Magic Unchained (Hand Of Justice Book 4) Read online

  Magic Unchained

  Hand Of Justice™ Book Four

  Jace Mitchell

  Michael Anderle

  Magic Unchained (this book) is a work of fiction.

  All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.

  Copyright © 2019 Jace Mitchell & Michael Anderle

  Cover by Mihaela Voicu http://www.mihaelavoicu.com/

  Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing

  A Michael Anderle Production

  LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  LMBPN Publishing

  PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy

  Las Vegas, NV 89109

  First US edition, February 2019

  The Kurtherian Gambit (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are copyright © 2015-2019 by Michael T. Anderle and LMBPN Publishing.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  Author Notes - Jace Mitchell

  Other Age of Magic Books

  Books by Michael Anderle

  Connect with The Authors

  The Magic Unchained Team

  Thanks to our Beta Readers

  Mary Morris , Chrisa Changala, Diane L. Smith, Larry Omans

  Thanks to our JIT Readers

  Diane L. Smith

  Misty Roa

  Micky Cocker

  Angel LaVey

  Dorothy Lloyd

  Editor

  SkyHunter Editing Team

  Dedication

  To my best friend, Tucker.

  --Jace

  To Family, Friends and

  Those Who Love

  to Read.

  May We All Enjoy Grace

  to Live the Life We Are

  Called.

  — Michael

  Chapter One

  “This is bullshit,” William growled. “Five days to get here, and this is all there is?”

  William dismounted from his camel and looked at the water before him. Worth, Alexandra, and Eric were all behind him, still sitting atop their own camels.

  Riley lay inside a small wagon that was attached to Eric’s camel. It was covered, and Riley was silent, still unconscious.

  “I knew this was bullshit,” William told the group. “I knew it from the beginning. There’s no sorceress here.”

  The group had headed northeast, making their way to the shore of the Great Barrier Reef. Or what was left of it. The World’s Worst Day Ever pretty much killed all the coral.

  No one in the group had ever been this far, and as they looked over the beach, it was clear very few others had as well.

  “Not even a hut. No one is here. This was a waste of time.”

  “Big man always mad,” Worth said as he got off his camel. “Always angry. Need drink more.” He walked up next to William, stopping at his side.

  Alexandra, the Chosen’s queen, came next. Only Eric remained on his camel, keeping watch over Riley though it appeared no one lived here.

  The three stood looking at the ocean, waves lightly curling onto the shoreline.

  A dead city lay behind them. Nature had taken its course, however, and the city was crumbling.

  “This is where the rumors said she went,” Alexandra commented. She meant the woman who had brought magic to this continent. The woman who trained Rendal. She was talking about a woman named Linda.

  “Well, clearly they were just rumors, and now I got Riley in a wagon. And if ya ain’t noticed, she’s not getting any better.”

  “Wish Lucie here,” Worth responded. “She make him shut up.”

  “Yeah, William, what did you expect to find here? Linda sitting on the beach crocheting or something?” Alexandra asked. “I never guaranteed she’d be here. I only said that if anyone can understand what’s happening with Riley, it’ll be her.”

  “And what if we can’t find her?” William asked. “What if this damned sorceress doesn’t exist?”

  “Just calm down,” Alexandra said. “Worth’s right. We should have brought Lucie and Erin. If Lucie didn’t shut you up, maybe Erin’s kisses would have. Either way, we’re here now. We haven’t found her in the first five minutes, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to.”

  Alexandra looked at the city.

  “If she’s here, she’s most likely going to be in one of those buildings.” She glanced at William, grinning. “I really thought our savior’s partner would be smarter than this. You’ve been silent for much of the trip. Were you just hiding your stupidity?”

  William raised one eyebrow, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He turned to Worth. “You hearing this?”

  “She right. Big man dumb. Plenty room to look around here. No need panic.”

  William chuckled and looked at the ground, shaking his head. “You’re right. I just...I feel responsible. Riley is getting worse, and we’re running out of time.”

  William couldn’t remember the last time he had cried, but as he thought about Riley back in that wagon, emotions rose in him that he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Guilt. Anger at not being able to fix her.

  Worth’s large hand touched his shoulder, the bald man having moved closer. “She magic. She be okay. Trust Worth. We find sorceress, then we beat mage.”

  William gritted his teeth, pulling himself out of his emotions. “Okay, then. Alexandra, you’re the one who wanted to come here. What do we do?”

