The Iron Gate Read online

  “What do you think?” He asked Morgana softly, resting his elbows on the desk.

  “Her powers are interesting, Ambrose,” Morgana informed him without turning around as her hand moved to her triskele pendant. “They all have strong potential, one of the best groups we’ve ever had.”

  “I agree,” Merlin replied with a cheerful tone that quickly faded. “But other issues need addressing.”

  “Indeed. At least the police have followed the trail you made for them out of town.”

  “That went in our favor.” Merlin folded his hands in front of him. “If they continue to follow the trail then with any luck it will go cold near the Canadian border. I was careful to give the impression that while kidnapping attempts were made, there were no children actually in danger.”

  “The authorities may operate on the assumption that there are,” Morgana reminded him with a sigh. “I regret the need to waste their resources.”

  “As do I,” Merlin admitted. “But there is still a chance that someone will see something and accept it for what it really is. I still find it hard to believe that all the witnesses believed the Hounds were normal dogs. This age of cameras could be very dangerous for us. While most dismiss magic as primitive beliefs, there are always those with open minds.”

  They were both silent, lost in thought until Morgana spoke once again, “What have you observed recently with Arthur Pendred?”

  “It goes well,” Merlin replied. “He is… exactly what I’ve been hoping for. There is power in him that seems ready to manifest fully when the need arises. The fact that only Alex has formed a Connection with him thus far worries me a bit. I don’t like the idea that something is interfering with or wrong with his magic, but otherwise, he strikes me as an intelligent young man, athletic and good-tempered.” Merlin looked over at Morgana’s back, watching as she tensed. “Arthur reminds me of Arto when he was that age. His mannerism and easy charm are so much like…” Merlin trailed off and slumped back in the chair. “Although I am not certain how he will handle the revelation when the time comes.”

  “Alex is smitten with him,” Morgana observed with a frown. “That could become an issue.”

  “Or it may be the saving grace,” Merlin countered. “From what I’ve seen he is very fond of Alex in return. When his relationship with Jennifer comes to its conclusion, then Alex may be able to stabilize the situation. She is a link between the life he knows now and the truth.”

  “If he is still alive when the betrayal passes, Ambrose,” Morgana reminded him sharply. She breathed in slowly and murmured, “But I worry about putting too much on the girl. She has not settled from her experience in the tunnels, and her magic has aspects that we aren’t familiar with. Putting her into too many difficult situations may cause her harm or cause an accident with her magic.”

  “You’ve become very fond of her,” Merlin observed with a soft smile. “It’s been some time since you were so taken with a student.”

  “She reminds me of myself in a way.”

  “Really?” Merlin blinked and shook his head. “I don’t see it, but I suppose you know yourself best, Morgana.”

  “Indeed.” Morgana pushed herself off the desk. She turned to look at Merlin and added, “The others are gaining control faster than I expected. This group is certainly talented, but we must keep control of the situation.”

  “Agreed, we need to form some plans for dealing with the Sídhe. They will repair the tunnel soon enough.”

  “The students need more information,” Morgana said. “I suspect that Alex will talk to them about the Iron Soul soon. Once she does, allowing them to ask their questions freely is the next step.”

  Merlin leaned back in his chair, giving Morgana a calculating look before saying, “I’m not sure I agree with your idea of having Alex tell them about the Iron Soul.”

  “Alex has the potential to be a great mage. Having her tell the others about the Iron Soul gives Alex a chance to assert herself. They need to trust each other and work together.” Morgana frowned and shook her head. “You know that we can’t always be there, Ambrose.”

  “Perhaps not,” Merlin agreed sadly. “But a question session should be particularly interesting with Nicole. I wonder if she has a list of questions ready to ask.”

  “Even if she doesn’t, I suspect that she will still manage,” Morgana said with a raised eyebrow. Her fingers fiddled with her pendant and Merlin glanced at the triskele thoughtfully before reaching down to his satchel.

  Merlin withdrew a thermos and two small cups, making Morgana smile. She turned and gestured to a chair at the side of the room. It floated off the ground and flew over to her, landing on the floor with a soft sound just before Morgana calmly sat down in it. Chuckling, Merlin poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her. They both raised their cups in a silent toast and took a sip, each lost in their thoughts.

  2

  Healing a Wound

  Alex’s blue car came to a slow halt in the driveway of a large gray Victorian house with white trim. Dark clouds churned overhead, threatening more snow as Alex climbed out of the car and looked up at the house. Even when she’d found out about magic and mages being the protectors of Earth against invaders from other worlds, she hadn’t been to Professor Cornwall’s house. Now in less than a week, this would be her third visit. Stepping onto the front porch, Alex adjusted her bag and rang the doorbell, trying not to squirm. The door opened after a few moments, and Professor Cornwall nodded to Alex, gesturing her inside.

  “How is your leg feeling?” Morgana asked

  “Itchy.” Alex resisted the urge to scratch the long curve of stitches.

  “It could have been much worse,” Morgana reminded Alex as she started moving down a hallway towards the back of the house. “When a Hound gets ahold of a body part, they rarely let go.”

