Chapter 19
Seth had seen a lot of training sessions in his years as a mercenary.
Between military drills, combat practice, and tactical exercises, he’d participated in and observed countless hours of people learning to fight, to survive, and push past their limits.
But watching Petra learn magic was something entirely different.
He leaned against the oak tree, arms crossed, trying to stay unobtrusive as Judy worked with her.
The mage had started with basic breathing exercises, grounding techniques, and simple visualizations.
Petra had approached it with the same determined focus she brought to everything, her brow furrowed in concentration as she followed Judy’s instructions.
“Feel the earth beneath your feet,” Judy was saying, her Texas drawl somehow making the mystical sound practical. “Not just physically. Energetically. Let yourself connect to it. Let your awareness sink down through the soil, through the rock, all the way down to the bedrock.”
Petra stood barefoot on the grass. Judy had insisted she remove her shoes. With her eyes closed and her hands hanging loosely at her sides, Seth could see the tension in Petra’s shoulders gradually releasing as she breathed, her entire posture shifting from rigid control to something more fluid.
“Good,” Judy said approvingly. “Now extend that awareness outward. Not up, not yet. Sideways. Follow the energy as it flows through the ground.”
Petra’s expression changed, her face going slack with surprise. “Oh,” she breathed. “Oh, that’s…”
“What do you feel?” Judy asked, moving closer.
“Lines,” Petra said, her eyes still closed.
“Like rivers of light running under everything. They’re…
” She tilted her head, following something only she could sense.
“They cross here. Multiple lines, all intersecting beneath the castle. It’s beautiful and it feels…
” Her expression shifted to something troubled.
“Wrong. Like something’s been done to them. They’re blocked or tainted somehow.”
Seth straightened, his attention sharpening. He glanced at Judy and saw the mage’s expression shift from teaching mode to something more intense.
“Can you follow the lines?” Judy asked quietly. “See where they go?”
“They spread out from here,” Petra said, her voice distant like she was somewhere else entirely.
“North, south, east, west. All the cardinal directions and the points between. Like spokes on a wheel with the castle at the center. And…” She frowned deeper.
“There’s something dark in the lines. Corruption.
It’s worst right under the workshop, but it spreads through all of them. ”
Judy let out a low whistle. “Well, damn. That explains a lot.”
Petra’s eyes snapped open, and she swayed slightly. Seth moved instinctively, ready to catch her if she fell, but she steadied herself with visible effort.
“What did I just feel?” Petra asked, looking between Judy and Seth.
“Ley lines,” Judy said, her expression serious.
“Ancient streams of natural magical energy that flow through the earth. They’re like rivers, but for magic instead of water.
Places where ley lines intersect are naturally powerful.
They amplify magical workings and make it easier to draw on ambient energy. ”
“And this castle sits on an intersection,” Petra said slowly, understanding dawning.
“Not just an intersection. A major nexus point.” Judy pulled out a small notebook and started sketching.
“From what you’re describing, we’re talking about at least eight major ley lines all converging right here.
That’s incredibly rare. Most places of power have two, maybe three lines.
Eight is…” She shook her head. “This isn’t just valuable magical real estate.
This is prime territory. No wonder those Venifucus mages are so keen to get back here. ”
Seth felt his jaw tighten. “How long would it take to corrupt ley lines?”
“Years. Decades, probably.” Judy looked up from her sketch.
“The darkness Petra’s sensing isn’t recent.
Someone has been working dark magic on this site for a very long time.
Blood sacrifices, binding spells, probably demon summoning.
All of it would have corrupted the natural flow of energy through the lines. ”
“Can it be fixed?” Petra asked, her voice small.
“Yeah, but it’s gonna take serious work.” Judy tucked her notebook away. “That’s actually part of why Granny Tucker sent me. She knew this place was corrupted and needed cleansing. I just didn’t realize how extensive the corruption was until you described what you’re sensing.”
“Why can I sense it?” Petra wrapped her arms around herself. “I thought I had barely any magic.”
