The Fake Amulet

A cold fear rushed through Reagan, closing around his heart with an icy grip. “I-I can’t. They’ll kill me. My family, the Meiers, Liam, they were killed for their magic.” If we get caught, there’s nowhere to hide in this town, and the exits are too far.

He looked down at the little boy in Elisa’s lap. The one who looked so much like Liam. He closed his eyes, grimacing. I don’t want to lose him again…

“Dietfried isn’t here,” Elisa said, holding Braiden tighter. She cradled his head in her lap, still pressing the fabric of her dress against his temple to stop the bleeding. “Please, we can’t let him die.”

“It’s not just Dietfried,” Reagan said, looking away. He couldn’t bear to look at Braiden. “It’s Alan and Ronan and Ulick, too. All of them. Any of them…” He looked to Liam, hesitating to explain the reason.

“It’s those amulets they wear,” Liam said, a pained look on his face. “They’re fashioned from the daggers that killed Lili and Reagan’s families.”

Elisa blinked, her expression softening as she looked from Reagan to Liam and back again.

“They’re fueling their spells with our blood,” Reagan said bitterly. He looked toward the embankment, trying to calculate how quickly he could climb.

Liam took over. “I know a shortcut to the pharmacist. I’ll lead Reagan while you-”

“Then I’ll pretend it was me,” Elisa said. “You’ll perform the spell, then when they come, blame it on me. I’ll say I repeated what I heard the physician use on your arm.” Determination shone in her eyes, battling the fear on her tight face.

Reagan shuddered. “Don’t be ridiculous! They’ll kill you, too.”

“Not if you make me an amulet. At worst, they’ll think I stole one.”

“I can’t make one out of thin air. The only magic is transformative-”

“Then transform this.” She pulled her necklace out from beneath her blouse, moving the ring up the chain so only the brass pendant dangled in front of Reagan. A flare of lightning illuminated it, revealing the locket’s hinges and the insignia on the front surface.

Reagan didn’t need to ask what was inside to guess it was all Elisa had left of her parents. “If I do, that’ll make it more brittle. You might not get it back as it was…” he said.

“Braiden’s more important.” Even as her eyes shimmered with sadness, she held on to her determination. “Please, Reagan…”

He hesitated, then turned to Liam. “Make sure nobody is in the vicinity. I don’t want the light to give us away before I can complete the spells.” Even as he steeled himself for what he was about to do, he couldn’t unravel the knot in his stomach.

Reagan spent the next several seconds fighting to calm his racing heart and quiet the other thoughts in his mind. He needed as much concentration as he could muster to perform two spells back to back -- one of which he had only read a few days prior.

I hope this doesn’t backfire, he thought, then dismissed it. He couldn’t allow doubts to inhibit his recitation.

He waited until Liam had returned before placing one hand over Braiden’s head and the other on the little boy’s chest, checking for any internal injuries. “It won’t be as effective without the herbs…” he prefaced.

As Reagan began the familiar chant, a warm sensation flowed down from his elbows to the palms of his hands, and a soft silver light glowed in the space between his hands and Braiden. He had only said the first few syllables when the hum started, louder than he’d ever heard it before. The sound crescendoed beneath them, almost vibrating in his bones.

It took every ounce of concentration Reagan had to focus on the spell. Liam said it from beside him, feeding him each syllable as though worried he would misspeak.

As the silver light faded, he saw Braiden’s face relaxing, and Elisa moved her hand to reveal the gash on the boy’s temple had closed until it was barely more than a scratch.

He recited the spell again over Braiden’s legs, since they had been buried beneath the rubble. Something shifted beneath the palm of his right hand, which was positioned atop one of Braiden’s calves.

The boy stirred in Elisa’s lap as Reagan reached for her necklace, holding it in both hands. He met her gaze once more, getting silent confirmation before reciting the transformation spell he’d read at the library and concentrating on the memory he had of Alan and Ulick’s amulets.

Silver light spilled out from between Reagan’s fingers, and in the glow he saw Braiden look up at them. Braiden said something, reaching up for the tendrils of light, but the detection spell was so loud, it drowned out even the thunder.

One last flash of lightning confirmed Reagan had made a passable amulet, complete with the blue and red stained glass-like pendant and the silver mounting.

He barely had the chance to examine his work before the detection spell stopped, and the sound of the rain returned. What had been a thunderous pounding before seemed so much quieter.

“They’re coming,” Liam said, looking off at something to his left.

Reagan dropped the fake amulet like it had burned his hands, and he sat back to put a little distance between himself and Elisa and Braiden, all while giving Elisa a fearful yet apologetic look.

She met it with a smile and mouthed the words, “Thank you.”

“Who goes there?” The booming voice that cut through the rain belonged to Alan. He was halfway down the embankment, picking his way carefully and looking directly at the group.

“Over here!” Elisa yelled. “We need help!”

Reagan tensed, clenching his hands into fists in the mud. Regret barrelled into him as he watched Alan approach. If Elisa gets killed because of me… He didn’t let himself finish the thought. In the back of his mind, he was already crafting an escape route and preparing to use any spell he knew to defend himself and Elisa.

“Don’t do anything yet,” Liam said from beside him. “Let’s see what Alan says first. Elisa’s plan might work.”

Elisa glanced at him, then at Reagan, then returned her attention to Braiden. As soon as Alan was within earshot, she said, “Please help him. We dug him out from under the rubble, and he was badly hurt, and I didn’t know what to do…” She turned toward the green-haired mage, clutching the chain of her necklace with her free hand to draw his attention to the amulet.

It worked. Alan’s gaze went straight to it, then to the boy. “What did you do?” he asked, looking down to check on Braiden. Visible relief crossed his face when the little boy looked up at him and smiled.

“Hi Alan,” Braiden said.

The mage’s gaze softened. “What are you doing down here, Braiden? It’s dangerous.”

“Mom sent me out for flour, and I was going to get it, I really was, but the marketplace was closed, so I turned around to head to the store, and then I saw this really pretty seashell.” He raised his hand close to Alan’s face, and Reagan saw the purple seashell he’d forgotten about. “I wanted to get it for Elisa, because it matches her pretty hair, but then something fell on me and my head hurt and I couldn’t move until Elisa and Alois helped me and took the pain away with a pretty silver light.”

“I see,” Alan said. He glanced at Reagan, who flinched. Behind him, more people descended the side of the embankment, but he paid them no mind as he returned his attention to Elisa. “What did you do?” he asked, but his voice was softer, his tone less accusatory.

Ronan appeared beside him, watching.

“I was afraid to move Braiden, because his head was bleeding, and I didn’t know what else to do. I’d heard the physician use this spell on my cousin’s arm, so I thought it could help here…” She gave a sheepish smile.

“Where did you get that?” Alan asked, reaching for the amulet.

Reagan held his breath.

“I found it on the shore,” Elisa answered without hesitation. “I thought you or Ronan may have dropped yours, and I got really lucky…”

“I see,” he said with a conflicted frown. “Unauthorized magic use is prohibited, so, per regulation, we’ll need you to come with us. My men will escort Braiden home safely.” This time, he signaled for his other companions, two tall, muscular men, to lift Braiden out of Elisa’s arms before helping her stand.

Unable to say anything, Reagan shot her a worried look as he watched Alan and Ronan escort her away. She returned it with a relieved smile.

Liam stood silently beside him, and the two watched until the rain obscured her departure.