Chapter Six
Jay didn't really care for Mistress Toadstool. The woman was a powerful witch, but she had paid a considerable price for her power; besides, everyone knew that she was ambitious. It was part of the reason she had taken on an apprentice at her age, even though few would have dared to imply that she was weak to her face. She wanted to be seen with him purely in the hopes that others would assume that there was a strong connection between them. It might just work.
He was almost relieved when their discussion – if it could be honoured with that word – was interrupted by a twinge from the protective ward he’d placed on Bella, without her knowledge. Someone had cast a spell on her, without her permission. Dana? Or had something more sinister happened? He turned and started to walk back to the store, wishing he dared run. It would send precisely the wrong message to the watching crowds. Mistress Toadstool followed him a moment later.
“My apprentice is in trouble,” she muttered, in a tone of voice that promised ill for Dana when her mistress caught her. “And yours?”
The trace was burning brightly now as he walked up the stairs and into the food court, glancing around sharply. Bella sat on the ground, her hands behind her back; it was easy to sense the charm holding her hands firmly in place. He heard Mistress Toadstool growl in anger as she saw Dana, who was clearly held under similar restraints. Beyond them, a young man lay on the ground, completely immobilised. It was easy to sense Bella’s magic holding him down. Two Peacekeepers were looming over the girls, arguing over what to do next.
Jay cleared his throat loudly and had the satisfaction of seeing the two Peacekeepers jump.
“You seem to be holding my apprentice,” he said. Mistress Toadstool chimed in a second later. “Can you explain why?”
The Peacekeepers hesitated, then one of them stepped forward. “Most Honoured Wizard,” he said, in a florid tone that didn't hide his fear, “she jinxed this man and trapped him in unbreakable bonds.”
Sorcery, Jay thought. He felt a hot flash of anger – how could she be so stupid? – then remembered that Bella was completely ignorant of city life. She hadn’t known that she shouldn't use magic in a crowded room. He looked over at Bella. “Bella? Care to explain?”
Bella’s face was bright red. “He stole my purse,” she said, nodding towards where it lay on the ground. “I stopped him and ...”
“She used magic here,” the lead Peacekeeper said. “She has to be taken to court and ...”
“I see no reason for that,” Mistress Toadstool said, loudly. The Peacekeepers flinched in unison. They were both magicians, but neither of them possessed great power. “They stopped a thief.”
Jay smiled inwardly at their expressions. “I think we can agree that a court will definitely side with them,” he said. Even if Bella had been as guilty as sin, Jay could simply call in favours and make sure that she was acquitted. “You can take this young thief to jail instead.”
He waved his hand at Bella, casting the counter-spell. Bella’s hands came loose, allowing her to start rubbing at her wrists. If cast improperly, the jink often caused cramps ... he scowled at the Peacekeepers, who looked worried. He didn't blame them.
“Bella, come with me,” he ordered, as she stood up and recovered her purse. She'd bought a small pile of clothing and other supplies, he noted. “I dare say that you and Dana can meet again soon enough.”
The two girls exchanged glances. A friendship had definitely formed there.
Jay fought down the impulse to take his apprentice into one of the changing rooms and blister her fanny as they walked down the stairs. She hadn't known the possible dangers, even though the Peacekeepers definitely had. If it had turned into an all-out duel between wizards, with hundreds of mundanes caught in the middle ... the results would have been terrifying.
“I need to get the potion ingredients,” Bella said, hesitantly. Clearly, she’d been worried about his reaction to her misstep. “We meant to get them after our drink.”
“We’ll go to the Apothecary,” Jay said. “And then we will go home.”
He wanted to go home and explain, in detail, precisely where she had gone wrong. Instead, he allowed her to go into the shop and purchase a handful of ingredients. The storekeeper gave her a knowing look that made her flush, but her magic barely simmered. She could definitely learn from experience.
But what if, his thoughts asked, if she doesn't survive?
The thought made him shudder.
***
Bella felt butterflies in her stomach as she followed Master Jay back through the teeming streets, wondering what he was going to do to her as soon as they got home. Would he bend her over in the hallway and spank her savagely, or would be take her to her bedroom and spank her there, or would he do worse? Dana had told her that there were worse punishments for disobedient young girls than mere spankings. It was hard to imagine Master Jay using any of them, but he looked extremely angry.
She swallowed hard as they finally entered the house. There was a chair in the lobby, one she hadn't noticed earlier; she half-expected him to sit down at once and start spanking her bottom. Or would he order her to strip naked before the spanking even began? Or ... there were just too many possibilities. Clover met them a moment later, adding a new level of horror to Bella’s thoughts. What if Clover was allowed to watch as Bella was stripped naked and spanked to within an inch of her life?
Master Jay said nothing until they were in his study, with the door firmly closed, then nodded towards the sofa. Bella hesitated, then bent over the edge of the sofa, sticking her bottom up in the air. There was a soft cough from behind her and she turned to see Master Jay trying not to laugh. It was funny how the half-hidden smile utterly transformed his face.
“I meant sit down properly,” he said. “Unless you actually want a thrashing?”
Bella straightened upright and sat down, nervously. “No, sir,” she said, quickly. “I don’t want a thrashing.”
“Glad to hear it,” Master Jay informed her. He sat down facing her. “I rebuked your father for not giving you a proper education. However, there were details that honestly slipped my mind. I forgot to tell you, among other things, that you should never use magic in a crowded place, certainly not in the heart of the city. It might start a war.”
Bella stared at him. “A war?”
“There are at least a dozen major factions within the kingdom that exist in an uneasy truce,” Master Jay informed her. “Many of those factions have individuals who would start a war in a heartbeat if they thought they could get away with it. Your use of magic might have been seen as a signal to start something, whereupon everyone would have started exchanging hexes and curses. Given the number of powerful magicians in the building, it could have devastated a quarter of the city – assuming that it didn't spread further.”
“I ...” Bella broke off and started again. “My father said that it was cutthroat in the city.”
“He was entirely correct,” Master Jay said. “The Peacekeepers moved to stop you in the hope of preventing the crisis from getting out of hand. And they succeeded.”
Bella looked down at her wrists. They still ached, even though the cramps had faded away shortly after the jinx had been removed. The memory of being trapped on the floor, with everyone staring at her, was humiliating. She’d be lucky if Dana wanted to see her again ... her first real magical friend and she was lost.
“Should they ask,” Master Jay added, “tell them that you were thrashed. It will stop them from worrying about setting bad precedents.”
Bella nodded. She’d expected a spanking, at the very least, but it seemed that Master Jay was fair as well as strict. Getting into trouble by accident – or asking questions – didn't seem to warrant punishment. She relaxed and gave her tutor a rather shy smile, which he returned.
“We shall discuss courtly etiquette later,” Master Jay added, as he reached into his pouch and produced the package from the robes shop. “There are days when you don’t dare cough for fear that someone will take it as a sign to start something violent.”
“My father never went over that with me,” Bella admitted. “How formal is it?”
“Very formal,” Master Jay said. He passed her the package. “Do you know basic curse detection spells?”
“I know some of them,” Bella said, carefully. She was more leery of boasting now, if only because she understood her own weaknesses better. “Do you want me to test the robe?”
“Cursing someone’s clothing is an excellent way of affecting them,” Master Jay said, dryly. “So yes ... I do want you to test the robes.”
Bella performed the first charm, found nothing and carefully opened the packet. Inside, there were a pair of long white robes, decorated with a black and gold stripe that ran around her waist. The white was for apprentice, she knew; she didn't understand the significance of the black and gold.
“The black indicates that you are apprenticed to a combat magician,” Master Jay explained, when she asked. “The gold indicates that your master works directly for the Court. I suggest that you ignore the other apprentices who will try to either admire you or look down on you. It will be quite corrosive to your development, particularly as you have a long way to go.”
Bella ran through every charm she knew, but found nothing.
“Good,” Master Jay said. He performed a set of charms himself, then nodded. “Nothing to worry about, I think. Put them on.”
Bella hesitated. The robes weren't designed to be worn on top of her clothing, apart from panties and bra; she didn't want to undress in front of him. And yet he’d already seen her naked ... he’d seen her completely nude only a few hours ago. He gave her an unreadable look, then stood up and turned away from her. Bella pulled her old robes off – her bottom was still marked, she realised – and then pulled the new one over her head. It felt much better, even though it was practically shapeless.
“You can look now,” she said, softly. “I’m decent.”
Master Jay turned to look at her. “You look respectable,” he said, shortly. “In the event of you growing any further, we can have it extended or simply buy you a new one.”
“Oh,” Bella said, suddenly remembering just how much of his money she’d spent before the thief had tried to steal her purse. “How should I pay you back?”
“You don’t have to worry about it,” Master Jay assured her. “When you graduate, you can pay me back by taking on another apprentice and training her as well as I trained you.”
“Thank you,” Bella said, suddenly overcome. She’d assumed that her father had paid Master Jay for his efforts, but he’d distributed enough money in one day to shock her. “I will do my best.”
“I know you will,” Master Jay said. “Now ... protective spells.”
The next hour proved almost as rigorous as the morning lesson had been. Master Jay taught her several dozen protective spells, then supervised her as she cast them – one by one – over the robe and the other clothes she’d brought. From what he said, trained magicians rarely bothered to work protections into their robes, but it was a reasonable precaution for an apprentice. Magical training could be dangerous and there was no shortage of possible accidents that could occur. Bella, who had narrowly avoided death when a potion she’d been making had exploded in the caldron, was not inclined to argue.