“You’ve got enough,” Judy said. “You also own the place, and though magic doesn’t usually care for the laws of man, that makes you the caretaker of the castle and lands, which binds you to it.
And you seem to have a natural affinity for earth magic, which includes sensing ley lines.
That’s actually perfect for what needs to happen here. ”
“What needs to happen?” Seth asked, not liking where this was going.
Judy looked at Petra directly. “As I said, this is your land now. Your castle. That makes you the guardian of this nexus point, whether you want the job or not. Once I cleanse the corruption from the ley lines, someone needs to maintain them. Keep them flowing clean. Prevent anyone from corrupting them again.” She paused. “That someone needs to be you.”
Petra’s eyes widened. “I don’t know how to do that.”
“You will by the time I’m done here,” Judy said firmly. “But first things first. We need to build your shields so the enemy can’t read you like an open book. Then we work on grounding and centering. Then I’ll teach you how to draw on the ley line energy without getting overwhelmed by it.”
“How long will all that take?” Seth asked.
“For basic competency? A few days if she’s a fast learner.” Judy looked at Petra assessingly. “And I think you will be. You’ve already done the hardest part. Sensing the lines in the first place is difficult. Most people take weeks of training before they can feel ley lines at all.”
“The mages are coming back,” Petra said. “We don’t have weeks.”
“No, we don’t.” Judy’s expression turned determined. “Which is why we’re going to do this the fast way. It’s not gonna be comfortable, and you’re gonna be exhausted by the end of each session, but you’ll learn what you need to survive.”
Seth watched Petra process this, saw her shoulders straighten and her chin lift. She was preparing for battle.
“Then I guess we’re going to do it the fast way,” Petra said.
“That’s what I like to hear.” Judy clapped her hands together. “All right. Let’s start with basic shielding. Close your eyes again and visualize…”
The next two hours were intense. Seth watched as Judy put Petra through exercises that looked deceptively simple but clearly required enormous concentration.
Visualizing shields as walls, as bubbles, as layers of armor.
Learning to hold them in place while moving, while speaking, while dividing her attention.
Petra struggled at first, her shields flickering and collapsing whenever she lost focus.
But gradually, with Judy’s surprisingly patient instruction, she began to hold them longer.
By the time they took a break, Seth could actually sense something around her, a subtle resistance in the air that hadn’t been there before.
“That’s good,” Judy said, offering Petra a bottle of water she’d apparently had in her voluminous bag. “Really good for a first session. Your shields are still weak, but they’re there. Anyone trying to read you magically is gonna hit resistance now instead of walking straight into your head.”
Petra took the water gratefully, her face pale and drawn. “I feel like I’ve run a marathon.”
“Magic takes energy. You’ll build stamina with practice.” Judy glanced at the sun, which was now high overhead. “We should break for lunch. Give you time to recover before the afternoon session.”
“There’s an afternoon session?” Petra asked weakly.
“Honey, there’s gonna be morning and afternoon sessions until those mages show up.” Judy’s grin was sympathetic but unyielding. “Welcome to magical boot camp.”
They walked back toward the castle, Petra moving slowly like every step took effort. Seth positioned himself beside her, close enough to catch her if she stumbled but trying not to be obvious about it.
“You did really well,” he said quietly.
“I feel like my brain is leaking out of my ears,” Petra replied.
“That’s normal for magical training,” Judy called back without turning around. “Means you’re actually working. If it was easy, you wouldn’t be learning anything.”
Inside, Wilhelm had arranged lunch in the smaller dining room. Anna was already there, her tablet ever-present, and Katja arrived moments after they did, looking crisp and professional despite the morning’s work on legal documents.
“How did the training go?” Katja asked as they settled around the table.
“She’s a natural,” Judy said, loading her plate with enthusiasm. “Sensed the ley line nexus on her first try. That’s impressive.”
“Ley lines?” Anna looked up from her tablet, eyes bright with interest. “Like magical energy currents?”
“Exactly like that.” Judy launched into an explanation of what they’d discovered, complete with hand gestures and enough technical terminology to make Seth’s head spin.
He noticed Petra eating mechanically, barely paying attention to the conversation. She kept losing focus mid-bite.
