint Bernard rushing out from the house to meet us. My sister's only magical ability was to shape shift, but it was a skill she excelled at. She could shift into any creature she spent time with. The cost to her was in energy expended, making her ravenously hungry and overly thin. Even through the closed windows of my 1970s, vintage Suburban, the sounds of Clarita’s delighted squeals as she ran to meet her aunt in furry form rang out.

  "Take the truck?" I rolled the passenger's side window down as I pulled up next to Gabriella's older import.

  "I don't seem to be able to raise Mr. Rosen."

  "It's early. We could drop by," I said. "Maybe he turned his phone off. Is he old?"

  Gabriella climbed out of her car and slid into the truck's front seat. I pushed the heat up and pointed the vents at her. The wind had picked up as the temperature had dropped from mid-thirties to the high teens and she was underdressed.

  "Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked.

  "Nope. I'm good and we should be home before the snow starts." I drove down the wooded lane toward Happy Hollow Boulevard. The house I'd inherited had been passed down through my family for at least a couple of generations and sat on several acres in the middle of Leotown. Frankly, I didn't know much about its history or my ancestors for that matter.

  "It's going to snow? How much?" Gabriella asked.

  One of the advantages I had as an earth wizard was insight on the weather.

  "Six inches by morning. If the main system hits us dead on, we'll get a dozen. I'll give you a ride to work in the morning if you'd like," I said. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? A sudden illness often accompanies a weather change. You could call in sick and I could baby you."

  "That sounds wonderful. If I didn't have so much work, I'd be all over it."

  We drove in silence. The cross streets she gave were near a golf course on the north side of Leotown. Turning onto a side street, I was reminded why I'd always liked Winter Solstice and Christmas time. The bright lights were a reminder of celebrations with friends and family.

  "Turn on Country Club Oaks Place." Gabriella pointed at a road sign I was about to pass. I turned hard and pulled onto the narrow asphalt road flanked by rows of well kempt trees.

  "I appreciate what you said at dinner, Felix. I promise I'll think about it, but I need you not to pressure me."

  "Message received," I said. "For a moment, I thought you were breaking up with me."

  "He's at the end; there's a turnabout," she said. "You're a true friend, Felix. You listened and instead of pushing for what you wanted, you looked out for me. That's a big deal. I've never had that in my life before."

  I reached over and held her gloved hand as we drove. There were times when it was better to just enjoy the silence.

  As we drove deeper into the country club area, the houses were all new; each nicer than the one before it. Rosen's house was no exception. It was by far the largest, although completely lacking for Christmas decorations. A ten-foot-tall wrought iron fence ran the perimeter of the property, disappearing into heavy trees. A reinforced gate stood open, suggesting Mr. Rosen was either expecting us or simply not as concerned with security as the fence seemed to suggest.

  "Want me to pull in?" I asked.

  She gestured ahead. "Sure."

  I turned into the drive and drove up a slight incline that allowed us to park near the front-door of the imposing house.

  "I'll be right back." Gabriella opened the door, which was immediately caught by a gust of wind and pulled violently forward. I caught a faint, but funky smell. It was odd, given the temperature. Most things that make bad smells should be frozen tonight.

  "Hold on a sec. It looks slippery," I said. "I'll come with you."

  I hustled around the front of the truck, glad for my heavy work boots. Rosen hadn't cleared the ice and the wind was drifting the light snow we'd received the day before.

  "I've got you." I grabbed Gabriella's arm as the wind whipped at her dress. Her work shoes might look nice, but they were worthless on ice.

  Gabriella poked at the doorbell and we waited. I tried looking through the side-lights of the heavy double doors, but the glass was obscured. Gabriella shifted from foot to foot trying to stay warm as wind drove against the unprotected entrance.

  "Think he's home?" Gabriella shouted after waiting for almost a minute.

  The second advantage to being an earth wizard was that I wasn't particularly sensitive to hot and cold. I felt the differences, but as long as I wasn't separated from the earth itself by too much steel or iron, my body automatically drew energy as needed to balance the elements around me. I usually wore my standard black leather jacket, which people accepted without question.

