Chapter 27

I heard Tan and Elura both say that if I opened up, they would supply me with their power. I told them I couldn’t. It was theirs, not mine. I, therefore, had no right. Glaring at Cedric, I saw him smile, and then he started to hit me with renewed power. This power seemed so familiar that my eyes opened wide as I realized that it was our father’s power he was using. I told my sister and brother to fire at Cedric through me, with me, as all three of us began to back Cedric up. Reaching out, I prayed I had enough to free Father I had to. Ripping my way through, I felt the power, but Cedric had somehow increased his protection of the area.

Suddenly, I heard my father say, [back off, son, you can’t beat him not like this, please.] I started to back off, still trying to pull Father free. [Son, no, you can’t win this. We can beat him together.]

[No father!] I screamed in my mind. [I have to save you!]

[You have a son back off, please!] I heard his tear-strained voice as he was almost pleading for me to back off.

[Father, if I do, you will die with him, ] I told him.

[It is a small price to pay to finally rid the universe of your brother. Now go, I will be helping you.] Then, all was quiet as we continued to blast away at Cedric.

Neither one of us was in the best of shape, and the last salvo almost completely numbed the lower half of my body. I was bleeding from too many places to name. Both of us were breathing hard. I had to defeat him if for nothing else to just free Father. Gambling, I let loose a huge last-ditch blast. I knew if this didn’t do it, then we were all screwed.

The dust was clearing as I tried to get off the ground; that’s when I heard Cedric’s half-hearted laugh. “A good gamble, brother. Very good, too bad it didn’t work!” I could still feel Cedric nowhere as powerful as he was, but enough to know I was dead. Cedric was laughing harder when he saw that I couldn’t even move. “Ah! A good fight. I am actually proud to have called you brother for a few seconds, you weak piece of human trash!”

He was starting to reach toward me, but I hardly had anything left, and I knew the shield would be gone very soon. Sighing I resigned myself to the fact that I had weakened him for the others, that’s when there was a sudden rush of energy and Cedric was screaming out in pain. Next to me a portal had opened, I recognized it as similar to the one that Tom had created. Though to my surprise, it wasn’t Tom but Johnathon that emerged from it.

“Who the hell are you? You son of a bitch!” I could hear Cedric screaming as he tried to fight whatever Johnathon was doing.

“That’s strange,” Johnathon said, “I thought you’d recognize the little mage you used to beat up ‘til I met your brother.” Here, Johnathon looked at me, still trying to rise. “Then it was I who was kicking your ass each and every day.”

“You! You cannot win Johnathon Timmings. I have a power older than you.” Cedric was screaming, trying to advance against Johnathon.

Jonathon’s chest seemed to open as even more power started to pour into the already titanic energy he was hitting Cedric with. “You bastard! The wild magic!” I raised my only good hand and also started to fire at Cedric.

“It’s time for you to finally die,” I gasp out, feeling most of the feeling leaving my body, “Finally, I can let the rest of the family rest!” I increased the energy I was shooting, feeling my life energy was starting to drain. I didn’t care anymore, and finally, the world would be rid of him! I tried to grab Father as Cedric was starting to fade, but he told me no, and then they both were gone.

“NO! Damn it FATHER!” I screamed as sweet darkness started to take me, smiling at Johnathon. I whispered, “Thank you, my friend, thank you for helping me to end it for good.” I heard several. It seemed like hundreds of people started yelling, and then I could swear I heard Cloe, Celina, Evelyn, hell, and even Trina screaming.

I awoke three days later sore as hell, but at least I could feel it. Wait a second; I was alive. What the hell was it? Try as I might, but I couldn’t open my eyes. Groaning, I felt several movements next to whatever I was lying on. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out except small squeaks.

[It’s alright, you’re safe, ] I heard a voice in my head.

Huh? [Lana, is that you? What is going on?] I asked her.

[You were severely injured. Johnathon brought you here as soon as you passed out. Evelyn has worked for 2 1/2 days to get you out of danger, though I am afraid that you are still close to death. You need to start your healing.] Damn, I thought 2 1/2 days? Oh shit, then I remembered the laws of power. The stronger a mage was, the more it took to heal them. Gingerly, I reached out, finding several organs that were about to fail. Crap, it took almost all I had to put most of my insides right. [Good, you’re out of danger completely, you need to... ] That’s all I heard as the darkness came again, though this time it wasn’t as painful.