  The Chosen’s queen was quiet for a second as she looked at the gently lapping waves. “Worth and I will look tonight. Perhaps then we’ll be able to find her.”

  “You two will look? Without me? Ha! Not happening!”

  Alexandra rolled her eyes. “William, all you will do is walk around cursing and surely scare away anyone who might be wondering who we are. Let’s be honest; your magic use is rudimentary at best. Worth and I will look because we’re searching for someone who uses magic.”

  “You just better hope neither one of you need to use a sword, because you’ll be shit outta luck then,” William retorted.

  “Nope. Worth do that too.” The mage grinned.

  “All right, enough.” William glanced at the small wagon. He was just glad to have made it here. Eric’s camel had been a real bastard about pulling the wagon. “I miss horses.” He shook his head and started walking back toward Eric. “Let’s get situated somewhere besides right here.”

  Riley was his only concern right now. This mysterious sorceress was only a means to an end, the end being that Riley ended up in good health. If this didn’t work, William would be damned if he’d give up. He’d march right
back to wherever Rendal was and kill the sonofabitch if he didn’t take this hex off.

  The four worked their way down the beach. The lost city lay to the right, with many tall buildings like William had never seen before. They looked nothing like New Perth’s, nor Sidnie’s.

  “The city’s from before the World’s Worst Day Ever?” William asked.

  “I imagine so,” Alexandra answered. “The Chosen have never been here. We’ve only heard of it.”

  “Gives me the fuckin’ creeps,” William growled as he looked at the dead buildings.

  He saw no people. There were a few birds perched atop them, cawing every now and then, but other than that, things were silent.

  They finally found a small, only half-ruined shack. William refused to go into the city, but this building was close to the beach.

  They removed Riley from the wagon, William staring at her as he carried her inside. The roof was partially caved in, but the remaining portion appeared sturdy enough. It would keep the sun off Riley, and any inclement weather.

  Finally, with the Right Hand resting safely, William turned to Eric. “You and me ain’t good enough at magic according to these two elitists, so we’re gonna have to find something to do while they go stumbling around that dead city. You know how to play cards?”

  Eric grinned. “I lived on a ship for most of my life. What do you think?”

  “I think you’re gonna lose a lot of money to me, kid.”

  Night fell across the beach, moonlight streaking across the now-black ocean.

  Alexandra and Worth exited the shack.

  “You better find her!” William called from inside.

  He’d grown grumpier with the passing hours, but Alexandra understood. He was concerned about his friend. She was concerned about her savior.

  “Where to?” Worth asked as they looked at the fallen city.

  “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  “Better. Worth smarter.”

  Alexandra glanced at the bald mage, seeing a smile across his face. “Yeah, yeah. Lead the way, then.”

  Worth’s drinking had completely stopped since Riley’s illness. No one said anything, but they all understood. He was as concerned as everyone else, and he obviously wanted a clear mind to help bring her back.

  He began walking, and Alexandra followed. Neither of them could be sure the woman was here, but what other choice did they have?

  “If she’s anywhere, she has to be hiding in the buildings,” Alexandra remarked.

  “Worth know. That why Worth head that way.”

  “You trying to replace William’s dickishness?”

  “Dickishness not word,” he responded. “People say Worth don’t know language. Alexandra don’t know language.”

  Alexandra grinned as the two reached the first line of buildings. Roofs were caving in, balconies had fallen, and large stones littered the ground around them. Grass grew tall. Alexandra could see trees inside the structures, glassless windows now having branches sticking out of them. She watched a lizard scurry across the cracked pavement.

  “You feel her?” Worth asked.

  “I feel something.”

  Alexandra hadn’t felt it earlier, but she did now. The place had felt empty when they first arrived, but her psychic magic was detecting...something new. She just didn’t know what it was.

  Worth’s eyes became red, then bright white light left his arms. It shot into the air and hovered high like a spotlight before disappearing into the clouds above. It almost looked as if a light from the heavens were falling instead of the other way around.

  “Know we here now,” he said.

  They walked down the cracked and broken roads. Nature had reclaimed much of this place, and in another decade or so, these roads would not exist. Perhaps in another hundred years, even the buildings would complete their crumbling.

  An unseen bird chirped in the distance.

  The two mages walked for an hour, neither say anything. Alexandra’s feeling that someone was here grew stronger. She sensed a presence, although she couldn’t pinpoint it or find out anything about it.