  I knocked on the door. "Maybe his bell is out."

  For a moment, the wind died down. The sound of something breaking apart - something very heavy and full of glass – came from inside the house. It shook the stoop we were standing on and both of us jumped back. I half expected the front windows to blow out, the fracas inside became so loud. We stood there flabbergasted, unable to form a plan of action. Something heavy slammed against the front door, making the wood convulse and the knocker rattle. Muffled thumps were all that followed and suddenly the house was quiet again.

  "What was that?" Gabriella struggled for balance, having stepped back onto the icy walk.

  "Nothing good," I said. I tried the door, but it was locked. I let go, twisted my hand and attempted to engage the lock, encountering unexpected resistance.

  "Altum Visu," I incanted while sweeping my right hand over my eyes. Planar view was the official description of the spell, although I called it wizard's sight. The spell gave me the ability to see into the mystical plane that sat adjacent to the mundane. The energies surrounding the lock jumped out at me as plainly as if they'd been neon lights.

  "What do you see?" Gabriella asked.

  "Wizard's lock. Give me a second." The lock was both complex and a complete surprise which made it impossible to turn away from. I shifted my hands, lifting latches, turning tumblers and avoiding traps. Maybe elegant would have been a better description. With wizard's sight and limited telekinesis, it took three tries and thirty seconds to unlatch the door.

  I twisted the knob and pushed at the wood with my shoulder, but the door refused to open more than an inch. Something heavy on the other side was preventing us from entering and I had a bad feeling about what we would find. I continued to push, widening the opening and our view into the front hall. My eyes were drawn to the far wall, where a dark purple oval of magical energy was still visible. Within the dim glow stood an oddly familiar orange outline of a small woman. The woman paused, returned my gaze and then she and the surrounding magic blinked out of existence.

  "What the heck?" I asked as I extinguished my wizard's sight. My foot had run into something soft and immovable on the ground.

  "Lucem." The glowing outline of a lantern appeared, its handle in my hand. As the light beam gained strength, I swung it around the room. The grand foyer of the house was in disarray; furniture was knocked over and debris littered the floor. Not unexpectedly, the object I'd kicked and the thing which had been blocking the door, was a body. Whoever it was, he was unmoving and therefore not an immediate threat. I kep
t scanning.

  "Body," I said as Gabriella slid through the door behind me.

  From her purse, she extracted the finger-length wand my stepmother, Judy Babcock, had given her.

  I closed my eyes and listened. I would tend to the body once I was sure we were alone and safe from impending attack. A strong draft from the back of the house carried with it the smell of the oncoming snowstorm, but the fresh air wasn't enough to cover the musky scent of lycan that surrounded us in the foyer. In addition, there was the unidentifiable musky smell I'd caught a whiff of in the drive.

  A sudden gust of wind slammed the front door closed which caused my eyes to fly open and Gabriella to squeak unintentionally. She'd crouched - as only a woman in a narrow skirt can - to inspect the body that lay sprawled on the floor, face down.

  "Felix. It's Joe Lozano," Gabriella whispered.

  "Is he alive?" I asked.

  "Barely."

  I took out my phone and dialed.

  "Nine-one-one operator, please state your emergency," a voice said.

  "There's a man here. He's unconscious and looks injured," I replied.

  "Where are you?"

  I recited the address.

  "An emergency unit is being dispatched. Is the victim conscious?"

  "No."

  "Is the victim breathing?"

  "Gabriella, is he breathing?"

  "Breathing is light." She pulled Joe's knee forward and rolled him onto his side, placing one of his hands beneath his cheek. "Airway is unobstructed and he is in recovery position," she said, loud enough to be heard by the operator.

  "Good. It sounds like your partner has first-aid training. The ambulance is four minutes out," he said.

  A crashing sound from the back of the house startled us. Gabriella held her wand close in hand and looked down the long hallway that ran along the right side of the grand staircase to the second floor.