“Whenever you leave the house, particularly when you are alone,” Master Jay said, “make sure that you wear something with protections.”
Bella sighed. “I don’t think I want to leave the house again,” she admitted. “There’s just too many people out there.”
“Your father had the same reaction,” Master Jay said, with a brief smile. “I don’t think your mother ever did. You’ll get used to it.”
Bella shook her head. “I won't,” she said. “And ...”
She hesitated. “Did you know my mother?”
“Yes,” Master Jay said.
“I don't know anything about her,” Bella admitted, bitterly. “Can't you tell me ...?”
Master Jay held up a hand. “That isn't my secret to tell,” he said, softly. “You really should ask your father.”
“He never told me anything,” Bella said. “I was nine when I realised that I should have had a mother. Perrin told me that her mother was there ... where was mine? Father had a few words with her father and the topic never came up again. Who was she?”
Master Jay shook his head. “I cannot talk about it,” he said. His tone was still soft. “It is something you need to discuss with your father ...”
“And he won’t tell me anything,” Bella said, feeling rage and frustration welling up within her. “Why was I born and raised far from my mother’s life? Why won’t anyone tell me anything?”
It crossed her mind that she was yelling at a man who had proven himself willing to spank her bare bottom before, but she pressed on. “I need to know,” she insisted. “I really need to know!”
She started to cry, great heaving sobs that racked her body. A moment later, she felt Master Jay sitting down next to her and taking her into his arms, holding her tightly. She hadn't hugged her father for years, it seemed; hugging Master Jay was different. For a start, she knew that she admired him, even found him attractive ...
He patted her back as her sobs slowly faded away into nothingness. “There are some things that it is better not to know,” he said, calmly. Tears – her tears – had stained his robe. “And some things that you cannot help, no matter what you do.”
Bella nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I just ... I just ...”
“Go and get some sleep,” Master Jay ordered. He looked over at the grandfather clock placed against one wall. “Dinner will be at seven tonight, which will give you four hours of rest. And then you can go back to bed and wake up early tomorrow.”
Bella nodded, hastily. She certainly didn't want to be woken up with another spanking – or worse, a dose of the hairbrush. Or some of the punishments Dana had hinted at ...
“Dana,” she said, as she stood up. “Will she be alright?”
“I think so,” Master Jay said. “Why?”
“Mistress Toadstool didn't look pleased with her,” Bella said. “Is she ... what will she do to Dana?”
“It depends on how fair-minded she is feeling,” Master Jay admitted. “Dana, unlike you, certainly did know why one shouldn't use magic in public – and she publically embarrassed her tutor. On the other hand, it wasn't her who cast the spell. But I am not really allowed to intervene in Mistress’s Toadstool’s affairs. The punishment of her apprentice is her decision.”
Bella swallowed. “Why ... why was she so angry?”
“Mistress Toadstool has her fingers in a great many pies,” Master Jay said. “Public embarrassment might diminish her standing, which will convince others that she’s losing her grip. Her political schemes will come to nothing if she loses her friends and allies. On the other hand, she wants to lure me into her clutches ...”
The mental image made Bella gag. Master Jay gave her a sharp look and smacked her bottom once, then continued.
“She wants me to assist her with her plans,” he admitted. “If her apprentice is visibly friends with my apprentice, it will certainly create the impression that we are close political allies.”
“Oh,” Bella said. Had that been a flash of jealousy she’d felt? The thought of Master Jay being with someone – anyone – else. “I didn't mean ...”
“Say that in front of her and you’ll be lucky if you only get thrashed into next week,” Master Jay said, darkly. “She is a transfigurations mistress, after all. Turning you into a toad would be easy for her.”
He smiled, rather dryly. “And I suggest that you go off to bed.”
Bella nodded and obeyed.
***
Jay watched her go, silently cursing Furan as Bella closed the door behind her. He could have told his daughter the truth ... but it would have put her life in danger. It was easy to see why Furan had made that decision, yet now it had come back to haunt them. Bella was important and yet utterly ignorant of why she was important. Jay would have preferred to tell her, but he’d made a vow. To break it would cost him his magic.
He found himself torn in two. He’d meant every word of the apprenticeship oath, when he[‘d spoken the words of the master; leaving her ignorant risked crippling her. But telling her would cost him his life. He scowled, then reached for a sheet of paper. If nothing else, he could write to Furan and ensure that he knew that his daughter was already asking questions. And he could check up on the transfigured boy and enchanted girl at the same time ...
Poor girl, he thought, remembering how she’d clearly thought that she was going to get spanked again. He wouldn't have spanked her unless it was definitely her fault. She has a hard life ahead of her.
And there was a part of him that realised, deep down, that he was falling in love with her.
The Wizard's Apprentice
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davidbrennan
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Re: The Wizard's Apprentice
Indeed à very good plot. Enjoy reading it, and hardly can await next part.
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davidbrennan
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Re: The Wizard's Apprentice
If you want more, please comment.
Chapter Seven
The next few days, much to Bella’s relief, passed without incident. She woke up on time, ate breakfast and studied magic, first with Master Jay and then on her own. Unlearning some of the bad habits she had picked up from her father was tricky, but Master Jay was a patient tutor and talked her through each spell step by step. There was no need for another trip over his knee.
She was working on brewing a simple potion when her master looked into the room and nodded to her. “How long until you can bottle and store the potion?”
Bella looked down at the bubbling white liquid, thinking. “About ten minutes,” she said. The potion was a familiar one; there was little need to guess how it might react when she added the final set of ingredients. “And then I can leave it to cool down.”
“Good,” Master Jay said. “You’re needed in Court.”
Bella looked up, surprised. “Me?”
“You,” Master Jay confirmed. He sat down and scowled at the floor. “The thief you jinxed is going to face the entire Court. You will be required to testify against him.”
Bella stirred the potion slowly, then looked back at him. “Why ...?”
“Because you used magic in a public place and could have started a war,” Master Jay said. “I have been told that you must testify before the assembled elders of the Court.”
There didn't seem to be any way out of it, so Bella finished brewing and bottling the potion, then went back upstairs to dress properly. Clover was waiting there; she’d already ironed Bella’s finest set of robes, which she then helped Bella to don. Back downstairs, Master Jay inspected her so carefully that she blushed, then led her towards the door. Outside, a horse and carriage were waiting for them.
“My father never told me anything about the Court,” Bella said, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. “How does it work?”
“Back when the kingdom was coming together,” Master Jay explained, “the most powerful families – powerful in magic as well as money – ensured that they held the reins by controlling the Court. Each family has one vote in the chamber, which are passed down to the first-born child when the holder dies. Those who were born to families without such connections have to sign up with a patron who provides political protection in exchange for support.”
Bella scowled, thinking through the implications. “So each of the elders has a private army of magicians under his control?”
“Precisely,” Master Jay said. “The elders constantly tussle over control of the most important institutions in our society, but that conflict is largely peaceful. When it isn’t ... blood appears on the walls pretty quickly.”
He looked into her eyes, grimly. “I want you to listen carefully,” he said. “When you are inside the Court, remain with me at all times ... and do not talk to anyone without my permission. If someone asks you to talk, merely motion to me and I will deal with it. When they put you on the stand, do not try to lie. The spells in the room will detect it and they will not be happy. If you don’t know the answer to the question, don’t hesitate to say so.”
Bella nodded, nervously.
Master Jay pulled back the curtain, allowing her to see outside as the carriage rattled onwards. A giant white building rose up in front of her, a shining palace right out of a fairy tale. It looked so fragile that a single cough would bring it down, but she could sense the magic flowing through the structure that was keeping it intact. She’d never sensed so much magic in her life, even in the heart of the forest. And this had been constructed by humans, not an artefact of wild magic.
“Here we are,” Master Jay said. He caught her hand and squeezed it lightly. “Remember what I told you.”
He opened the door and hopped down to the ground. Bella followed, stumbling slightly as she tried to jump down in the robe. Master Jay caught her and led her towards the main entrance, barely giving her time to look around. Dozens of other magicians, wearing robes that covered the entire spectrum of the rainbow, were scattered around. Quite a few of them were pretending not to look at Master Jay and his apprentice.
Inside, the air was cool ... and the magic was stronger. It danced over her, sending strange tingles running down her spine, before fading away and allowing her to enter the corridor and walk down towards the gallery. A large gathering of men and women caught her eye as she stepped inside, all wearing golden robes. They had to be the elders, Bella decided. Who else would wear golden robes. She caught sight of Mistress Toadstool, wearing a golden dress that made her look like a noble frog, and carefully concealed her amusement. Mistress Toadstool might just turn her into a real frog if she realised that Bella was laughing at her.
The thief was standing in the centre of the courtroom. He looked unrestrained, but when Bella concentrated she could see the spell keeping him under control. His face was very pale and his entire body was shaking; he’d never expected to have to face the movers and shakers of the kingdom. Bella suspected that the Court would normally not bother to hear the case; someone lower down the food chain would handle it. But her involvement had tipped the matter right into the Court’s hands.
“Bella,” Dana’s voice said. Bella turned to see her friend walking up behind her. “Are you alright?”
Bella glanced at Master Jay, who nodded. “Yes,” she said, relieved. “And you?”
“She wasn't too happy with me,” Dana admitted. One hand rubbed her buttocks absently. “But I survived.”