  “They strong,” Worth said. “Definitely stronger than Alexandra. Probably not Worth.”

  He was grinning.

  “Yeah, you’re definitely replacing William’s dickishness.”

  Why are you here?

  The words whispered through Alexandra’s head, and she knew from Worth’s immediate halt that he heard them too.

  Alexandra didn’t know whether to speak verbally or through her mind but decided to respond in kind. She made sure Worth heard her too.

  We’re looking for someone named Linda. The rumors are, she brought magic to this place, and then she disappeared. The rumors are, she came here.

  Long seconds of silence passed. Neither mage moved.

  Why do you want her?

  Alexandra blinked, although she didn’t look at Worth. She wanted to portray strength right now, not any sort of nervousness or fear. If the rumors were right, this woman was a very powerful sorceress, and she might be able to dash both of them to bits without much—

  “This bullshit. Come out. Quit hiding!” Worth yelled. His words echoed off the buildings around them, cracking the silence like a bullwhip.

  Alexandra’s eyes widened, and she stared at the bald mage. He looked right back at her and shrugged. “Linda annoying.”

  Alexandra laughed, unable to help herself.

  “You should learn how to talk to your elders.”

  The words came from behind Alexandra. She spun, her eyes immediately going red.

  A woman stood thirty feet above them on the third floor of a ruined building. The window’s glass no longer existed, and she stood close enough to the edge that her toes nearly hung off the edge. Her eyes were red as well.

  Alexandra stared hard, taking the woman in. She was old; the word “ancient” came to mind.

  “No one’s ever called me that,” the woman said. “I don’t appreciate it.”

  She read my thoughts, Alexandra thought, and did it so deftly, I didn’t notice.

  “You should leave,” the woman called down. “And never come back.”

  “You should shut it,” Worth yelled up. “Need help. Come down.”

  The woman raised an eyebrow. “Who is this lout that talks to me so?”

  “Worth,” he answered. “No time for games. Get down.”

  “You speak like a toddler,” the old woman mocked.

  “You look like skeleton,” Worth shot back.

  A slim smile spread across the woman’s mouth and a blue flame came to life in her hand, a color that Alexandra had not seen in magic before, but which clearly showed the intensity of the heat.

  “You should leave,” the woman said again, “or I’ll make you.”

  Worth opened his mouth in a wide yawn, exaggerating the noise to clearly make a point. His eyes were blazing red as well. When he finished, he said, “Come down or Worth drag you down.”

  The blue flame shot from the woman’s hand, a tunnel of fiery light that slammed into the ground in front of the two mages.

  Alexandra whirled to her right as rocks broke apart and scattered into the air from the fire’s fury. Her hands were already working, blue ice shooting out in front of her and Worth. It built from the ground up, forming a thick layer that started melting the moment the fire’s warmth touched it.

  Worth backed up, yet no magic flowing from him.

  The woman stood still in her window, but the flames didn’t venture forward. Rather, they burned in the exact same place on the shattered road.

  Alexandra quit shooting ice, the barrier now six inches thick.

  “We no scared,” Worth called. “We fight, we must. Come down. Stop this childishness.”

  Alexandra stepped up next to the bald mage. She waved her hand at the barrier in front of her and it cracked at once, tiny pieces of ice hitting the ground before melting away.

  The blue flames still burned; Alexandr
a could feel the heat against her skin. If the old woman moved them a foot forward, the two of them would roast.

  “You two are stubborn bastards, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” Alexandra said. “We’re here for a very important reason, and both of us are willing to die for it.”

  “Damn it,” the old woman spat. “You know how many years I’ve been here without having idiots like you coming to look for me? At least ones that I couldn’t scare away?”

  “No. Don’t care neither,” Worth told her.

  The blue flames died, leaving the three standing in near-darkness.

  Sweat covered Alexandra’s forehead.

  “You won’t leave?” the old woman asked.

  “No,” Alexandra answered.

  “I’m too old for this shit. I’m too old to be killing, and I’m definitely too old to be called upon. Ezekiel might have wanted to do this fucking crap for the rest of his life, but I don’t.”

  “Too bad.” Worth grinned. “‘Cause we need your help.”

  Chapter Two

  “You sent William with them?”

  Mason heard the disapproval in the old Prefect’s voice as he asked the question.

  “Yes, Father. I don’t know what they’ll face on their journey, and Riley needs all the help she can get.”