Page 27 of Twisted Fates
Finally, the metalwork was complete. I felt my right hand, my dominant hand, tingle, and then watched as the staff modified itself so my handprint formed on the side. I instinctively knew it would give me a place to hold the staff comfortably.
Then, to my surprise, different types of wood came from all directions. I recognized weird purple wood from the Amazon,although I couldn’t remember its name. Then ebony from Africa, oak, and redwood from here. The wood encircled the staff and formed what appeared to be a flame on top.
As I watched, a light formed inside the wooden flame. It burned brightly but didn’t burn the wood. A simple crystal orb sat inside the flame when the light faded.
“Cool,” I said. The staff must have heard my voice, although I have no idea why I knew that, because I felt myself rise off the floor and float slightly above the ground.
I could hear Elias now.
“Damian, what’s happening? Damian, are you okay?”
I cleared my throat, which was raw, like I’d been screaming for hours. “Um, yeah, and my staff found me.”
I couldn’t see or hear Elias’s reactions, but I could feel him. If he’d been in front of me, I think he would’ve gasped. There was another long pause.
“Damian, I don’t know of any time in history that a wizard was given his staff before months but, usually, years of training.”
My body was beginning to ache as if I’d gotten the flu or something. I took the staff to a chair behind the desk and in front of the parchment.
“Um, but that’s a good thing, right?” I asked.
“No, I assume it means you will face a nasty foe soon. How are you feeling?”
A cold sweat had developed on my brow.
“Not so good,” I admitted.
“Call Orville before you pass out. I must instruct him how to treat you.”
Orville appeared, and using my newly honed staff, I did the spell Elias told me to do to give Orville access to hear him through the parchment.
“Damian was nowhere near ready for that level of magic. He will be extremely depleted. He needs round-the-clock care and treatment. Damian, are you able to get to your bed?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think so.”
The last thing I heard was Elias instructing Orville to get me to my bed and then something about making teas or…? Then the world went black.
Chapter twenty
Owen
Ifelt a quiverjust over my heart, and then fear spread throughout my body. “Something’s wrong,” I said out loud.
I’d just finished a meeting with my bosses and a new real estate client and was about to write up my handwritten notes to send to the partners. Cary entered the room and stared at me. “Owen, you don’t look so good.”
I nodded. “Yeah, something just came over me. I-I think I’m going to take this home and work on it there,” I said and stood quickly, grabbing the files I needed to work on and rushing out of the office toward the door.
Cary stopped me. “Owen, be careful,” he said cryptically, then shook his head like he’d said something he wasn’t supposed to. “You, um, you seem a little pale. Let’s get you a taxi.”
I knew that wasn’t what he was thinking, or at least I thought I knew, but with all the magic bizarreness in mylife right now, I wasn’t sure I didn’t just think everything was weird. I opened my app and ordered a cab because Cary wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t feeling okay. Something was wrong with Damian. I knew it—not sure exactly how, but I knew.
I was surprised when Cary walked outside with me. The taxi hadn’t arrived yet. “Um, I’ll be okay,” I told him, but he shook his head.
“I’ll wait with you,” he said.
I didn’t argue, mainly because it would do no good, not when I felt so much anxiety. The taxi pulled up, and when I saw the driver, I gasped.
“Nope, we’ll pass,” Cary said, and the driver seemed to grow in size, which looked extra weird since he was sitting in the driver’s seat.