  “It didn’t let go.” Alex followed the professor. “It died after I stabbed it with a blood-covered sword.” Alex paused and considered, “or was it the dagger?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Morgana chuckled as they stepped through a large archway and into the kitchen.

  Alex paused at the doorway and took the room in. It was a large space with an island dominating the center and white counters and cabinets. Old fashioned looking bottles filled one set of white shelves and plants were hanging from the ceiling drying. Several potted plants filled the windowsill of the large window that looked out into the backyard and to the forest beyond.

  “Alex,” Morgana called, regaining her attention. “Sit down.”

  Morgana gestured to a chair that was sitting next to a long small table. Alex sat down and carefully pulled up the leg of the sweatpants she’d decided to wear today. At Morgana’s request, she toed out of her sneaker and raised her leg. Morgana adjusted the table and Alex set her leg down, exposing the semicircle of stitches to Morgana.

  Her professor vanished behind her for a moment before returning with a standing lamp which she positioned to put more light on the stitches. Alex turned her attention back to studying the room, not wanting to see the wound in her leg. She could hear the professor moving around a bit more before another chair was pulled up to her and Morgana sat down.

  “Just stay still, Alex,” Morgana told her. “This won’t take long. There will be a slight tug as I pull out the stitches. If you need me to stop, just let me know.” The tone was gentler than how Morgana usually spoke, and for the first time since learning it, Alex wasn’t surprised that Morgana had been a practicing medical doctor.

  The Professor set a hand on her leg, holding it steady and waited as Alex took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, Alex heard the snip which echoed in the stillness of the kitchen. There was another snip and then another. Alex did her best to stay still and tried to ignore the sound, but her mother wasn’t here to distract her like she had been last time Alex needed stitches. Breathing deeply, Alex used the meditation techniques that Morgana and Merlin had taught her to regain some control. The snipping stopped, and
Alex tried to relax rather than tense up. There was a gentle tug in the skin of the leg which only lasted a few seconds. There was another tug and then another. Alex kept herself from counting and kept breathing slowly, curling her fingers around the seat of the chair to anchor herself.

  “Stitches are out,” Morgana announced a moment later, sounding pleased. “No signs of infection and the scarring can be cleared up with healing magic.”

  Alex nodded and took in another deep breath. She’d only experienced healing magic once after she’d sliced her hand during a fight with the Sídhe Hounds. At the time Merlin and Morgana had discouraged the use of healing magic but agreed to teach them in case of emergency. Nicki had healed her hand but had been left almost unconscious from the effort. Alex herself had been so drained by the conversion of Nicki’s magical energy that she barely remembered anything. Aiden had even teased her about the strange things she’d said as he took her home that night.

  “Relax,” Morgana commanded. “I’ve done this before.”

  Exhaling, Alex stayed still and tried to relax her tense muscles as Morgana placed both her hands over the wound. She felt a small spark of magic hit her skin, feeling like an electric shock and fought the urge to flinch. Closing her eyes, Alex gripped the seat of the chair once again and breathed slowly as Morgana began to pour more magic into her leg. Alex’s skin tingled softly as a sense of discomfort washed over her. Alex resisted the urge to shudder and scratch at her skin as it began to feel too tight. It almost tickled her, just at the level where she could feel it, but not yet causing laughter.

  When Nicki had healed her, there had been a sense of exhaustion creeping up on her which was absent. Alex dismissed it as Morgana simply being better practiced in healing magic despite her and Merlin’s instructions to use it only in the most desperate circumstances. Nicki’s effort had been successful, but Alex had been forced to push away Nicki’s magic herself when the redhead had lost control. Much of the process was a blurry memory as Alex had been left disoriented and exhausted when the cut in her hand had been healed.

  Alex breathed out slowly before she risked opening her eyes as the light began to shine through her eyelids. Barely holding in a gasp of awe, Alex studied Morgana whose entire attention was on Alex’s leg. A bright silvery aura surrounded the professor, causing her triskele pendant to look like it was glowing. The light swirled tightly around the professor with small sparks around her head giving Alex the impression of a halo. A sudden need to scratch her leg made Alex grit her teeth and hiss. Morgana’s grip on her leg kept Alex from managing more than a small movement, and she tightened her grasp on the seat of the chair, fighting the instinct to move. Closing her eyes again, Alex struggled to keep her breathing even as the itching became worse. After a few moments, Alex felt more in control and looked down towards the wound.

  The long curved line of pale pink and red across her thigh surrounded with purple bruises was shining under the light of the lamp as silver magic began to flow over it like a thick ointment. Morgana’s swirling magic almost looked solid to Alex’s eyes, glistening as the sparks caught the light. A sudden stinging sensation made Alex hiss again, but she kept her eyes focused on the wound as the magic seeped into her skin.

  The raised bumps of flesh left by the stitches began to take on the silver color of Morgana’s magic. Breathing deeply, Alex fought to stay still as the stinging sensation worsened, but noticed a moment later that the skin around the wound was beginning to smooth out. The vivid purple bruising faded slowly back to Alex’s natural skin tone. Morgana exhaled slowly, and the small red marks of the stitches smoothed out and faded in color. More skin shifted and smoothed, the thin red line where the stitches had held her skin together fusing the rest of the way in a series of small sparks of silver and light.