Another day, and this time, I opened my eyes; I was in the keep. Holy shit! I thought of a divan across the room. I saw Cloe and Celina! Trying to rise, I groaned even louder, struggling. I almost screamed when I felt the massive bruising on my ribs and chest. Both Cloe and Celina came running as I tried to get to my feet.

“Tyrome no!” Both of them said. Then I heard a voice that made me freeze, “Please Tyrome we need you better.” I turned as best I could, tears streaming from my eyes. My little sister Elura ran to me gently holding me. That’s when I saw Tan and the woman Ben had called Lillian.

Groaning again, I tried to speak, but again, just squeaking noises came out. Reaching out, I started on my badly burned throat, then the many bruises on my body. After another hour, I finally started to feel better.

Lillian sat next to me as the rest of the Timmings family came in. “Cedric told me you are our mother, that you are human.”

Lillian sighed, looking at Ben, an almost pleading look in her eyes. Sighing, Ben took over, “Actually, she is Tyrome, and your half-brother killed her not long after your sister was born.”

“Tell him, Ben, he deserves the truth, as do all of them.” Tom and the others were also looking puzzled in their eyes.

“Lillian is my sister,” Ben said, though they could tell he was proud there was something else going on. “She was banished to the human world well over 2000 years ago. Still a mage, just with no real power. When she met your father, he and she fell deeply in love, but your half-brother was extremely jealous. Your father was very powerful but nowhere as powerful as the banishing that was placed on her.” Her tears started to fall from his eyes, “When he destroyed her, there was nothing I could do, nothing. That’s why you have always held a special place in my heart. When the whole family was destroyed, I thought he had gotten you also; then I heard you went against him, defeating him soundly.” Finally, too much Lillian took over.

“I watched the battle between you two. I have never been prouder of you, Tyrome. The Banishment was one of a kind, and I was to be a human for all time until such time as I was released and a mistake I had made was corrected. Part of that was Cedric. The other was a certain mage ‘til he was dead. Again, Cedric took care of that while you two were fighting and destroying part of the magic world; he tried to stop the fight and was destroyed by Cedric.

“I want to thank you, Johnathon, for restoring me and the rest of the family,” Lillian told a stunned Johnathon.

“You’re my Aunt Lilly?” Tom asked, “I have always wondered what happened to you.”

“I’ll be damned,” Johnathon said to himself, then he looked at Tyrome. “You really are family! Cousin!” Johnathon grabbed Tyrome, eliciting another groan from him. “Hang on, as strong as he is, I should be able to now.” I looked at Johnathon to see what he was going to do. Reaching out, I felt his power start to bathe me, not too bad, I thought, then it started to amp up! Then he was pouring even more power into it; at first, this increase wasn’t bad, but after a few minutes, it was almost agonizing. “ENOUGH! Christ Johnathon, are you trying to fry me?” I told a wide-mouthed Johnathon.

“Father, that was almost full power! You thinking what I am?” They both came over to me and started to scan me, locking down; they both were amazed that they couldn’t really read my power. Both nodded, then smiled at me. “It appears that you also contain the wild magic, though you can hide it. A first, I am sure, not even father could hide it that well.” Johnathon told me, a stunned look on his face.

Epilogue

Five years later, I was still at the school, though we were only having classes every ten years. I had monitored all of my students from the previous class, and as of yet, they were all still alive, though I was afraid that it might change soon. To my utter amazement, the council allowed me to marry Celina and Cloe. Celina still helped me with the school and the business. However, as I looked at her, I could see that it was going to have to stop soon.

Celina came out from around the desk, her eight month belly very hard not to notice. Cloe had foregone getting pregnant, saying she still had work to do with the council. Personally, I think she enjoyed just having sex with me far too much. I had been working on my levels, not realizing all these years that I had been slowly releasing the wild magic. I was far better at using it than both Johnathon and Tom, though I had started to train Johnathon to increase my way.

I was about to open a portal that Tom had taught me when I suddenly reached into the shadows, bringing my hand back around Murry the snit’s throat. “Hello, Murry. Feeling braver lately, huh?”

Coughing he stated, “No Tyrome just here to give you the last payment,” He choked out. “You know I can’t be seem going into your office this way I get more business on the street.”

“Still, I have an office, you ass!” I told him as I took the crystal from him. “Alright, you’re paid up for most of the things I have a file for.” Pulling him close, I said while staring into his eyes. “Don’t let me catch you again.” Nodding, he was gone in a flash. Looking at the crystal, I smiled. It was going to piss Johnathon off again; he and Lana were trying again, having failed at her last cycle, and no one had seen them for almost a week.