A dull gong rang through the air and conversation stilled. Bella found herself looking up at the elders – and discovered, to her surprise, that many of them were looking back at her, their expressions completely unreadable. Each of them seemed to have a special chair ... and several chairs seemed empty. The elders who hadn't bothered to show ... or something more sinister? There was no way to know without asking and she didn't dare say a word.
“Bella, Apprentice to Jay,” a voice said. “We call on you to take the stand.”
Master Jay took her hand and led her into the centre of the room. Bella caught the thief’s eye and shuddered at the dull hopelessness in his expression. The room seemed to grow warmer as magic flared around her, boring into her mind. It didn't just detect lies, she realised numbly. The magic actually encouraged people to talk. And it kept her in place ... no matter how she tried, she couldn't move.
“Bella,” the voice continued. She couldn't tell which of the elders was speaking, if indeed it was one of them. “Tell us what happened on the day you used magic in the store.”
Bella felt the awful compulsion to speak welling up within her, utterly beyond her ability to resist.
“I overslept,” she heard her own voice said ... and realised in horror that she was about to tell the entire government about her spanking. “I ...”
“Start from when we went to the robes shop,” Master Jay said, calmly.
Bella could have kissed him in that moment. Instead, she did as she was told and started by talking about their visit to the robes shop, then to the general store. There were some chuckles as she described trying on underwear with Dana, which made her flush brightly. The elders leaned forward to listen carefully as she went over the thief’s attempt to snatch her purse, then how she’d jinxed him. There were a handful of other questions, none that seemed particularly important, then she was released from the spell. Bella almost staggered; Master Jay had to help her walk back out of the room.
“It hits everyone hard, their first time,” he muttered, as soon as they left the Courtroom. “I have to go back in a minute ... can I ask Dana to stay with you?”
“Yes, please,” Bella said.
Master Jay led her into a small room, told her to stay there until he returned and then left. A moment later, he returned with Dana, who gave Bella a brilliant smile and sat down beside her. Bella realised to her shock that her robes were soaked in sweat. She wanted a bath desperately, but she knew that it would have to wait until they got home. And she was still fuming over how close she’d come to sharing something truly embarrassing with the entire world.
“They didn't want my testimony,” Dana said. “But they did want yours.”
“You wouldn't have enjoyed it,” Bella said, wondering if Dana was jealous. It was an absurd thought. “I would have told them everything if they’d asked. Everything.”
“I know what a compulsion spell does,” Dana admitted. “Even had to throw one off, on occasion.”
She chatted about nothing for nearly an hour, allowing Bella a chance to think. Why had the elders wanted her testimony, but not Dana’s? Dana had been there too ... surely they’d want as many witnesses as possible? Or had they wanted to avoid questioning someone so close to Mistress Toadstool? There was – again – no way to know.
“I’m planning to go out tonight,” Dana said. “Do you want to come?”
Bella hesitated. “I don't know if I could take the crowds,” she admitted, ruefully. “But I was thinking that I could invite you over for the night.”
Dana lifted an eyebrow. “You’d have to clear that with your master,” she said. “I know that Mistress Toadstool would never agree to allow someone to stay the night with us.”
“I’ll ask Master Jay,” Bella said. It was something she’d never had to ask her father about, back in the village, but privacy was something of a moot concept there. “Why didn't they want to question you?”
“I don’t know,” Dana said. “I just don’t know.”
***
“We have considered your case,” the First Speaker said, addressing the would-be thief. “For attempted theft alone, we would sentence you to a day in the stocks, followed by a year in the mines. However, you attempted to steal from a magician’s apprentice and for that the punishment must be harsh. We sentence you to five years indentured servitude.”
Jay scowled as the thief let out a cry. Indentured servitude was magically-enforced slavery; there would be no hope of escape, or even of suicide. It wasn't something he approved of, even though the thief had tried to steal from Bella. Two Peacekeepers came up behind the thief and dragged him out of the Courtroom. They’d take him to have the slave collar fitted, then he’d be sent to the market. Someone would buy out his contract and put him to work.
Lucky for him he isn't a young girl, Master Jay thought. It would be much worse for him if he was.
He looked back up at the assembled elders as they glowered at him. They’d had a lucky escape, he knew; Bella could easily have started a war between the elders and their patronage networks, ripping the kingdom apart. Their decision to summon Bella to testify had been driven by a fear that she might have done it deliberately, rather than out of ignorance. Even so, they weren't likely to be too pleased with her. Or him, for that matter.
“Your apprentice acted very badly,” the First Speaker said. It was his turn to speak for the Court, much to his irritation. The First Speakership rotated regularly, but the First Speaker had no voice in the debates while he held the chair. At least he still got a vote. “She should have known better than to use magic in a crowded place.”
“She grew up in the countryside,” Jay said, calmly. There would be sneers, he knew, directed at Bella because she hadn't grown up in the city, but it wasn't something he could avoid. “She didn't know the possible consequences.”
“She should spend some time in the stocks herself,” an elderly wizard said, with a leer. “Such carelessness should not go unpunished.”
“Ignorance, on the other hand, is forgivable,” Jay said. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the wizard until he backed down. “Do I have to remind you that it is the master who determines the punishment his apprentice should suffer, should it be necessary. I do not feel that ignorance should be punished harshly.”
“Make her read books on politics,” one elderly lady said, to general amusement. “Or write essays on the dangers of overstepping one’s bonds.”
Jay smiled to conceal his consternation. The Court was the government; the King and everyone else did as they were told, once the Court had come to a decision. Assembling it to judge the thief was an Act of State. They could order him to punish Bella, if they wanted to put the standard master-apprentice role aside, and he would have to comply or go on the run.
“I will make her spend hours reading books,” he said, with the private thought that Bella wouldn't consider it a severe punishment. She’d been devouring her way through the textbooks he’d given her at a terrifying rate. He’d planned to spend the evening picking out other books that she could read without compromising her development. “And I think she will not make the same mistake again.”
The First Speaker looked around, then nodded. “I believe there is no need to take the matter to a vote,” he said. He hesitated, waiting for objections, but none came. “Master Jay, we thank you and your apprentice for coming.”
Jay bowed. “I thank you for hearing us,” he said. “With your permission ...”
He didn't allow himself to relax until he was outside the courtroom. The whole affair could easily have gone badly wrong, including revealing far too many secrets. He’d been luckier than he deserved ... and Bella, the innocent girl, had come far too close to absolute disaster, a disaster that might have become unavoidable once the truth came out. Gritting his teeth, mentally cursing Furan yet again, he walked back towards the room he’d left Bella in and stepped inside. His apprentice was chatting to Dana. She looked remarkably happy.
Good, he thought. She deserves it.
“They’re finished with us,” he said, out loud. He wasn't fool enough to say anything else, not when the Court elders might well be watching them from a distance. There was so much magic running through the Court that it would be tricky to be certain that they’d detected all of the surveillance spells. “We’ll go home now.”
“Master,” Bella said, and his eyes narrowed. She only called him Master when she wanted something. “Can Dana stay the night?”
Jay hesitated. His first inclination was to refuse – he had a great deal to discuss with his apprentice – but she looked so happy. And besides, she needed a treat to make up for her ordeal in front of the Court. She had almost certainly never faced a compulsion spell before, let alone one that worked its way into her mind and convinced her to talk. A skilled magician might have managed to control what came out of his mouth, even if he couldn't lie directly without setting off the alarms.
“Not tonight,” he said, finally. He really did need to chat to her – and that would be easier if they were alone. “How about three days from now, if Mistress Toadstool agrees?”
Bella hesitated – no doubt she was used to her father agreeing at once – but she nodded, then looked over at Dana.
“I’ll ask my mistress today and then send you a message,” Dana promised. She stood up and bowed low to Jay, then headed to the door. “And thank you for inviting me.”
Jay smiled at her retreating back, then turned to look at Bella. “How are you feeling?”
“Sweaty,” Bella admitted. She rubbed her forehead. “And I have a dull ache here.”
“That’s normal, I’m afraid,” Jay admitted. He helped her to her feet, then planted a quick kiss on her forehead that surprised both of them. “You did fine, believe me. They didn't even demand that you be punished ... beyond reading more books.”
Bella chuckled. “Are you going to find more for me?”
“Yes,” Jay said. He led her out of the building and back into the carriage, keeping his mouth firmly shut until they were inside the vehicle and driving away from the Court. “There is something I want you to remember.”
He held her eyes with his as he spoke. “There were some of them who wanted you punished, even though you acted out of ignorance,” he warned. “If they feel forced to get involved ... well, there are worse punishments than a sore bottom.”
Bella nodded, slowly. “I understand,” she said. “But how do they keep thieves from stealing their possessions?”
“Anti-theft spells,” Master Jay said. “And we will go over them later in the week.”
He scowled as the carriage drove homewards. Bella should have been recognisable as a magician – Dana certainly had been – and it was rare for anyone to dare to steal from a magician, even an apprentice. Had the thief believed that the magicians would not dare use magic to stop him ... or was something more sinister involved? The Court had questioned him intensely, using spells that had ground any trace of deceit out of his mind. He’d certainly seemed to believe the former ...
... And yet it bothered Jay. The thief had taken an insane chance ... and wound up a helpless slave. Had someone deliberately prompted him or was he just being paranoid? And, if the former, what did the person behind him know?
There was no way to know.
Chapter Seven
The next few days, much to Bella’s relief, passed without incident. She woke up on time, ate breakfast and studied magic, first with Master Jay and then on her own. Unlearning some of the bad habits she had picked up from her father was tricky, but Master Jay was a patient tutor and talked her through each spell step by step. There was no need for another trip over his knee.
