Page 4 of Mystery of Magic

Lochan shook his head. “No idea. This is some powerful dark magic. I’m not sure the demon king could have pulled this off. Let alone someone else.”

As we ventured further into the museum’s depths, my heart squeezed. Each step echoed with a haunting sense of loss. The once-majestic halls were now reduced to a chaotic labyrinth of debris, broken beams, and charred remnants. It was a heart-wrenching sight that screamed for retribution.

The partially-destroyed building bore the scars of anunimaginable force that had torn through its very soul. The walls, once adorned with masterpieces and artifacts from centuries past, were reduced to crumbled stone and ash.

The air was permeated with an acrid smell and was thick with smoke; the destruction, making it hard to see clearly. Moonlight streamed through cracks in the ceiling, casting eerie shadows that danced across the rubble-strewn floor. It was as though the very essence of the museum had been violated, its spirit shattered.

The remains of broken display cases and scorched artifacts were scattered haphazardly around us, a painful reminder of what had once been. It was heartbreaking to see the beauty and history that had been preserved for generations reduced to fragments and ashes. We exchanged solemn glances, the weight of the situation settling heavily upon us.

I pointed to the three hunters standing in what had been the main room of the museum. They looked immobile as if they were in a trance. “What are they doing?”

“They are maintaining the glamor that shrouds the building. It is taking three of them to maintain the connection to the ley lines. The explosion damaged them, but they are repairable.”

I pursed my lips. “But someone did this by themselves?”

Lochlan nodded. “Yes. Since the records room was the only room protected, we assume that is because I only set this ward a few days ago. The source of the explosion must have been inside the museum, but not in that room.”

Daryn’s eyes moved around the room. “This is worse than I imagined. Do you think it was smuggled inside an artifact? Something we checked in without knowing there was an incendiary device inside.”

Lochlan nodded. “That is our working theory.”

Daryn swore under his breath. “Since the device was inside, Marty’s obsidian magic was useless against it. How did theprotection spells fail? You or Marty inspect every artifact. Nothing gets in here unless one of you touches it.”

Lochlan nodded. “We failed you. It doesn’t matter which one of us missed this. Marty assumes it was him, but I brought him back after his magic was returned. This is on me.”

Daryn sucked in a breath. “This isn’t on you, Lochlan. I am not inferring you made a mistake. I want to know what kind of magic could slip through your detection protocols. You and Marty are masters. If it got through you, it would have gotten past every one of us.”

Lochlan glanced down, and I could see the struggle on his face. He wanted to believe Daryn, and I had never been prouder of my parafinai. It was easy to blame others, and both Marty and Lochlan were more than willing to take on that responsibility. But everyone in that building knew that magic didn’t come with absolutes. Every power had a loophole or an Achilles’ heel. If you were mischievous or unscrupulous enough, you could find one.

Lochlan cleared his throat. “Scythe magic is powerful, as are my wards. If it got past me, then it’s part of the artifact. A magic that is inherent and was used in conjunction with another power. Neither Marty nor I can detect such a magic.”

Indy put her hand on her Sica. “I’m not sure I understand. What do you mean, an inherent artifact?”

Lochlan pointed to the remains of one of the pedestals. “The Horn of Reasoning. It itself is not evil and when it is not called on, it is inert, but when a seer uses it, the artifact becomes far more dangerous. It is housed here, so Manon is not tempted to use its power.”

I frowned. “What does it do?”

Lochlan sighed. “In the prominent seers’ hand, the horn has the power to distort the truth. Only a prominent seer can distort its innate power to warp the perceptions of those she chooses, but when used by a master hunter, it simply calls the truth.”

“So if Lochlan uses it then it’s no big deal, but if the seer gets it she can make anyone her slave?”

Lochlan frowned. “Slave isn’t the right word. She could distort an individual’s perception of the world. Make them think they are alone or that their loved ones had passed, or make them think they are a council member. She could change a person, perhaps several people’s version of reality.”

“Why create such an artifact?” I asked.

“Like many objects of power, this was created to exact the truth. It wasn’t meant to be used by a seer, but when a former prominent seer used it, the effect was catastrophic. Her name was Saritha, and her actions caused thousands of deaths. She made the town heads believe she was their queen and had the supernaturals searching for a means to gain immortality. Eventually, there was a war that ended in her death. That was hundreds of years ago, and the horn has been the property of the hunters until now. There are many artifacts that I will not mourn. This is one of them.”

“But the hunter weapons. The heirlooms?” I asked.

Lochlan nodded. “Yes, the loss of history is enormous. We will sort through the rubble and start reconstruction immediately. Perhaps some of the items can be restored. We need to find the source of the sabotage, if nothing else.”

I thought about Lochlan’s explanation. “You think this may have been a magical side effect? Like a warning label on medications. Only instead of a headache and nausea, we got explosive artifacts?”

Lochlan sighed. “That is one theory. The other is the owner of an artifact has reclaimed it. That would mean a god has returned, and that is far scarier.”

I touched Daryn’s arm. “We should ask Hecate.”

Daryn nodded. “We agreed to call the gods in the presence of the council. Unless Hecate contacts you, we will finish our investigation here, then call a council meeting.”

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