Chapter 8

Lee gave Zeke a suspicious look at seeing his smirk.

She added, “Anyway, A rep from Troikas Incorporated will be in touch with you. I’ve also added my personal contact details and those of your dad, big brother, and...”

“What!!” bellowed Zeke in shock.

“Oh, sorry,” Lee said, not being the least bit. “Anyway, your biological father, Mage Antonio Dioli, the Ambassador for the Western European Alliance, is alive and well. He remarried in 2095, and your two-year-old half-sister is called Kaylee.”

“Your half-brother, Kyle Vella, is six years older than you. On Utopia, he is known as the Gold Wizard. He has two wives and a husband, and he fathered two of their five kids. Anton is three, and Gene is two years old.”

“Even more amazing, Kyle is my cousin, as our mothers were second cousins. So welcome to the family!” Lee finished with a big grin and open arms.

“Whoa! That is too much data to compute,” Zeke cried in exasperation.

Lee patted his arm, “I popped a copy of our family tree into your Pedz, as you call it. By the way, I like the name. Anyway, you are more than welcome to come to visit the other half of your family.”

“Your dad lives on Harmony, and Kyle mostly lives on Utopia. If you wish to learn more about magic, we also have a school on Harmony. Think about it. Now, I really must say hello to the others before I go.”

“Yeah, the boys would love that, thanks,” a bewildered Zeke replied.

Lee and Zeke headed to the galley.

For once, it was Paul who was gob-smacked and went shy. It was Dallas who stood and bowed to Lee while the others scrambled out of the alcove.

“Greetings, Your Majesty. It is our pleasure to welcome you aboard Bella, our humble ship.”

Lee stood more regally, nodded slowly and replied, “It a pleasure to be here, my young cousin. When you and your brother complete your contract with Zeke, you should come and pay us a visit on Harmony.”

Dallas answered politely, “Oh, Paul and I fully intend to. Thank you for the offer. Can you explain how it is that we are your cousins?”

“Well, you aren’t by blood, but Zeke’s big brother is. Kyle’s mother and my mother were second cousins. However, since Kyle and Zeke share the same father and you, Paul and Zeke share the same mother, this makes you all related to me. Simple, huh?”

“Damn, families can be complicated,” Art interjected. “Hum, Your Majesty,” he tacked on.

“This is true,” Lee replied. “And please, just call me Lee. Do any of you mind if I touch you? A simple handshake will suffice.”

She held out her hand to Dallas. He gently gripped her hand, and after a quick shake, he let go. Paul was next after wiping his palm on his thigh. Then Joey shook her hand, and lastly, Art, who took care not to engulf her smaller hand when he gave it a gentle squeeze.

Lee then looked at Zeke. “If you don’t mind, I have a gift for each of them.”

Zeke realised what she was going to do.

Zeke replied, “But, Art and Joey live on this station.”

Lee shrugged, “It won’t matter. Rookies, as I often call trainee magicians, will link themselves to whichever higher authority they prefer. You freighter people, tend to stick together, so why not have your own Lord Wizard.”

Dallas gasped and then said, “Whoa, Bro! We knew you had some skills, but we didn’t think you were that good.”

He then had the grace to blush at the backhanded compliment while the others laughed.

Lee tapped her side, and a large leather satchel appeared. She opened it and pulled out a copper-coloured metal box. It was 20cm L x 5cm H X 10cm W. She handed it to Dallas. She retrieved a box for Paul, then Joey and the last one was for Art.

Lee said, “If you wish to accept the responsibility of being a magic user, repeat after me, ‘I promise that I will learn to serve and act in the best interests of all the peoples, to the best of my abilities’.”

All four men swore the oath aloud. Zeke did it silently but with equal commitment. His entity didn’t seem to entirely agree, but it knew a magical promise when it heard one. Plus, you don’t argue with a Queen Wizard.

“You may open the boxes by placing your hand on the top and say, ‘“Open.” Since you are all rookies, these items only have two discipline gems and the DeRay crystals. Once you become more proficient, you can possibly upgrade.”

“You don’t have diadems or a large wand, but a stylus-sized wand is on the sides of your Mads. It does extend to 25cm, and most people find it extremely useful. I swapped the stylus on your Pedz, Zeke. They all have return spells on them, so you can’t lose them.”

“You four will find a ring in the box. Most people wear it on the middle finger of their dominant hand. You also have a medallion. It has gems and the symbols of your disciplines. So, it doubles as your diadem. It also provides a basic personal shield if you are in danger, and it gets time to warn you.”

“While the medallion and the gems on the ring disappear, the ring’s band doesn’t unless you wish it to. In your Mad is a database that contains a lot of spells and other helpful information. It also has the common features people like on their Mads.”