She was working on brewing a simple potion when her master looked into the room and nodded to her. “How long until you can bottle and store the potion?”
Bella looked down at the bubbling white liquid, thinking. “About ten minutes,” she said. The potion was a familiar one; there was little need to guess how it might react when she added the final set of ingredients. “And then I can leave it to cool down.”
“Good,” Master Jay said. “You’re needed in Court.”
Bella looked up, surprised. “Me?”
“You,” Master Jay confirmed. He sat down and scowled at the floor. “The thief you jinxed is going to face the entire Court. You will be required to testify against him.”
Bella stirred the potion slowly, then looked back at him. “Why ...?”
“Because you used magic in a public place and could have started a war,” Master Jay said. “I have been told that you must testify before the assembled elders of the Court.”
There didn't seem to be any way out of it, so Bella finished brewing and bottling the potion, then went back upstairs to dress properly. Clover was waiting there; she’d already ironed Bella’s finest set of robes, which she then helped Bella to don. Back downstairs, Master Jay inspected her so carefully that she blushed, then led her towards the door. Outside, a horse and carriage were waiting for them.
“My father never told me anything about the Court,” Bella said, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. “How does it work?”
“Back when the kingdom was coming together,” Master Jay explained, “the most powerful families – powerful in magic as well as money – ensured that they held the reins by controlling the Court. Each family has one vote in the chamber, which are passed down to the first-born child when the holder dies. Those who were born to families without such connections have to sign up with a patron who provides political protection in exchange for support.”
Bella scowled, thinking through the implications. “So each of the elders has a private army of magicians under his control?”
“Precisely,” Master Jay said. “The elders constantly tussle over control of the most important institutions in our society, but that conflict is largely peaceful. When it isn’t ... blood appears on the walls pretty quickly.”
He looked into her eyes, grimly. “I want you to listen carefully,” he said. “When you are inside the Court, remain with me at all times ... and do not talk to anyone without my permission. If someone asks you to talk, merely motion to me and I will deal with it. When they put you on the stand, do not try to lie. The spells in the room will detect it and they will not be happy. If you don’t know the answer to the question, don’t hesitate to say so.”
Bella nodded, nervously.
Master Jay pulled back the curtain, allowing her to see outside as the carriage rattled onwards. A giant white building rose up in front of her, a shining palace right out of a fairy tale. It looked so fragile that a single cough would bring it down, but she could sense the magic flowing through the structure that was keeping it intact. She’d never sensed so much magic in her life, even in the heart of the forest. And this had been constructed by humans, not an artefact of wild magic.
“Here we are,” Master Jay said. He caught her hand and squeezed it lightly. “Remember what I told you.”
He opened the door and hopped down to the ground. Bella followed, stumbling slightly as she tried to jump down in the robe. Master Jay caught her and led her towards the main entrance, barely giving her time to look around. Dozens of other magicians, wearing robes that covered the entire spectrum of the rainbow, were scattered around. Quite a few of them were pretending not to look at Master Jay and his apprentice.
Inside, the air was cool ... and the magic was stronger. It danced over her, sending strange tingles running down her spine, before fading away and allowing her to enter the corridor and walk down towards the gallery. A large gathering of men and women caught her eye as she stepped inside, all wearing golden robes. They had to be the elders, Bella decided. Who else would wear golden robes. She caught sight of Mistress Toadstool, wearing a golden dress that made her look like a noble frog, and carefully concealed her amusement. Mistress Toadstool might just turn her into a real frog if she realised that Bella was laughing at her.
The thief was standing in the centre of the courtroom. He looked unrestrained, but when Bella concentrated she could see the spell keeping him under control. His face was very pale and his entire body was shaking; he’d never expected to have to face the movers and shakers of the kingdom. Bella suspected that the Court would normally not bother to hear the case; someone lower down the food chain would handle it. But her involvement had tipped the matter right into the Court’s hands.
“Bella,” Dana’s voice said. Bella turned to see her friend walking up behind her. “Are you alright?”
Bella glanced at Master Jay, who nodded. “Yes,” she said, relieved. “And you?”
“She wasn't too happy with me,” Dana admitted. One hand rubbed her buttocks absently. “But I survived.”
A dull gong rang through the air and conversation stilled. Bella found herself looking up at the elders – and discovered, to her surprise, that many of them were looking back at her, their expressions completely unreadable. Each of them seemed to have a special chair ... and several chairs seemed empty. The elders who hadn't bothered to show ... or something more sinister? There was no way to know without asking and she didn't dare say a word.
“Bella, Apprentice to Jay,” a voice said. “We call on you to take the stand.”
Master Jay took her hand and led her into the centre of the room. Bella caught the thief’s eye and shuddered at the dull hopelessness in his expression. The room seemed to grow warmer as magic flared around her, boring into her mind. It didn't just detect lies, she realised numbly. The magic actually encouraged people to talk. And it kept her in place ... no matter how she tried, she couldn't move.
“Bella,” the voice continued. She couldn't tell which of the elders was speaking, if indeed it was one of them. “Tell us what happened on the day you used magic in the store.”
Bella felt the awful compulsion to speak welling up within her, utterly beyond her ability to resist.
“I overslept,” she heard her own voice said ... and realised in horror that she was about to tell the entire government about her spanking. “I ...”
“Start from when we went to the robes shop,” Master Jay said, calmly.
Bella could have kissed him in that moment. Instead, she did as she was told and started by talking about their visit to the robes shop, then to the general store. There were some chuckles as she described trying on underwear with Dana, which made her flush brightly. The elders leaned forward to listen carefully as she went over the thief’s attempt to snatch her purse, then how she’d jinxed him. There were a handful of other questions, none that seemed particularly important, then she was released from the spell. Bella almost staggered; Master Jay had to help her walk back out of the room.
“It hits everyone hard, their first time,” he muttered, as soon as they left the Courtroom. “I have to go back in a minute ... can I ask Dana to stay with you?”
“Yes, please,” Bella said.
Master Jay led her into a small room, told her to stay there until he returned and then left. A moment later, he returned with Dana, who gave Bella a brilliant smile and sat down beside her. Bella realised to her shock that her robes were soaked in sweat. She wanted a bath desperately, but she knew that it would have to wait until they got home. And she was still fuming over how close she’d come to sharing something truly embarrassing with the entire world.
“They didn't want my testimony,” Dana said. “But they did want yours.”
“You wouldn't have enjoyed it,” Bella said, wondering if Dana was jealous. It was an absurd thought. “I would have told them everything if they’d asked. Everything.”
“I know what a compulsion spell does,” Dana admitted. “Even had to throw one off, on occasion.”
She chatted about nothing for nearly an hour, allowing Bella a chance to think. Why had the elders wanted her testimony, but not Dana’s? Dana had been there too ... surely they’d want as many witnesses as possible? Or had they wanted to avoid questioning someone so close to Mistress Toadstool? There was – again – no way to know.
“I’m planning to go out tonight,” Dana said. “Do you want to come?”
Bella hesitated. “I don't know if I could take the crowds,” she admitted, ruefully. “But I was thinking that I could invite you over for the night.”
Dana lifted an eyebrow. “You’d have to clear that with your master,” she said. “I know that Mistress Toadstool would never agree to allow someone to stay the night with us.”
“I’ll ask Master Jay,” Bella said. It was something she’d never had to ask her father about, back in the village, but privacy was something of a moot concept there. “Why didn't they want to question you?”
“I don’t know,” Dana said. “I just don’t know.”
***
“We have considered your case,” the First Speaker said, addressing the would-be thief. “For attempted theft alone, we would sentence you to a day in the stocks, followed by a year in the mines. However, you attempted to steal from a magician’s apprentice and for that the punishment must be harsh. We sentence you to five years indentured servitude.”
Jay scowled as the thief let out a cry. Indentured servitude was magically-enforced slavery; there would be no hope of escape, or even of suicide. It wasn't something he approved of, even though the thief had tried to steal from Bella. Two Peacekeepers came up behind the thief and dragged him out of the Courtroom. They’d take him to have the slave collar fitted, then he’d be sent to the market. Someone would buy out his contract and put him to work.
Lucky for him he isn't a young girl, Master Jay thought. It would be much worse for him if he was.
He looked back up at the assembled elders as they glowered at him. They’d had a lucky escape, he knew; Bella could easily have started a war between the elders and their patronage networks, ripping the kingdom apart. Their decision to summon Bella to testify had been driven by a fear that she might have done it deliberately, rather than out of ignorance. Even so, they weren't likely to be too pleased with her. Or him, for that matter.
“Your apprentice acted very badly,” the First Speaker said. It was his turn to speak for the Court, much to his irritation. The First Speakership rotated regularly, but the First Speaker had no voice in the debates while he held the chair. At least he still got a vote. “She should have known better than to use magic in a crowded place.”
“She grew up in the countryside,” Jay said, calmly. There would be sneers, he knew, directed at Bella because she hadn't grown up in the city, but it wasn't something he could avoid. “She didn't know the possible consequences.”
“She should spend some time in the stocks herself,” an elderly wizard said, with a leer. “Such carelessness should not go unpunished.”
“Ignorance, on the other hand, is forgivable,” Jay said. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the wizard until he backed down. “Do I have to remind you that it is the master who determines the punishment his apprentice should suffer, should it be necessary. I do not feel that ignorance should be punished harshly.”
