Chapter 4

Opening my eyes, the first thing I noticed was that I was still tired. It takes a lot out of a person to use magic, even with a stored power source. I called the office and left a message for Vivian telling her I would be taking the next few days off, but if she needed me for something important, to call me.

I made coffee and started going over in my mind everything I had learned. Something was nagging at the back of my mind, but it would not solidify into something useful. I went down into my basement and opened a door that convinced everyone else it was not there. Spells were handy things, indeed.

I went in and set my staff into the small bracket that was set in the exact center of this little room. I reached out with my mind, and found energy lines. They were glowing, faintly. I tapped into them, forming a connection between them and my staff. I watched as the power slowly entered my staff, recharging it. I estimated it would take a full day at this level of charging. I reached again, found another line, and diverted more power to the task at hand.

Good, my staff would be refilled in just a couple hours, at this rate. I left the room, closing the door behind me, and saw that my spell re-established itself. I went back upstairs and poured some coffee. I sipped it, still trying to remember what I had heard that was driving me crazy. Something Lauder had said to me.

I puttered around the house, doing some cleaning, and a load of laundry. I kept going over what had happened to me during the visit. Finally it hit me! First they had drugged me, and usually I could avoid that type of thing. Second, Lauder had said and even quoted the time I had been in the army back in the 1800's.

I had enlisted in a the army under an assumed name. I had not entered it under my own name. Shit! I went to my safe (which was also spelled against detection), and examined the spell guarding it. There was a very subtle difference to the spell from when I had first laid it. That shouldn't have happened at all.

I opened the safe and knew. When I was learning magic, Markus had pointed out that each person brought a bit of uniqueness to a spell. It was almost like a DNA match, or a finger print. No two people did magic exactly the same. I had become familiar with the style of magic Markus used, as he had became with mine. I knew that subtle use of magic. He had tried to disguise the fact that he had interfered with my spell. But it was definitely his. Once I knew to look, it was like reading a sign saying, "Markus was here."

I never would have noticed it, if hadn't been for Lauder. Damn it! Markus had to be the leak who had informed Lauder and the government of my identities and life. But there before me, was proof positive that Markus had been in my safe. I knew his magic as well as I knew my own. Damn damn damn!

I still had my ring and watch on, which had not been drained of power at all. I started out by canceling the spell on the safe. I then cast a new one. I looked at the items in my safe carefully. The papers were not in the same order I had placed them in. Just one paper out of place, but it was enough for me to know someone had gotten a good look at my papers too. They contained all my past identities and phony birth certificates.

I carefully placed everything back in the safe, and locked it. The new spell flowed over it, concealing it. I then reinforced the security spell on the walls and house in general. I placed several spell traps, carefully disguised, and then started on a new series of major spells.

I was just getting ready to cast the first new major spell when the phone rang. I let the machine answer it. I heard my voice telling whoever it was to leave name, message and number at the tone.

"Paul? Markus. I am going to be in town later today. I will be staying at the Hamilton. Why don't we get together? I think we have a couple things to talk about. Call me back." He left the number for the front desk of the Hamilton and hung up. Well, what a coincidence.

With my new major spells finished and in place I stepped outside and looked around. I circled my house. Ok, no one was close enough to observe anything. I grabbed at a handful of energy lines and placed a serious spell of defense on my house. I also made it impossible for anyone to enter my house unless I let them.

I re-entered my house and tied the last two spells to my easy chair. Now it would be impossible for anyone with any magic abilities to tamper with or change the spell. The key for the spell was inside the house. Of course, a powerful enough wizard could blast his way in. That meant I had to make a few offensive spells.

I had just finished doing a particularly nasty spell when the phone rang again. This time it was Vivian. I went over to the phone and grabbed it.

"Whats up, Viv." I asked her.

"We got the copy of the will for that young man. He was right. His family is withholding his inheritance." Vivian told me.

"Ok, I will swing by and pick it up, and then swing over to his place. How much money are we talking about?" I asked curiously.

"He was supposed to receive two thousand dollars a month and tuition. While he remained in school, he would receive a full ride, plus the two grand a month. When he turns twenty five, he would receive the remaining two hundred and fifty thousand dollars or upon graduation from college, which ever came first." Vivian said with a bit of contempt in her voice.

"Ok, thanks Viv. Looks like he was right to suspect something. I'll be in shortly." I hung up.

Well, well. I got into my car and drove to the office. No one followed me. I went in and Vivian handed me the file we had received from the county court house. I read the terms of the will. Over the years, I had educated myself a bit about the law.

My client had upheld the terms of the will, but the executor had not lived up to the instructions contained in the will. The instructions were most specific. My client had graduated from college last year at the age of twenty three. According to the terms of the will, he should have received the bulk of his inheritance within a month after graduation. Plus he had not received his two thousand a month. I remembered that from my conversations with him. He had told me he'd had to work his butt off to meet some of his bills.

Apparently the executor had not only not informed my client of the terms of the will, but was keeping it totally secret from him. Well, I knew enough about probate law in this state to know my client had a good case if he desired to go to court. Taking family to court was a nasty business. It caused all kinds of hard feelings, but then, so did theft.

I called the young man in question, and we made arrangements to meet. He could not get off work, but said he could take a break in about thirty minutes. I packed up the will and went back out to my car. As I got in I noticed a man across the street who was trying awfully hard to remain inconspicuous.

I started my car and pulled away. Sure enough, he was behind me very quickly. He was not very good at what he was doing, so I doubted he was associated with Lauder. Or Markus for that matter. He was an enigma, but I had no time for him now. I would just keep my eye on him and take appropriate actions when and if it became necessary.

I pulled into the parking lot of the biggest warehousing complex in town. My client, John Peterson, was warehouse manager for three of the nine warehouses located here. It was a very busy place. Tractor trailer trucks were pulling up to the security fence. They handled a very large volume of various items.

Mostly it was storage, but they also handled transshipments, too. It was an impressive operation, really. I got out, locked the door to my car and casually glanced around. Yup, there was my shadow. I kept a firm grip on my folder and entered the office. As I went in I turned and sure enough, my shadow was hurrying in my direction.

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P I and Magic — Book 1

Volentrin

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