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ONVIER PERUSED HIS shortlist of names once more as he sat at his desk in the Magic Guildhall. He hadn’t approached any of the candidates yet. He still hadn’t decided which one would be the best choice to become the third member of his triumvirate.
Heaving a sigh, he folded the list up and slipped it into his pocket. The page was worn from repeatedly opening and closing it. He sat there for a while as rain lashed the windows. An idea came to him and he frowned. He’d heard a Night Cursed gypsy had a boutique not far from the City Square. “Surely, I’m not that desperate,” he scoffed, but the idea of asking the mystic to read his fortune had taken hold and he couldn’t banish it. “What can it hurt?” he figured and pushed himself to his feet.
He teleported to the street where the seer had set up shop. The elf smirked at the garish purple room when he pushed the door open. The gypsy looked up and smiled. “Welcome,” she said. “How can I help you?”
Onvier closed the door, then put the sign in the window to signify that the mystic was busy. He crossed to the small round table and took a seat. He studied the Night Cursed woman and she stared back at him with a bland expression. Her black tattoo that marked her as cursed was on the back of her left hand. “I require you to read my fortune,” he said.
Madam Quilla reached into her pocket and pulled out a deck of cards and a crystal ball. “Would you prefer me to use the tarot cards, or the crystal ball?” she asked.
“Use whichever one will give me a more accurate reading,” he said with a condescending smile. The poor creature wouldn’t remember this appointment once she woke up tomorrow night. He didn’t need to worry about her spreading any tales about what she might see.
“The crystal ball is usually a better source for my visions,” the seer said and put the cards back in her pocket. She pulled a silver stand out of her pocket and placed the ball on it, then leaned forward and peered into its depths. Colors began to swirl around inside it and her brow furrowed.
“What do you see?” he asked, fascinated despite himself.
“I see you’re on the cusp of forming an important alliance,” she replied. His orange eyes widened that she’d seen directly to the heart of why he was there. “You’re unsure who to trust, or if you’re making the right decision,” she added.
She fell silent and he leaned forward to peer into the ball. All he saw was a mixture of pretty colors. “Whom should I choose?” he asked and held his breath as he waited for the answer.
“It doesn’t matter who you pick,” she replied. “You’re stronger than any of your candidates and you’ll be in charge of your alliance. They’ll bolster your power just as you hope.”
“Will we succeed in the task we wish to undertake?” he asked in excitement.
The gypsy was silent for a few moments before she spoke. When she did, her voice sounded eerie and distant. “Your alliance will be a force to be reckoned with,” she predicted. “The future is murky and you’ve become caught up in other destinies that aren’t yet set. You will face powerful enemies, but I can’t foresee who will be the eventual victor.”
The Magic Guild Master sat back in the chair, disappointed that she couldn’t tell him if he would succeed in overthrowing the Immortal Triumvirate. “Can I trust my allies?” he asked.
“About as much as they can trust you,” she said with a shrug. The colors vanished from the crystal ball and it turned opaque again. “I’m afraid that’s all I can tell you about your future, Guild Master Onvier,” she said.
He was alarmed that she knew who he was for a moment, then he remembered he was famous. Even the pathetic Night Cursed beings knew his name. “Tell no one about this meeting,” he said, glaring at her sternly in warning.
“My readings are confidential, Guild Master,” she replied, casting her eyes downward in fear.
Onvier stood and left without bothering to thank her for her services. He had a lot to do and he wanted to get it done tonight. He teleported to his mansion in the Fae District and snarled at the French maid when she walked into his conjuring den. “Stay out of this room, servant!” he ordered her.
“Sorry, my lord,” she said, then bowed her head and backed away.
Waiting until she was in another part of the house, he spoke. “I need to send two letters,” he said and two sheets of paper and quills appeared. His instructions were written down, then envelopes wrapped around the notes and they zoomed away. He had an hour to prepare the spell that would bind him to his two chosen triumvirate members.
By the time his first guest arrived, he had everything ready. He heard the French maid open the door for whomever had knocked, then scream in terror. “I take it Azazel arrived first,” he said in amusement, then headed for the door. The fairy he’d invited to his house teleported to the gate a few moments later. “Come in, both of you,” Onvier said before the fairy could flee when the demon turned to face her.
The French maid had run to the back of the mansion and was now out of the way. She was just a Night Cursed human and didn’t have exceptional hearing, so they didn’t need to worry about being discreet.
“Who’s this?” Azazel asked, hiking his thumb at the dainty, beautiful fairy. She barely came up to his sternum and had long, silky black hair and dark blue eyes.
“Her name is Nilanthy,” Onvier said as he closed the door.
“Why did you summon me here, Guild Master?” Nilanthy asked. Her gaze nervously skittered away from Azazel.
“Come to my conjuring den and I’ll tell you,” the elf replied.
Azazel’s tail was wrapped around his arm. He rubbed his hands together in glee. “Is it time?” he asked as they trooped across the opulent foyer and up the stairs.
“It’s time,” the Magic Guild Master confirmed.
Nilanthy cast a frightened look back at the door, but she didn’t try to flee. Onvier had already ensnared her in the trap that he’d set in his office. She’d sworn her loyalty to him as she was sure so many other guildmembers had been forced to do. She didn’t know what was going on, but she suspected it was going to be unpleasant.
Onvier led his guests to his den, then closed the door and locked it with magic. He warded the room to make it soundproof. “Azazel and I have decided to form a triumvirate and to overthrow our leaders,” he said to bring the fairy up to speed. “You’re one of the strongest magic users in our guild and I’ve chosen you to be our third.”
Nilanthy gaped at him, then shook her head. “With all due respect, Guild Master, I don’t want to take over from the Immortal Triumvirate.”
“You don’t have a choice, fairy,” Azazel said and reached out to stroke her wing with a sharp talon. “We can’t allow you to live now that you know our secret. You’ll either join us, or you’ll die.”
Onvier rolled his eyes at the demon’s theatrics. “Nilanthy pledged her loyalty to me,” he said. “She can’t disobey me.”
“Is this true?” the hell spawn asked.
Nilanthy nodded reluctantly, but her answer was evasive. “I pledged my loyalty to Guild Master Onvier.”
“Let’s get this spell over with,” Azazel said in anticipation.
The elf gave him a sardonic look, then began the spell. It took him over an hour to mix the components together and to chant the lines. He pricked their fingers and his own with a dagger to add their blood to the spell, then chanted the final passage. He knew it had worked when he felt a connection to the fairy and demon snap into place. His magic received a substantial boost, as did Nilanthy’s.
From the fierce grin on Azazel’s dark face, he’d also become far stronger. “Is it over?” the demon asked.
“It’s over,” Onvier confirmed in a pleased tone. “We aren’t strong enough to face the Immortal Triumvirate yet. I will continue to bind the strongest members of the Magic Guild to me. Eventually, we will have enough strength to defeat our rulers.”
Azazel’s scarlet eyes were glowing with excitement and he could barely contain himself. “I need to return to the catacombs before I’m missed,” he said.
The elf waved his hand in dismissal, but grasped Nilanthy’s wrist when the fairy turned to leave. “Not you, my dear,” he said. “You will stay and keep me company for a while.” Nilanthy looked down at the tent that had formed in his trousers and closed her eyes in dread. She’d known pledging her loyalty to this evil creature would be a bad idea. She was now going to pay the price for her poor decision.