“Make her read books on politics,” one elderly lady said, to general amusement. “Or write essays on the dangers of overstepping one’s bonds.”
Jay smiled to conceal his consternation. The Court was the government; the King and everyone else did as they were told, once the Court had come to a decision. Assembling it to judge the thief was an Act of State. They could order him to punish Bella, if they wanted to put the standard master-apprentice role aside, and he would have to comply or go on the run.
“I will make her spend hours reading books,” he said, with the private thought that Bella wouldn't consider it a severe punishment. She’d been devouring her way through the textbooks he’d given her at a terrifying rate. He’d planned to spend the evening picking out other books that she could read without compromising her development. “And I think she will not make the same mistake again.”
The First Speaker looked around, then nodded. “I believe there is no need to take the matter to a vote,” he said. He hesitated, waiting for objections, but none came. “Master Jay, we thank you and your apprentice for coming.”
Jay bowed. “I thank you for hearing us,” he said. “With your permission ...”
He didn't allow himself to relax until he was outside the courtroom. The whole affair could easily have gone badly wrong, including revealing far too many secrets. He’d been luckier than he deserved ... and Bella, the innocent girl, had come far too close to absolute disaster, a disaster that might have become unavoidable once the truth came out. Gritting his teeth, mentally cursing Furan yet again, he walked back towards the room he’d left Bella in and stepped inside. His apprentice was chatting to Dana. She looked remarkably happy.
Good, he thought. She deserves it.
“They’re finished with us,” he said, out loud. He wasn't fool enough to say anything else, not when the Court elders might well be watching them from a distance. There was so much magic running through the Court that it would be tricky to be certain that they’d detected all of the surveillance spells. “We’ll go home now.”
“Master,” Bella said, and his eyes narrowed. She only called him Master when she wanted something. “Can Dana stay the night?”
Jay hesitated. His first inclination was to refuse – he had a great deal to discuss with his apprentice – but she looked so happy. And besides, she needed a treat to make up for her ordeal in front of the Court. She had almost certainly never faced a compulsion spell before, let alone one that worked its way into her mind and convinced her to talk. A skilled magician might have managed to control what came out of his mouth, even if he couldn't lie directly without setting off the alarms.
“Not tonight,” he said, finally. He really did need to chat to her – and that would be easier if they were alone. “How about three days from now, if Mistress Toadstool agrees?”
Bella hesitated – no doubt she was used to her father agreeing at once – but she nodded, then looked over at Dana.
“I’ll ask my mistress today and then send you a message,” Dana promised. She stood up and bowed low to Jay, then headed to the door. “And thank you for inviting me.”
Jay smiled at her retreating back, then turned to look at Bella. “How are you feeling?”
“Sweaty,” Bella admitted. She rubbed her forehead. “And I have a dull ache here.”
“That’s normal, I’m afraid,” Jay admitted. He helped her to her feet, then planted a quick kiss on her forehead that surprised both of them. “You did fine, believe me. They didn't even demand that you be punished ... beyond reading more books.”
Bella chuckled. “Are you going to find more for me?”
“Yes,” Jay said. He led her out of the building and back into the carriage, keeping his mouth firmly shut until they were inside the vehicle and driving away from the Court. “There is something I want you to remember.”
He held her eyes with his as he spoke. “There were some of them who wanted you punished, even though you acted out of ignorance,” he warned. “If they feel forced to get involved ... well, there are worse punishments than a sore bottom.”
Bella nodded, slowly. “I understand,” she said. “But how do they keep thieves from stealing their possessions?”
“Anti-theft spells,” Master Jay said. “And we will go over them later in the week.”
He scowled as the carriage drove homewards. Bella should have been recognisable as a magician – Dana certainly had been – and it was rare for anyone to dare to steal from a magician, even an apprentice. Had the thief believed that the magicians would not dare use magic to stop him ... or was something more sinister involved? The Court had questioned him intensely, using spells that had ground any trace of deceit out of his mind. He’d certainly seemed to believe the former ...
... And yet it bothered Jay. The thief had taken an insane chance ... and wound up a helpless slave. Had someone deliberately prompted him or was he just being paranoid? And, if the former, what did the person behind him know?
There was no way to know.
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davidbrennan
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Re: The Wizard's Apprentice
Chapter Eight
Bella couldn't help a thrill of excitement as Clover opened the door to allow Dana to enter the house. She’d been looking forward to her friend’s visit ever since Dana had contacted them to explain that Mistress Toadstool had agreed she could go, but she’d worried that something would come up to force them to change the date – or even cancel it altogether. She was surprised that Master Jay hadn’t cancelled it when he’d discovered that he had to go out later in the evening.
“I suppose you can wake up later tomorrow,” he’d groused, with a show of reluctance. “But make sure that Mistress Toadstool isn't expecting Dana back early tomorrow.”
She gave Dana a hug and invited her into the living room, where Clover had put a small meal on the table. Master Jay looked at the two girls for a long moment, then donned his hat and left the house, leaving them alone with the maid. Clover retreated two minutes later, leaving them completely alone. Bella pointed to one of the chairs and sat down on the other herself.
“Thank you for coming,” she said, and meant it. Master Jay was her tutor and Clover was the maid; there were things she couldn't really share with either of them. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”
“Me too,” Dana admitted. “Mistress Toadstool kept me busy right up to the hour I had to dress.”
She smoothed her skirt. It was short enough to show a generous amount of leg, while her top was tight enough to reveal the shape of her breasts. Bella felt oddly overdressed compared to her friend, although she was wearing something more revealing than the standard robes or working clothes she wore when she was with Master Jay. There were times when she wondered if he enjoyed looking at her. He was a guy, wasn't he?
“So did Master Jay,” she agreed. “They do make us work hard, don’t they?”
Dana giggled as she took a piece of chicken. “They say it’s for our own good,” she said. “I think they also want assistants who actually know what they are doing.”
Bella couldn't disagree. Master Jay had allowed her to watch him working a couple of times, but most of what he’d done had been so far above her head that she’d had to leave before it convinced her that she was hopeless. The only field where she felt that she might be able to keep up was potions, which her father had taught her since she was old enough to stand upright and hold a ladle in one hand.
“I’ve never seen any of his former apprentices,” she admitted.
“He doesn't have any,” Dana informed her. “Mistress Toadstool has had a dozen apprentices since she qualified, but Master Jay has had none. You’re the first.”
Bella blinked in surprise. She knew that Master Jay was young – barely twenty-seven, according to Clover – but she’d never realised that she was his first apprentice. It took four years to produce a fully-trained magician, yet that would have allowed him to take on at least one other apprentice before her, assuming that he or she stayed the full four years. But then, Master Jay had said little about his past.
“I never knew that,” she admitted. “How much do you know about Master Jay?”
Dana frowned, then smiled. “He’s a combat magician who works directly for the Court,” she said, simply. “His job is enforcing the rules the Court can actually agree upon ... which isn't really that many. I don't know why he took you on as an apprentice. It might restrict your future career, according to Mistress Toadstool.”
Bella frowned. “Why?”
“Because you won’t have made the connections that other apprentices make as a matter of course,” Dana said. She scowled. “Why did he take you on anyway?”
“I don't know,” Bella admitted. She hesitated, then the entire story came pouring out. “I don’t even know what happened to my mother!”
Dana considered it, thoughtfully. “It could easily have been a magical accident,” she said, after a long moment. “She might have been trying a new and complex spell and it exploded in her face.”
“But my father refuses to talk about her,” Bella said, softly. “Why would he keep that from me?”
“It could be that she was in a feud with another witch,” Dana said, carefully. “They’ve been known to go badly wrong ...”
Bella scowled. “A feud?”
“Magicians often have rivals,” Dana said. “Sometimes a friendly enemy, sometimes a real enemy who wants you dead. If your mother was challenged to a duel, she would have had no choice but to accept. Your father might have concealed this from you to ensure that you didn't set out to take revenge.”
“I’m a young girl,” Bella protested.
“You won’t always be a young girl,” Dana reminded her. “All you need to fight is power and discipline and you already have the power. You might go find the person who killed your mother and then challenge her yourself.”
It sounded convincing, Bella had to admit. She did know that her father was a puny wizard, certainly when compared to Master Jay or even his daughter. He wouldn't have challenged the witch who had killed his wife, knowing that he would almost certainly lose. Instead, he’d taken his daughter and raised her well away from the city – and the Court. But why would Master Jay refuse to tell her anything about it?
“He might have promised your father that he’d keep his mouth shut,” Dana said. “Or maybe he thinks you don’t need to know just yet.”
Bella scowled, looking down at her hands. “How do we find out?”
Dana considered it. “You can't get into the library without your master,” she said, “and he would certainly want to know what you wanted to research. On the other hand ... does he have records of his own?”
Bella grinned. “His study,” she said. “We could see what he has inside!”
The thought sent her to her feet, driving away common sense – and the memory of the warnings he’d given her. “Come on,” she said. “We’ll see what we can find in his study.”
Dana hesitated. “Are you sure ...?”
“My father must have written to him in the past,” Bella said, refusing to let go of the idea. “I bet that they would have been kept in the study. If we can find them, we might learn what is going on without forcing Master Jay to break his oath.”
She pulled Dana to her feet, then led the way out of the living room to Master Jay’s study. Unsurprisingly, it was closed, a heavy wooden door barring their way. It wasn’t the lock that was complex – there were no shortage of unlocking spells – but the spells crawling over the wood, barring their path. Bella knew that she couldn't have unlocked them on her own, yet with Dana’s help it might just be possible.
