Sword of Light

By Rilbur Skryler

Magic used to be a secret. It didn't use to be a constant headache for Mathew, formerly one of the most powerful Magi on Earth. Now he has to deal with bigots who think he should be shot on sight, and a monster who preys on the free will of innocent beings, all with just a fraction of his former power.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rilbur Skryler
• Release date: Nov 18, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466078468

Rilbur Skryler

An avid reader from a young age, I started branching out into writing years ago. I started with several rather ambitious stories that were probably doomed to failure to begin with, above and beyond the personal circumstances that lead to me abandoning writing for years.Due to a chance overheard conversation while on the bus from school, an idea took root and I suddenly had the urge to write again. From there, my work has only grown -- and the future continues to look bright.Currently, I'm getting back into the 'swing' of writing after a long break. After graduating college, I spent a long time as a programmer looking for a job, and in my case, depression and writing don't mix well.

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Sword of Light

By Rilbur Skryler

©2011 by Rilbur Skryler.

Cover Design by Rilbur Skryler

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition

No part of this book may reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

Visit my website at www.RilburSkryler.net

Dedication

To all those who helped me get where I am today, who are too many to count and list in their entirety, ranging from beta readers, editors, and others who helped with forming this story to those that have simply helped me as a person and author to become better:

Thank you. This story wouldn't be what it is without your help.

Chapter One

Mathew Bartholomew Trent cursed at the traffic around him as he tried to shift over to the right hand lane. Driving was something he'd always found stressful, even before the Shift, and the locals attitudes towards his kind didn't help reduce his stress much. Sure, the odds were against the idiots who kept cutting him off knowing what he was, but as he pulled into the parking lot filled with police cars he knew that the people waiting for him did.

You finally got here, one of them sneered as he stepped out of his unmarked car. Adjusting his never-to-be-sufficiently-damned necktie, Mathew coolly ignored the comment as he asked the officer where Detective Jenkins was.

Inside, the officer jerked his head at the fast food restaurant.

Mathew gave the officer his very best pleased-to-meet-you-I-don't-see-how-much-you-hate-me smile. It never failed to infuriate the locals, which made it one of his favorite interpersonal tools. How often can you enrage the locals while ostensibly trying to reduce tensions?

You, Jenkins complained. What are you doing here?

Lieutenant Hendricks sent me, Mathew informed the odious, bigoted, fat man. No, not fat. Obese. Medically obese. Criminally obese! With years of now useless mental discipline, Mathew effortlessly throttled the giggles the mental image of Jenkins carting himself off under arrest for obesity before they could show on his face.

I don't need you, I don't need your kind, and I don't want you here, Jenkins sneered.

Mathew let his own distaste flicker across his face for a moment before bringing his dispassionate, business-like countenance back, knowing that the knowledge that the antipathy was mutual would torment Jenkins to no end. After all, whatever his other faults Jenkins at least tried to be the cool, professional police officer. When it came to magi, new or old, he failed, and that had to grate on his sense of professionalism.

Mathew knew he was being petty, but he was sick and tired of all the bigotry over powers he no longer even had. Oh, he still knew more about magic than any other living person, but his strength was all but lost. The greater spells were beyond him, and even the most minor of magics strained him to his limits. Levitating spoons was about his limit these days, and only for a few moments at a time unless he wanted a nosebleed and a headache.

So, what's the situation? he asked.

Babe behind the counter just handed the contents of her register over to a stranger who walked in off the street, Jenkins jerked his head at the woman in question, frowning. Nobody knows him, nobody recognizes his photo, which the security camera caught quite clearly.

Mathew frowned. Sounds like compulsion, he murmured. Odd.

What's so odd about that? Jenkins frowned. We track the guy down and toss him behind bars.

It may not be that easy, Mathew sighed. In fact, I'll guarantee you're going to need more help than I can provide.

Oh really? Jenkins raised an eyebrow. Why?

Say what you will about the man, Mathew sighed, but he was a professional, however much he loathed the very idea of magi. Compulsion is a rare and difficult form of magic. The human mind resists intrusion, and even untrained individuals can easily break rudimentary Compulsions once they become aware of them. What you usually see in mind magic is Suggestion, the act of implanting ideas or thoughts that lead a person to pick a specific choice that they might choose to make anyway. It's subtle, and can't force someone to do something against their will.

