Prologue
Summoning a familiar was supposed to be an exciting thing. The epitome of a young mage’s training. It was the event everyone dreamed about.
Bel looked at the summoning circle, at the power booster spell inscribed on his own chest in its simplified circle of glowing light, and sighed.
He felt sick to his stomach and ready to go hide in a blanket fort. With snacks. Snacks would do nothing to help the situation, but he was sure they’d make him feel better.
Victoria came up and put a supportive arm around his shoulders. “You’ve got this, honey.”
“I know I can do the spell.” That so wasn’t the problem. He looked at the woman who was basically his adoptive mother in many ways, the person who’d supported him when things had gone to shit three years ago. He’d worked with her and her mage-husband, Matt, for those three years. If not for them, he wasn’t sure how things would have fallen out, but it wouldn’t have been pretty. They’d given him the space to heal in, the support he needed to be able to work.
Her familiar, a Norwegian forest cat named Wodge came over and twined around Bel’s ankles, showing support. Bel leaned down to give him a scratch under the chin, making Wodge purr at him. Some people got nice, easy familiars. Like cats. Bel could go for a cat.
Would Bel get a cat?
No.
Because that’s not how a R’iyah mage rolled.
Victoria gave him another squeeze. “That wasn’t what I meant, and you know it. This time, the spell will bring you a familiar who will love you.”
“I really hope you’re right.” If it didn’t, Bel was never doing this again. Ever. No matter how difficult it made life for him. No matter how dangerous it got. He’d find another way. The only reason he was doing it now was MAD insisted he had to have a familiar if he was to continue to work.
But he’d quit them if he had to. He wasn’t going to be forced back into this if things didn’t pan out. Again.
It was terrifying, really, to face the circle. Even with Victoria and Matt at his back. Breaking his previous familiar bond had felt like someone had ripped his heart straight of his chest. The gaping wound left behind had left him raw, aching. Pain like that was reserved for amputated limbs and Bel felt like he’d lost just that. It had taken almost a year before Bel felt normal again afterwards. No way did he want to repeat that.
This time, he was going to be upfront about all of it. Every single thing about himself that had driven off his first familiar. He would clear the air, give the familiar time to think about it and then make a decision to stay or go. None of this trial basis nonsense. That’s what had gotten him in trouble last time.
Matt was off to the side, propping up a wall and well outside of the circle’s range. “Ready?” he called, his usually affable expression closed down in worry. The little mini dragon in his arms turned its dark crimson head and gave Bel an encouraging chirp. Treasure was supportive that way.
“As I’ll ever be.” Bel stepped forward even as Victoria stepped back, readying the limited power he had available to him. It would be just barely enough to do the summoning with. Which was a sad state of affairs, but unfortunately normal for him.
He took a deep breath. And found himself praying that this worked. Because despite all of his protests to the contrary, Bel really wanted a familiar. He wanted that relationship, that steadiness in his life. He closed his eyes for a moment, his feelings jittering in his chest, too many to comfortably name. Then he let out a slow breath before uttering the spell.
“Beshwöre der hausgeist.”
The sigil on the floor lit up with pure white light, blazingly bright, almost too bright to look directly at. The power pulled strongly from his core, so much so that Bel had to wonder—just who was he summoning this time? And where from, because that was quite the power draw.
Victoria came to stand at his back again, her palm flat between his shoulder blades and giving him a much needed power boost. Bless her for that, Bel felt quickly drained by this summoning.
He watched the middle of the circle intently, where the familiar would appear, trying to tease out any hint of shape or size. Even as he did, Bel found himself praying again. Please let this one be kind, and patient. Let them have the talent he needed, the ability to offer the necessary protection.
Please don’t let this be a repeat of three years ago.
A shape started to take form. It was tall, six feet easily, slender, maybe a man?
But seriously, why so much of a power drain? Was he coming from across the country? Bel was in Michigan, so the familiar could be coming from practically anywhere and it would be ‘across the country.’
Between one blink and the next, the form solidified and the light from the sigil faded. The power draw died down to a hum, then nothing at all, the summoning complete.
Bel stared at the man standing in the circle. He looked bewildered, on guard, already braced in a fighting stance. The uniform was that of the USA forces, although Bel couldn’t tell from here what branch. Army? Marines?
Two facts impacted and careened through Bel’s head. One, he’d once again summoned a soldier. Two, the man in front of him was damned handsome. His thick hair had a slight wave, a jet black that lay close to his scalp. He was lithe and trim, even as he slowly came out of the guarded stance, his movements were graceful. Hazel eyes locked on Bel and when he spoke, it was with a light, smooth tenor.
“I don’t suppose someone can explain why the hell I’m in a summoning circle?”
The spell just had to summon someone exactly Bel’s type.
Damn it all to hell.
Due out November 2021. Pre-order link is LIVE!