“Complex,” Dana observed. Whatever doubts she’d had seemed to have been brushed aside. “You start work on this side, I’ll start work on that side.”
Bella nodded and started casting counter-spells. She’d seen Master Jay unlock the room within seconds, but he knew precisely how the spells went together ... and was infinitively more practiced that both of them put together. The spells hissed and snapped as she tried to counter them, almost pushing her back before Dana’s attack undid the underlying framework holding the spells together. There was a sudden inrush of magic and they snapped out of existence. The door clicked open a moment later.
“We made it,” Dana said, in some surprise.
Bella smiled. Master Jay had praised her spellwork, but he'd warned her that she had a long way to go before she could hope to match him. Yet she’d managed to break the spells holding his study closed ... smiling, she stepped inside and looked around. There were other spells on the bookshelves, on the desk, on the filing cabinets ... they might have broken inside, but they were a long way from done.
“Impressive,” Dana said. “I’ve never seen Mistress Toadstool’s study. Do you think it’s like this one?”
“It could be,” Bella said, absently. She wasn't sure where to start. The filing cabinets would probably hold letters from her father, but the bookshelves were singing a siren song to tempt her onwards. If she could read some of the books Master Jay had deemed unsuitable for her ... she caught herself stepping towards the books without quite noticing. “Or maybe there’s something else involved ...”
The sound of someone clearing their throat made both girls jump. “Young mistress,” Clover said, from where she was standing in the doorway, “you really should not be in here.”
Bella hesitated as the reality of what they were doing crashed down on her. They’d broken into Master Jay’s study ... and they couldn't hope to rebuild the spells in time to prevent him from noticing what they’d done. Her ass was going to pay, she knew, as was the rest of her ... Master Jay might be so angry that he’d simply send her back home, or have her put in the stocks like a common criminal.
Dana lifted a hand. There was a flash of magic. Where Clover had been there was now a pile of clothes and a cat, looking up at them with bemused eyes. Bella gulped. She knew that Master Jay had disciplined Clover physically, once or twice, but she had no way of knowing if the maid had ever been transfigured into an animal. It was quite possible that Master Jay had experimented on her, even though he’d forbidden Bella to cast any spells on the maid ...
She clutched her bottom, reflexively. They were dead.
“Well, we've come this far,” Dana said, when she saw Bella’s shocked expression. “We can always wipe her mind afterwards.”
Bella cringed as the cat made an outraged sound. Clover’s human mind hadn't been overwritten by the cat; she could hear and understand every word they said. And if turning the maid into a cat was bad, what was wiping the maid’s memory? Master Jay hadn’t said much about mental manipulation spells, but he had warned her that they tended to have unexpected side effects.
But Dana was right. They might as well see what they could find, now that they were thoroughly compromised. She reached up to the bookshelves and touched a book ... and realised, too late, that she’d triggered a ward. Magic flared around her and she found herself unable to move ... no, it was worse than that. She simply couldn't summon the energy to move at all, or to do anything other than standing there and waiting for Master Jay to come home and release her. Dana moved into her field of vision and touched her, then her hand dropped away as the spell caught her too. They were trapped. All they could do was wait.
She would have cried, if she could. But the spell wouldn't even allow her to do that.
***
Jay was not in a good mood when he returned home. A husband and wife had had a nasty argument, which had ended when they’d thrown spells at each other. No doubt a psychologist would have had fun arguing over why the husband had turned his wife into a shrew, or the wife had turned her husband into a pair of panties, but Jay couldn't be bothered thinking about it. All he had had to do was undo the spells, remind them of the dangers of messing around with uncontrolled transformation spells and threaten them with arrest if they did it again. At least there had been no danger of accidentally triggering a war this time.
He knew something was wrong the moment he touched the doorknob. The wards had twitched, registering that someone unregistered with the wards had used magic inside the house. It had to be Dana, Jay knew, which wasn't such a problem ... apart from the fact the wards insisted that the spell had been cast inside his study. Had Dana been forced to serve her mistress as a spy ... or had she simply been replaced by someone else? Neither Bella nor Jay knew her well enough to be sure of spotting an imposter.
Drawing his wand, he opened the door and stepped inside. A cat ran out of the corridor and skidded to a halt in front of him, looking up beseechingly. Jay cursed out loud as he recognised the spell keeping someone trapped as an animal and performed the counter-spell, keeping his wand at the ready. There was a flash of light and a naked Clover appeared in front of him on hands and knees.
“Master,” she said, as she gasped for breath. Being an animal, even for a short while, could be traumatic. “They broke into your study.”
Jay felt a hot flash of rage that threatened to overcome the years of training he'd undergone to learn how to control his sorcery. They’d broken into his study? How dare they violate his private space? If she thought that being spanked with a hairbrush was bad, she was about to discover that it could be much worse. He helped Clover to her feet and motioned for her to go back to her bedroom and get dressed, then walked along the corridor towards his study, pausing just outside the door. The girls had managed to undo the spells that should have kept the door firmly shut.
Impressive, part of his mind thought. It was impressive. If it hadn't been aimed at him, he would have told them so openly. As it was, he couldn't wait to get his hands on them. He peered through the door and smiled. As good as they were, the girls hadn't managed to evade the more sophisticated wards protecting his books. They were both standing there, utterly mesmerised. He could tell them both to jump off a cliff and they would do it without the slightest hesitation.
He gritted his teeth. If this had been Bella’s idea, she was going to be severely punished ... but Dana’s involvement had to be taken into account. Had she been pushed into spying on him? It was rare for one magician to stay overnight in another’s house; Mistress Toadstool might have ordered her apprentice to take advantage of the opportunity to do some spying.
“Bella,” he ordered. “Come here.”
Bella turned and marched towards him robotically. Her normally lively eyes were dead and cold, her thoughts held firmly in bondage by the spell. He asked her a handful of questions and realised, to his annoyance, that she hadn't been manipulated, at least not overtly. She merely wanted answers about her mother ... he cursed Furan, once again, and made a mental note to send the man another letter. His daughter was likely to do something even more stupid if she didn't get answers soon.
“Release,” he ordered. Bella staggered as the spell let go of her. “Do you have any idea how stupid you’ve been?”
Bella flinched at his tone. “I ...”
“Breaking into my study would be grounds for killing you,” Jay snapped. “If you did it to another magician, he might well kill you. Or enslave you. Or sacrifice you for power. And for what?”
He ignored her stammering as he hauled her over to the chair. Instead of sitting down, he put one foot on the chair and threw her over his thigh so that she was suspended above the ground. It was an extremely uncomfortable position, but he didn't care about her comfort. He flipped back her skirt, then tore her panties away from her bottom. In this position, there was no way she could preserve her modesty. He feasted his eyes upon her vagina and anus, realising to his surprise that she had removed all of her pubic hair. When had she done that?
“This is just the beginning,” he snarled, as she began to kick. He brought his hand hard down on her bottom, moving from side to side rapidly. Bella yelped, then started to cry, both through the pain and the humiliation of being so completely exposed. “You are in for a very long and painful punishment tomorrow, you silly girl.”
She shifted forward, almost sliding off his thigh. Jay moved his attention to the back of her legs and smacked them hard, several times, then allowed her to slip off completely. Her torn panties fell to the ground and lay there as she cried.
“Go to bed,” he ordered, sharply. “I’ll talk to your friend, then her mistress.”
He watched Bella’s red ass as she walked through the door and headed upstairs, then turned his attention to Dana. A quick check revealed that the spell held her as firmly as it had held Bella, but he cast a second spell before he released her, just in case. She definitely seemed to be Dana ...
“I have some questions for you,” he asked the dark-skinned girl. “And if you don’t answer, you may never leave this house alive.”
***
Bella could barely keep herself from crying as she lay on the bed. Her bottom ached, as did the back of her legs, but the real humiliation had come when she had been exposed. How could she have been so stupid? She closed her legs, despite the pain, and prayed silently that Dana would be alright. Did Master Jay have the right to spank Dana? She didn't know ..
A moment later, her friend entered, rubbing her bottom. “He says to sleep,” Dana said. She sounded much more subdued than normal. Her buttocks, when Bella caught sight of them, seemed to have turned a pallid white colour. “And tomorrow is going to be very bad.”
Bella didn't doubt it for a second.
Bella couldn't help a thrill of excitement as Clover opened the door to allow Dana to enter the house. She’d been looking forward to her friend’s visit ever since Dana had contacted them to explain that Mistress Toadstool had agreed she could go, but she’d worried that something would come up to force them to change the date – or even cancel it altogether. She was surprised that Master Jay hadn’t cancelled it when he’d discovered that he had to go out later in the evening.
“I suppose you can wake up later tomorrow,” he’d groused, with a show of reluctance. “But make sure that Mistress Toadstool isn't expecting Dana back early tomorrow.”
She gave Dana a hug and invited her into the living room, where Clover had put a small meal on the table. Master Jay looked at the two girls for a long moment, then donned his hat and left the house, leaving them alone with the maid. Clover retreated two minutes later, leaving them completely alone. Bella pointed to one of the chairs and sat down on the other herself.
“Thank you for coming,” she said, and meant it. Master Jay was her tutor and Clover was the maid; there were things she couldn't really share with either of them. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”
“Me too,” Dana admitted. “Mistress Toadstool kept me busy right up to the hour I had to dress.”