She was very obviously exhausted. More than exhausted. Drained in a way that went beyond physical tiredness.
Seth made a decision.
“Petra,” he said, interrupting Judy’s enthusiastic explanation of ley line geometry. “What are you doing this afternoon?”
She blinked at him. “Magical boot camp, apparently.”
“Change of plans,” Seth said. He looked at Judy. “She needs a break. A real one, away from the castle and all this intensity.”
“But—” Judy started.
“She’s already learning faster than expected,” Seth continued. “Pushing too hard will just diminish returns. What she needs now is time for her mind to process what she’s learned and for her energy to recover.”
Judy studied Petra’s pale face, then sighed. “You’re right. I got carried away. Sorry, honey. Happens when I get excited about teaching.”
“It’s fine,” Petra said, though relief was evident in her voice.
“So what did you have in mind?” Katja asked Seth, her sharp eyes missing nothing.
“A drive,” Seth said. “Get Petra away from the castle for a few hours. Let her breathe air that isn’t saturated with dark magic residue.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Petra said softly.
“Then it’s settled.” Seth stood. “Give me twenty minutes to arrange security coverage and we’ll go.”
“I can coordinate things here,” Anna offered immediately. “And Judy, maybe you could use the afternoon to work on cleansing those entrance wards you mentioned?”
“That works,” Judy agreed. “I’ve got plenty to do without running Petra into the ground on day one.”
Seth caught Petra’s eye and saw gratitude mixed with something warmer in her expression.
He smiled, already planning their route.
She needed a break to remember there was a world beyond dark mages and magical corruption and inherited nightmares.
And he was more than happy to give her that gift, even if just for an afternoon.
Twenty minutes later Seth was helping Petra into the passenger seat of the Maserati. She’d changed into a simple dress in soft green that made her eyes look brighter, and she’d actually smiled when she saw the car.
“This is yours?” she asked.
“Borrowed from Mark’s European fleet,” Seth admitted. “It drives like a dream.”
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere with no magic, no mages, and no stress.” Seth started the engine, enjoying the throaty purr. “Trust me?”
Petra settled back in the leather seat, her shields finally dropping completely as she relaxed. “Yes,” she said simply. “I trust you.”
Seth felt something warm settle in his chest. He put the car in gear and headed down the drive, leaving the castle and all its complications behind them. At least for a few hours.
“I thought first I should take you on a tour of the perimeter roads that bound your property. I’m sure you’ve seen the maps of the estate, but since we’re expecting trouble, it’s a good idea to see entrance and exit points in person,” he explained as he drove.
“Places where people might sneak in, you mean?” she asked as she looked out the passenger side window at the forest on one side of the road and the businesses and houses on the other in this section.
“Or where you can sneak out if things go really bad,” he added. “It’s always wise to prepare for all contingencies, even defeat. There’s no shame in living to fight another day.”
“That sounds a bit mercenary,” she observed.
“That’s because I am one. I lead a team of mercenaries, in fact.
The same team that’s guarding your castle grounds right now,” he explained in case she hadn’t been clear on his profession before now.
He really wasn’t sure how much she knew, but it was time to give her some truth if they were going to take their personal relationship any further.
“But I didn’t hire you, so who’s paying for you and your team’s services?”
“Sam and Mark. Two billionaires who have a vested interest in shutting down the workshop on the lower level of your castle and making sure the Venifucus are ousted from here. You know I’ve been reporting to them and reaching out to them for help. They sent all the new help, among other things.”
“But why? Why would such men get involved in my affairs? I don’t even know them,” Petra wondered aloud.
“Some of the mages that trained here were responsible for the deaths of some of Sam Kinkaid’s kin in the States and several attacks on others in his Clan.
He also dealt with Abdul and he and his new mate put an end to some seriously evil and powerful mages that were traveling with ol’ Abdul,” Seth revealed.
“As for Mark, I believe he has had run-ins with Abdul and his weapons a few too many times, as well. Abdul was fighting on the wrong side of the eternal battle of good versus evil, you know.”