  Alex gasped painfully as the magic suddenly pulled back from her, feeling like she’d been on a rollercoaster that suddenly came to a stop. Morgana was panting, the sound filling the kitchen and Alex looked over to see the older mage’s hands shaking. The flow of magic eased away from Alex more gently now, and Alex could see the light surrounding Morgana fading away. Slowly, her professor lifted her hands from Alex’s leg and slumped back in her chair.

  Leaning forward, Alex ran a hand over the smooth crescent patch of skin that was bare of hair or any sign of injury. She almost laughed as she felt her skin go from slightly hairy to silky smooth. Her eyes landed on the tools Morgana had used to remove the stitches and the small bits of black nylon. Pulling down her pants leg, Alex swung her leg off the table and turned her attention to Morgana.

  Her professor was slumped in the chair, breathing slowly and deeply with her hands clasped together over her chest. Standing up, Alex pushed her chair back and carefully slid the table away from Morgana’s chair. She looked through the far archway in the kitchen that led to the dining room and connected with the living room, trying to judge the distance.

  “Professor Cornwall,” Alex called. She reached out, placing a hand on the professor’s shoulder. “Morgana?” Green eyes fluttered open to look at her and Alex gave Morgana a small smile. “Can I help you into the living room?”

  Morgana groaned softly but managed a small nod. To Alex’s relief, the Professor shifted slightly to the side and gave Alex room to maneuver her shoulder under Morgana’s arm. Standing slowly, Alex helped Morgana to her feet and moved towards the living room with slow steps as the professor leaned on her. Alex resisted the urge to speed up the pace as the weight of the professor on her right side became uncomfortable halfway through the dining room. She carefully shifted their bodies so that when she released Morgana, the older mage slid down onto the long red sofa. Sighing, Morgana leaned her head on one of the red throw pillows placed by the armrest.

  “Okay,” Alex groaned, rolling her shoulder and stretching.

  She moved forward and helped Morgana raise her legs onto the sofa, letting the woman stretch out. After a moment of hesitation, Alex tugged off Morgana’s black loafers and set them next to the sofa. Moving through the room, Alex turned off two of the lamps and made sure that the blinds were closed, dimming the room significantly. She returned to the kitchen and after a few tries found where Morgana kept the glasses. Filling one with water, Alex set it on the small side table near Morgana’s head.

  “Alex?” Morgana called startling Alex, her eyes fluttering open. “How is your leg?”

  “My leg is fine,” Alex replied, trying to calm down from her surprise. “Thank you.”

  “Good,” Morgana sighed, setting her head back onto the pillow. “That’s good.”

  “Yeah,” Alex murmured. She watched her professor curl up on the sofa. “I’m meeting the others this afternoon to tell them about the Iron Soul.”

  “The Iron Soul,” Morgana murmured, her eyes opening. “I miss Arto.”

  “I’m sorry,” Alex replied slowly, feeling a knot in her stomach beginning to form. “It must have been hard to lose him.”

  “He was all I had left,” Morgana sighed, staring off into space. “I know that Gwenyvar didn’t mean to hurt him, but he felt so alone. Arto loved everyone around him so fiercely. He wanted to save them, wanted to protect them… The army was scattered by the general fleeing. The Queen pushed us so hard…” Tears welled up in Morgana’s eyes, and the professor sniffed. “Feels like it was just yesterday sometimes. I feel like I could walk through the woods and I’d find a roundhouse with Arto inside. Airril would be there too, laughing.”

  “Who was Airril?” Alex asked before she thought better of it.

  “My first husband,” Morgana answered, her voice tight and pained. “He deserved better than me. I was never around after Arto and Merlin came. I wonder if he ever resented them for me leaving.”

  “I’m sorry,” Alex whispered, standing up and looking around the room for a blanket or throw. It felt like she should leave, but Professor Cornwall seemed exhausted and not herself.

  “My own fault,” Morgana snapped, her voice taking on a harsh to
ne. “Yet, the Sídhe never paid for it, not really. All the things they did and we couldn’t punish them.” A snarl escaped her teacher. “I wanted them to. I liked how they suffered in the Norselands when they tried to return. I hoped that the corruption would spread into their realm and they’d understand even some of the pain they caused.” A small muffled sob escaped Morgana and Alex pretended not to hear it.

  Alex risked opening a large attractive wooden chest at the side of the room and sighed in relief when she found a stack of blankets inside. She grabbed the top one, a thick quilt with faded patches of embroidery and carried it over to Morgana. The professor was whispering under the breath, too softly for Alex to hear as she unfurled the blanket and laid it over the professor. Morgana’s words faded as her eyes slid shut. Alex was still and waited for Morgana’s breathing to even out.

  Pulling out her phone, Alex scrolled through her contacts until she came to the number for Yates. She sighed softly, but hit the call button and waited for him to pick up the phone. A few moments later, Merlin’s warm voice washed over Alex with a gentle. “Hello Alex, what can I do for you?”