To quote the lady in question, she found her body simply obeying the bastard. She knew what was going on, she couldn't just not do it, Jenkins frowned. Is that compulsion?

Mathew closed his eyes in sudden dread. Oh yeah, he agreed. "The very worst kind. Absolutely no suggestion involved, just brute force to overcome her mind. That requires strength, one hell of a lot of strength. And it's really not good."

Enough to create a 'slow brain bleed' as a 'calling card'? Jenkins asked. I thought that was just a silly death threat, but from what you're saying it might be more.

Mathew's head jerked up. Medical magic was rare, difficult, and generally power intensive. Something as sensitive as creating a minor cerebral hemorrhage would have been a strain for him at the height of his powers. Fuck! he swore. "Get me to her, now, and call an ambulance!"

Jenkins didn't ask, he just grabbed Mathew by the arm and dragged him across the restaurant, using his bulk to smash aside anyone who got in his way until they reached a young lady sitting in a not very clean booth. Then again, the restaurant as a whole could use a good wash.

Kneeling, he took her hands in his own. Ma'am, I'd like to cast a minor spell to check your health, with your permission, he asked.

This 'bout the brain bleed he gave me? she asked, scared. Mathew nodded.

It's very hard to do that kind of thing, but detecting it shouldn't take much power so I can still do that much at least, Mathew sighed. I've already arranged an ambulance just in case, since I can't fix the problem.

Do it, she nodded convulsively, then closed her eyes and started shivering, obviously frightened. Mathew closed his eyes and whispered a few words under his breath, then opened them. Well? she asked, when are you going to do it?

I'm sorry, he whispered. May I attempt to cast a spell to slow the bleeding?

She opened her eyes in shock. It didn't hurt!

No, of course not, Mathew smiled, but you are bleeding, and it's bad. With your permission, I'm going to attempt to slow the bleeding.

Will it hurt? she asked. Pastor always said-

I don't know what your pastor teaches, ma'am, Mathew cut her off gently. I don't run around causing pain, I never have. I've hurt people, yes, but only when necessary to defend myself or others. Even before The Shift revealed magic to the world at large and stripped my powers, I fought for the good guys, tooth and nail. Please, let me help you.

Jenkins grunted. I don't much like his kind myself, but he's never lied. That I've caught him at. Mathew suppressed a smile at the qualification. How like the bastard.

Please, Mathew begged. She nodded, swallowing, then closed her eyes again. Mathew took a deep breath, and closed his own eyes. Reaching out to touch the flow of magic around him was hard, oh so hard, but he managed it. Reaching further down, to touch the flow of energy in the earth below was still beyond him, but at least he could tap into the ambient magic that everyone around him gave off. It wasn't much, but maybe he could make it enough.

The words he spoke weren't important, the soft susurrant noise of his voice was just a focus for his thoughts as he reached out to touch her brain. This stage of the spell was the easy one, a simple refocusing of his mind from the macro to the micro, from the outer world to the world of her body. Once inside, the diagnostic spell he'd started with guided him straight to the problem, where he gently wrapped his mind around the damaged blood vessel. The injury itself was expertly done, a gentle weakening of the walls of the vein until it slowly tore under it's own pressure. The Shift had negated much of Mathew's power, but his skill remained, and thankfully this was a job that called for skill, not brute force. In mere moments he'd begun chanting a different spell, pulling the broken ends of the injury together and restitching them. It wouldn't hold forever, but the body was an incredible, resilient machine. It could finish what he'd begun readily enough, and with time could even deal with the blood that had leaked.

Cancel the ambulance, he whispered as he let the lady's hands drop. Do get her to a hospital and have a doctor keep an eye on her to make sure nothing goes wrong, though. It's just not an emergency.

A brain bleed is nasty stuff, Jenkins commented. I'm not comfortable with just calling off the ambulance if there really was one. Especially since- Jenkins' mouth snapped shut, and Mathew smiled at the realization that Jenkins really was trying to meet him halfway. Maybe he should tone down on antagonizing him somewhat.

Hell, his genuine concern for the young lady certainly improved Mathew's opinion enough that he wasn't sure he wanted to twit him anymore! Not much, anyway.

Whoever did this was good, very very good, Mathew frowned. Jenkins wouldn't understand just how bad that was. He did almost no damage, and what damage he did was very easily corrected. It took skill, which I still have, to do the repairs. Power wasn't needed.

Here, Jenkins handed Mathew a napkin. Mathew looked at