She smoothed her skirt. It was short enough to show a generous amount of leg, while her top was tight enough to reveal the shape of her breasts. Bella felt oddly overdressed compared to her friend, although she was wearing something more revealing than the standard robes or working clothes she wore when she was with Master Jay. There were times when she wondered if he enjoyed looking at her. He was a guy, wasn't he?
“So did Master Jay,” she agreed. “They do make us work hard, don’t they?”
Dana giggled as she took a piece of chicken. “They say it’s for our own good,” she said. “I think they also want assistants who actually know what they are doing.”
Bella couldn't disagree. Master Jay had allowed her to watch him working a couple of times, but most of what he’d done had been so far above her head that she’d had to leave before it convinced her that she was hopeless. The only field where she felt that she might be able to keep up was potions, which her father had taught her since she was old enough to stand upright and hold a ladle in one hand.
“I’ve never seen any of his former apprentices,” she admitted.
“He doesn't have any,” Dana informed her. “Mistress Toadstool has had a dozen apprentices since she qualified, but Master Jay has had none. You’re the first.”
Bella blinked in surprise. She knew that Master Jay was young – barely twenty-seven, according to Clover – but she’d never realised that she was his first apprentice. It took four years to produce a fully-trained magician, yet that would have allowed him to take on at least one other apprentice before her, assuming that he or she stayed the full four years. But then, Master Jay had said little about his past.
“I never knew that,” she admitted. “How much do you know about Master Jay?”
Dana frowned, then smiled. “He’s a combat magician who works directly for the Court,” she said, simply. “His job is enforcing the rules the Court can actually agree upon ... which isn't really that many. I don't know why he took you on as an apprentice. It might restrict your future career, according to Mistress Toadstool.”
Bella frowned. “Why?”
“Because you won’t have made the connections that other apprentices make as a matter of course,” Dana said. She scowled. “Why did he take you on anyway?”
“I don't know,” Bella admitted. She hesitated, then the entire story came pouring out. “I don’t even know what happened to my mother!”
Dana considered it, thoughtfully. “It could easily have been a magical accident,” she said, after a long moment. “She might have been trying a new and complex spell and it exploded in her face.”
“But my father refuses to talk about her,” Bella said, softly. “Why would he keep that from me?”
“It could be that she was in a feud with another witch,” Dana said, carefully. “They’ve been known to go badly wrong ...”
Bella scowled. “A feud?”
“Magicians often have rivals,” Dana said. “Sometimes a friendly enemy, sometimes a real enemy who wants you dead. If your mother was challenged to a duel, she would have had no choice but to accept. Your father might have concealed this from you to ensure that you didn't set out to take revenge.”
“I’m a young girl,” Bella protested.
“You won’t always be a young girl,” Dana reminded her. “All you need to fight is power and discipline and you already have the power. You might go find the person who killed your mother and then challenge her yourself.”
It sounded convincing, Bella had to admit. She did know that her father was a puny wizard, certainly when compared to Master Jay or even his daughter. He wouldn't have challenged the witch who had killed his wife, knowing that he would almost certainly lose. Instead, he’d taken his daughter and raised her well away from the city – and the Court. But why would Master Jay refuse to tell her anything about it?
“He might have promised your father that he’d keep his mouth shut,” Dana said. “Or maybe he thinks you don’t need to know just yet.”
Bella scowled, looking down at her hands. “How do we find out?”
Dana considered it. “You can't get into the library without your master,” she said, “and he would certainly want to know what you wanted to research. On the other hand ... does he have records of his own?”
Bella grinned. “His study,” she said. “We could see what he has inside!”
The thought sent her to her feet, driving away common sense – and the memory of the warnings he’d given her. “Come on,” she said. “We’ll see what we can find in his study.”
Dana hesitated. “Are you sure ...?”
“My father must have written to him in the past,” Bella said, refusing to let go of the idea. “I bet that they would have been kept in the study. If we can find them, we might learn what is going on without forcing Master Jay to break his oath.”
She pulled Dana to her feet, then led the way out of the living room to Master Jay’s study. Unsurprisingly, it was closed, a heavy wooden door barring their way. It wasn’t the lock that was complex – there were no shortage of unlocking spells – but the spells crawling over the wood, barring their path. Bella knew that she couldn't have unlocked them on her own, yet with Dana’s help it might just be possible.
“Complex,” Dana observed. Whatever doubts she’d had seemed to have been brushed aside. “You start work on this side, I’ll start work on that side.”
Bella nodded and started casting counter-spells. She’d seen Master Jay unlock the room within seconds, but he knew precisely how the spells went together ... and was infinitively more practiced that both of them put together. The spells hissed and snapped as she tried to counter them, almost pushing her back before Dana’s attack undid the underlying framework holding the spells together. There was a sudden inrush of magic and they snapped out of existence. The door clicked open a moment later.
“We made it,” Dana said, in some surprise.
Bella smiled. Master Jay had praised her spellwork, but he'd warned her that she had a long way to go before she could hope to match him. Yet she’d managed to break the spells holding his study closed ... smiling, she stepped inside and looked around. There were other spells on the bookshelves, on the desk, on the filing cabinets ... they might have broken inside, but they were a long way from done.
“Impressive,” Dana said. “I’ve never seen Mistress Toadstool’s study. Do you think it’s like this one?”
“It could be,” Bella said, absently. She wasn't sure where to start. The filing cabinets would probably hold letters from her father, but the bookshelves were singing a siren song to tempt her onwards. If she could read some of the books Master Jay had deemed unsuitable for her ... she caught herself stepping towards the books without quite noticing. “Or maybe there’s something else involved ...”
The sound of someone clearing their throat made both girls jump. “Young mistress,” Clover said, from where she was standing in the doorway, “you really should not be in here.”
Bella hesitated as the reality of what they were doing crashed down on her. They’d broken into Master Jay’s study ... and they couldn't hope to rebuild the spells in time to prevent him from noticing what they’d done. Her ass was going to pay, she knew, as was the rest of her ... Master Jay might be so angry that he’d simply send her back home, or have her put in the stocks like a common criminal.
Dana lifted a hand. There was a flash of magic. Where Clover had been there was now a pile of clothes and a cat, looking up at them with bemused eyes. Bella gulped. She knew that Master Jay had disciplined Clover physically, once or twice, but she had no way of knowing if the maid had ever been transfigured into an animal. It was quite possible that Master Jay had experimented on her, even though he’d forbidden Bella to cast any spells on the maid ...
She clutched her bottom, reflexively. They were dead.
“Well, we've come this far,” Dana said, when she saw Bella’s shocked expression. “We can always wipe her mind afterwards.”
Bella cringed as the cat made an outraged sound. Clover’s human mind hadn't been overwritten by the cat; she could hear and understand every word they said. And if turning the maid into a cat was bad, what was wiping the maid’s memory? Master Jay hadn’t said much about mental manipulation spells, but he had warned her that they tended to have unexpected side effects.
But Dana was right. They might as well see what they could find, now that they were thoroughly compromised. She reached up to the bookshelves and touched a book ... and realised, too late, that she’d triggered a ward. Magic flared around her and she found herself unable to move ... no, it was worse than that. She simply couldn't summon the energy to move at all, or to do anything other than standing there and waiting for Master Jay to come home and release her. Dana moved into her field of vision and touched her, then her hand dropped away as the spell caught her too. They were trapped. All they could do was wait.
She would have cried, if she could. But the spell wouldn't even allow her to do that.
***
Jay was not in a good mood when he returned home. A husband and wife had had a nasty argument, which had ended when they’d thrown spells at each other. No doubt a psychologist would have had fun arguing over why the husband had turned his wife into a shrew, or the wife had turned her husband into a pair of panties, but Jay couldn't be bothered thinking about it. All he had had to do was undo the spells, remind them of the dangers of messing around with uncontrolled transformation spells and threaten them with arrest if they did it again. At least there had been no danger of accidentally triggering a war this time.
He knew something was wrong the moment he touched the doorknob. The wards had twitched, registering that someone unregistered with the wards had used magic inside the house. It had to be Dana, Jay knew, which wasn't such a problem ... apart from the fact the wards insisted that the spell had been cast inside his study. Had Dana been forced to serve her mistress as a spy ... or had she simply been replaced by someone else? Neither Bella nor Jay knew her well enough to be sure of spotting an imposter.
Drawing his wand, he opened the door and stepped inside. A cat ran out of the corridor and skidded to a halt in front of him, looking up beseechingly. Jay cursed out loud as he recognised the spell keeping someone trapped as an animal and performed the counter-spell, keeping his wand at the ready. There was a flash of light and a naked Clover appeared in front of him on hands and knees.
“Master,” she said, as she gasped for breath. Being an animal, even for a short while, could be traumatic. “They broke into your study.”
Jay felt a hot flash of rage that threatened to overcome the years of training he'd undergone to learn how to control his sorcery. They’d broken into his study? How dare they violate his private space? If she thought that being spanked with a hairbrush was bad, she was about to discover that it could be much worse. He helped Clover to her feet and motioned for her to go back to her bedroom and get dressed, then walked along the corridor towards his study, pausing just outside the door. The girls had managed to undo the spells that should have kept the door firmly shut.
Impressive, part of his mind thought. It was impressive. If it hadn't been aimed at him, he would have told them so openly. As it was, he couldn't wait to get his hands on them. He peered through the door and smiled. As good as they were, the girls hadn't managed to evade the more sophisticated wards protecting his books. They were both standing there, utterly mesmerised. He could tell them both to jump off a cliff and they would do it without the slightest hesitation.
