Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Several hours later…
Dom wondered if this visit would get him killed, or at least back under the restriction of a dampener. He knocked twice on the heavy wooden door to the small wood house deep in the jungle of Brazil.
The door opened. No one there.
A voice deep within yelled, “Come in.”
He pushed inside.
Brik sat deep in meditation on the floor. Over the past few years, the Spaniard had let his hair and beard grow long. He wore the traditional meditation robes that many mages discarded a century ago.
“Leave the weapons on the table,” Brik ordered. “Join me.”
Dom unloaded his two long swords and five daggers onto the table.
He sat next to Brik on the floor mat, not that he intended to do a true meditation. Not in his current state of mind.
“Got yourself free, I see.” Brik didn’t open his eyes. “I figured those Fates would only let you be bound for so long. Why now?”
“Something has infiltrated the Conclave.”
“You think it’s me?” Brik’s eyelid opened. He watched out of the corner of his eyes.
“I think you should let me be sure it’s not you.”
He held his arms wide. “Test me.”
From his pocket, Dom removed a detect charm that could show him both demon possession and spells.
“Signa mihi diaboli revela.” Reveal unto me the signs of the devil.
He repeated it twice more. The charm didn’t light up as it would if this mage were infected, nor did Brik show any indication of the pain he should’ve felt if he was possessed.
“I assume I passed.” The mage’s weary gaze found his. “I’ve known for a while something was off. For them to do what was done to you, and keep doing it, made no sense.”
He kept his hands ready should Brik attack. “What do you think should have been done in the face of that prophecy?”
“Historically, with witch magic, be it a spell or curse or prophecy, we evaluate. We talk about it until we’re sick of it, but we comprehend all its implications.
If it’s something we think may be a problem at some point, we record our evaluation.
We watch. Our purpose is not to thwart the Fates or change destiny.
Ours is to try to maintain the balance of nature.
For me, I protect the trees and creatures of the rainforest. For you, you focus on protecting humans, sometimes nonhumans.
” He reached out to take Dom’s hand. In silence, he studied the area where Dom had worn the obsidian ring. “How do you feel without it in place?”
“Less divided. Restored.” He flexed his left hand. “I didn’t realize it dampened me.”
His face gentled. “If you actually wanted to be free of your restriction, you would’ve found a way, but you believed yourself enough of a threat that you allowed it.
You are far stronger than any of us realize.
Far more disciplined. I also suspect you’ve learned much about yourself and your abilities during your isolation.
Probably more than any of us will ever discover. ”
“I need your help.”
He clapped his hands. “Finally. A mission. Is there a threat of death?”
“Yes.”
“Certainty of a good fight?”
“Probably.”
“Excellent. I’m bored of all this. Tell me what we’re doing.”
“We’re going to find out what is exerting influence over the Conclave and who’s affected.”
“Who are we visiting first?”
Dom smiled.
Brik and Dom appeared in the housing unit attached to the Conclave Temple. Opening the door to Marik’s dwelling with its sparse décor, they found him on his cell phone. The place was primarily an office with a futon for a bed. What a sad existence.
Marik deliberately didn’t pay attention to them from where he sat at the massive wooden desk.
Dom scribbled on the small pad of paper and held it up for Marik to see: You look like shit.
Marik snatched the pen from him and wrote back: You shouldn’t be here.
He laughed softly, still engrossed in his conversation.
“Who do you think released a hoard of goblins on you? How many? Hold on while I consult.” He pressed a button on the desktop phone.
“Dom, how does one contain what seems like twenty goblins released onto a mage’s property? ”
“Twenty is ridiculous. They’d be fighting each other. They only travel in groups of two or three. What level is this mage?”
“One.”
“He’s dead.”
Marik got back on the phone, “James, are you sure there are more than two or three?” He listened for a bit. “Are they threatening humans in the area?” He pushed the hold button.
“He swears there have to be at least six he can see out his front window and the same out his back. He thinks they’re bespelled by a witch he’s in a property dispute over. They might be a threat to some humans across the road.”
“Are you going to take a trip out there to save him?” Dom asked.
“I don’t have time. I don’t have anyone available. Will you do it?”
“What’s the address?”
Marik rattled off an address in Spain. Strange whatever was going on was happening so close to Evie.
“I can make a call to see if someone else is free to deal with it.”
He texted Roman the information. Out loud, he said, “Tell your mage to do a perimeter ward to keep them out and hold tight. Help might take…” He consulted his phone.
Roman: Where the fuck do you come off giving me an order? I’m busy today. Go deal with it yourself.
Dom: I’m dealing with that larger threat. Go handle some goblins. Or is that too hard for you?
Roman: Might take us ninety minutes to get there.
Dom said, “Help might get there in about two hours.”
“Who’s going to help him?” Marik asked.
“Does it matter? It’s someone who will get the job done.”
Marik slammed down the phone. “What are you two doing here?”
“You’re welcome.” Dom made eye contact with Brik, who covertly put up a perimeter shield. No one could enter or leave.
“I heard you freed yourself. Are you here to seek revenge?” Marik didn’t seem the least bit afraid.
“No. We need to chat. But first…” He removed the demon charm. “Signa mihi diaboli revela.” Reveal unto me the signs of the devil.
Marik groaned and massaged the back of his neck.
Brik moved faster than a blink of an eye to put both of Marik’s hands in metal bindings bespelled to remove a mage’s ability to do magic.
“What the hell? Release me! I’m your superior.”
Dom moved behind him to bracket his head.
Even without his power, Marik was strong, a tribute to years of muscle work. He bucked and tried to knock Dom in the nose. Brik and Dom moved Marik’s hair to reveal a mark similar to the one that’d been on Evie long ago. “You have a mhis on you.”
Marik stilled. “Impossible.”
Dom took a picture of it with his phone and showed it to him.
His shoulders slumped. He rasped out, “How… Who?”
Dom put a hand on his half-brother’s shoulder. “We’ll fix this.”
Brik held his arms wide. “Move away.” He swayed and chanted while burning incense. When his words reached maximum crescendo, he threw red powder at Marik.
“What the hell was that foul shit?” Marik spit. He contorted and twisted. A long moan came out of him.
“Dimittunt eum diaboli.” Release him, demon. Brik shouted it twice more.
A dark shadow separated from Marik’s neck, making him scream. Dom had never seen a spell so alive. In fact, the shadow didn’t feel anything like a spell.
Dom muttered a protective prayer and held up the demon charm to fend off the evil looking for a new home.
“Be gone to ash,” Brik ordered as he tossed liquid at Marik. It hissed as if boiling when it hit the shadowy areas where the curse-spell still held on. Then it dissolved into nothing.
“Do your test again.” Brik ordered Dom.
“Signa mihi diaboli revela.” He held up the charm.
Marik shook his head.
“It’s gone.” Brik grinned. “That was exciting. It’s been many years since I had to pull that banishment spell out.”
Marik felt along the back of his neck. “Am I burned? Felt like it flayed my skin and then burned it.”
“Nothing,” Dom said.
“Why would you help me?” He wouldn’t make eye contact.
“You’re my brother. We may never have gotten along, but blood is blood.” Dom shrugged.
“The mhis. How long do you think it was there?”
“It was pretty attached. I’d say a long time.” Brik walked over to a bookcase and removed a book. “What’s next, Dom? Anyone else I can do that on?”
“You should work with Marik to examine everyone here. I have other business to attend to. I need to find the primary demon. I’ve got a pretty good idea where to start.”