Summoning a familiar was supposed to be an exciting thing. The epitome of a young mage’s training. It was the event everyone dreamed about.
Bel looked at the summoning circle, at the power booster spell inscribed on his own chest in its simplified circle of glowing light, and sighed.
He felt sick to his stomach and ready to go hide in a blanket fort. With snacks. Snacks would do nothing to help the situation, but he was sure they’d make him feel better.
Victoria came up and put a supportive arm around his shoulders. “You’ve got this, honey.”
“I know I can do the spell.” That so wasn’t the problem. He looked at the woman who was basically his adoptive mother in many ways, the person who’d supported him when things had gone to shit three years ago. He’d worked with her and her mage-husband, Matt, for those three years. If not for them, he wasn’t sure how things would have fallen out, but it wouldn’t have been pretty. They’d given him the space to heal in, the support he needed to be able to work.
Her familiar, a Norwegian forest cat named Wodge came over and twined around Bel’s ankles, showing support. Bel leaned down to give him a scratch under the chin, making Wodge purr at him. Some people got nice, easy familiars. Like cats. Bel could go for a cat.
Would Bel get a cat?
No.
Because that’s not how a R’iyah mage rolled.
Victoria gave him another squeeze. “That wasn’t what I meant, and you know it. This time, the spell will bring you a familiar who will love you.”
“I really hope you’re right.” If it didn’t, Bel was never doing this again. Ever. No matter how difficult it made life for him. No matter how dangerous it got. He’d find another way. The only reason he was doing it now was MAD insisted he had to have a familiar if he was to continue to work.
But he’d quit them if he had to. He wasn’t going to be forced back into this if things didn’t pan out. Again.
It was terrifying, really, to face the circle. Even with Victoria and Matt at his back. Breaking his previous familiar bond had felt like someone had ripped his heart straight of his chest. The gaping wound left behind had left him raw, aching. Pain like that was reserved for amputated limbs and Bel felt like he’d lost just that. It had taken almost a year before Bel felt normal again afterwards. No way did he want to repeat that.
This time, he was going to be upfront about all of it. Every single thing about himself that had driven off his first familiar. He would clear the air, give the familiar time to think about it and then make a decision to stay or go. None of this trial basis nonsense. That’s what had gotten him in trouble last time.
Matt was off to the side, propping up a wall and well outside of the circle’s range. “Ready?” he called, his usually affable expression closed down in worry. The little mini dragon in his arms turned its dark crimson head and gave Bel an encouraging chirp. Treasure was supportive that way.
“As I’ll ever be.” Bel stepped forward even as Victoria stepped back, readying the limited power he had available to him. It would be just barely enough to do the summoning with. Which was a sad state of affairs, but unfortunately normal for him.
He took a deep breath. And found himself praying that this worked. Because despite all of his protests to the contrary, Bel really wanted a familiar. He wanted that relationship, that steadiness in his life. He closed his eyes for a moment, his feelings jittering in his chest, too many to comfortably name. Then he let out a slow breath before uttering the spell.
“Beshwöre der hausgeist.”
The sigil on the floor lit up with pure white light, blazingly bright, almost too bright to look directly at. The power pulled strongly from his core, so much so that Bel had to wonder—just who was he summoning this time? And where from, because that was quite the power draw.
Victoria came to stand at his back again, her palm flat between his shoulder blades and giving him a much needed power boost. Bless her for that, Bel felt quickly drained by this summoning.
He watched the middle of the circle intently, where the familiar would appear, trying to tease out any hint of shape or size. Even as he did, Bel found himself praying again. Please let this one be kind, and patient. Let them have the talent he needed, the ability to offer the necessary protection.
Please don’t let this be a repeat of three years ago.
A shape started to take form. It was tall, six feet easily, slender, maybe a man?
But seriously, why so much of a power drain? Was he coming from across the country? Bel was in Michigan, so the familiar could be coming from practically anywhere and it would be ‘across the country.’
Between one blink and the next, the form solidified and the light from the sigil faded. The power draw died down to a hum, then nothing at all, the summoning complete.
Bel stared at the man standing in the circle. He looked bewildered, on guard, already braced in a fighting stance. The uniform was that of the USA forces, although Bel couldn’t tell from here what branch. Army? Marines?
Two facts impacted and careened through Bel’s head. One, he’d once again summoned a soldier. Two, the man in front of him was damned handsome. His thick hair had a slight wave, a jet black that lay close to his scalp. He was lithe and trim, even as he slowly came out of the guarded stance, his movements were graceful. Hazel eyes locked on Bel and when he spoke, it was with a light, smooth tenor.
“I don’t suppose someone can explain why the hell I’m in a summoning circle?”
The spell just had to summon someone exactly Bel’s type.
Damn it all to hell.
Due out November 2021. Pre-order link is LIVE!