He gritted his teeth. If this had been Bella’s idea, she was going to be severely punished ... but Dana’s involvement had to be taken into account. Had she been pushed into spying on him? It was rare for one magician to stay overnight in another’s house; Mistress Toadstool might have ordered her apprentice to take advantage of the opportunity to do some spying.
“Bella,” he ordered. “Come here.”
Bella turned and marched towards him robotically. Her normally lively eyes were dead and cold, her thoughts held firmly in bondage by the spell. He asked her a handful of questions and realised, to his annoyance, that she hadn't been manipulated, at least not overtly. She merely wanted answers about her mother ... he cursed Furan, once again, and made a mental note to send the man another letter. His daughter was likely to do something even more stupid if she didn't get answers soon.
“Release,” he ordered. Bella staggered as the spell let go of her. “Do you have any idea how stupid you’ve been?”
Bella flinched at his tone. “I ...”
“Breaking into my study would be grounds for killing you,” Jay snapped. “If you did it to another magician, he might well kill you. Or enslave you. Or sacrifice you for power. And for what?”
He ignored her stammering as he hauled her over to the chair. Instead of sitting down, he put one foot on the chair and threw her over his thigh so that she was suspended above the ground. It was an extremely uncomfortable position, but he didn't care about her comfort. He flipped back her skirt, then tore her panties away from her bottom. In this position, there was no way she could preserve her modesty. He feasted his eyes upon her vagina and anus, realising to his surprise that she had removed all of her pubic hair. When had she done that?
“This is just the beginning,” he snarled, as she began to kick. He brought his hand hard down on her bottom, moving from side to side rapidly. Bella yelped, then started to cry, both through the pain and the humiliation of being so completely exposed. “You are in for a very long and painful punishment tomorrow, you silly girl.”
She shifted forward, almost sliding off his thigh. Jay moved his attention to the back of her legs and smacked them hard, several times, then allowed her to slip off completely. Her torn panties fell to the ground and lay there as she cried.
“Go to bed,” he ordered, sharply. “I’ll talk to your friend, then her mistress.”
He watched Bella’s red ass as she walked through the door and headed upstairs, then turned his attention to Dana. A quick check revealed that the spell held her as firmly as it had held Bella, but he cast a second spell before he released her, just in case. She definitely seemed to be Dana ...
“I have some questions for you,” he asked the dark-skinned girl. “And if you don’t answer, you may never leave this house alive.”
***
Bella could barely keep herself from crying as she lay on the bed. Her bottom ached, as did the back of her legs, but the real humiliation had come when she had been exposed. How could she have been so stupid? She closed her legs, despite the pain, and prayed silently that Dana would be alright. Did Master Jay have the right to spank Dana? She didn't know ..
A moment later, her friend entered, rubbing her bottom. “He says to sleep,” Dana said. She sounded much more subdued than normal. Her buttocks, when Bella caught sight of them, seemed to have turned a pallid white colour. “And tomorrow is going to be very bad.”
Bella didn't doubt it for a second.
Re: The Wizard's Apprentice
I don't think anyone would want to trade places with the girls the following day... This series is excellent.
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davidbrennan
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Re: The Wizard's Apprentice
Thank you!
Chapter Nine
“Wake up,” a voice said. It took Bella a moment to realise that it was Clover. “You need to wake up now.”
Bella flinched as memory came crashing back into her mind. Last night, they'd broken into Master Jay’s study and he’d been mad at them. He’d spanked her – and spanked Dana – and promised that the punishment wasn't over. How could she have been so stupid? She sat upright and saw her friend, grim apprehension in her eyes. God knew what they were about to face, but she doubted that it would be pleasant.
“Better put on something solid,” Dana muttered, as she reached for her bag. Inside, there was a set of tough working trousers and a spare pair of panties. “Maybe a few more pairs of panties too.”
“I shouldn't worry about that,” Clover said, sweetly. “You won’t be wearing anything for much longer.”
Bella scowled at her, but she suspected that Clover was right. It didn't stop her donning a pair of trousers herself, along with a white shirt that she didn't mind getting damaged. Maybe it would delay proceedings for a few more seconds. Once she was dressed, she led the way downstairs and frowned in surprise as Clover pointed into the sitting room. Master Jay was standing there, his face unreadable. The dark circles around his eyes suggested that he’d had very little sleep.
“Stop,” he ordered, in a tone that refused to brook disobedience. “Do you know precisely how stupid you were last night?”
Bella cringed as he ran through the entire lecture, ending with the warning that many other wizards would not hesitate to trap or enslave them permanently, if they were lucky. They could have been legally killed for breaking into a magician’s study; it wouldn't even have set off a blood-feud. Or they might have wound up statues forever ... the list of possible fates was limited only by the magician’s imagination.
“I have spoken with your mistress,” Master Jay said, addressing Dana. Bella felt her friend shiver against her body. “She has agreed that I may punish you along with my apprentice. I feel that both of you were to blame for this disaster and I do not feel it right that you should be punished separately. Do you understand me.”
Dana nodded, hastily.
Master Jay stepped backwards. “Face each other,” he ordered. Bella and Dana exchanged glances, then complied. Master Jay nodded and issued the next set of orders. “Take hands, then bend over.”
Bella could feel Dana’s shaking as they joined hands and bent over, thrusting out their bottoms. She caught sight of Clover, watching with an odd expression on her face, but she couldn't see Master Jay. He was right behind her ... there was a swishing noise, followed by something striking her covered buttocks. The pain hit her a second later and she screamed, convinced that he’d touched her with a red-hot poker. She let go of Dana and straightened upright, clutching her bottom ...
“Bend over,” Master Jay ordered, coldly. “Now ...”
Shaking, Bella obeyed as Master Jay paced around to stand behind Dana. She glanced up and saw that he was holding a long thin cane in his hand, right above Dana ... the swishing noise came again and Dana jerked, gasping in pain. Somehow, she seemed to be better at taking it than Bella ... had Mistress Toadstool caned her once or twice? Or even more? She had agreed very quickly to be punished by Master Jay.
Master Jay paced around until he was standing behind Bella again. Bella braced herself, but she was still unprepared for the second stroke. It was, if anything, worse than the first. She would have gratefully have submitted to a bare bottom spanking, even with the hairbrush, than the cane. Tears dripped from her eyes as Dana jerked, followed by a third stroke of the cane against Bella’s buttocks. The pain was so agonising that she wasn't even sure she could stand up again.
“Pull down your trousers,” Master Jay ordered.
Bella stared at him in disbelief. Surely he couldn't want them to bare their bottoms for the cane ... a moment later, he struck the back of her legs, convincing her to stand upright despite the pain and fumble with the catch on her trousers. It hurt pushing her trousers down to her knees and she barely managed to avoid pulling down her panties as well. In front of her, Dana did the same; Bella caught a glimpse of multiple cuts on her legs before her friend bent over again. What the hell was happening to her?
There was another swish – and her bottom seemed to explode with pain. It was all she could do to keep control of herself; her entire body was shaking as Master Jay walked behind Dana and struck her again, then back to Bella. The pain was so dreadful that she barely noticed when he bared her bottom and struck her one final time, then did the same to Dana.
“Stand up,” Master Jay ordered. Bella stood up and automatically reached for her trousers and panties. “No, take them off completely.”
Bella scowled, but obeyed. Her bottom was burning; she couldn't help, but wonder if Master Jay had cursed the cane to make it hurt worse. Dana turned slightly, exposing a set of purple lines covering her dark buttocks, the last three very clear. Bella wondered what her pale bottom looked like, but there was no time to check. Master Jay was already pointing to the corner. Carefully, feeling her buttocks aching worse as she staggered forward, she stepped into the corner and stopped.
“Hands on your head,” Master Jay ordered. “And stay there.”
Bella heard him sitting down and scowled. She didn't dare touch her buttocks or anything else where he was there, watching them. It was all she could do to glance briefly at Dana and send her a reassuring look. Her friend looked as if she was in pain, but had it under control, something that bothered Bella for some reason. Was she used to being beaten regularly?
It seemed like hours before Master Jay cleared his throat. “Get undressed,” he ordered. “Take off everything.”
Bella flushed bright red, but she didn't dare disobey. Her shirt – she hadn't bothered to wear a bra – hit the ground a moment later, leaving her completely naked. She glanced over at Dana and realised that her friend’s breasts were bigger than hers, but not as firm. And there were faint marks on her body ... hundreds of tiny cuts. Her pubic hair had been allowed to grow out until it was an untidy bunch, forbidding entry. If Master Jay noticed, he gave no sign.
Instead, he waved his hand. Bella felt a strange spell fall over her mind.
“You may go back to your Bella’s room to rest for an hour,” he said, firmly. “After that, Clover has a set of tasks for you to perform. You will obey orders; you will have no choice. Once those tasks have been completed, we will consider the matter closed.”
Bella blinked. No choice?
“Go,” Master Jay ordered.
They obeyed, heading up the stairs and back into the bedroom. Bella could barely stand to touch her buttocks as they made their way up the stairs; it hurt so much that she could barely stand it. And there was the mystery spell ... she could feel it working its will on her, no matter how she tried to resist it. What was it doing to her?
She closed the door and opened the wardrobe, looking for the bottle she’d concealed behind a misdirection charm. It wouldn't fool Master Jay, but Clover should have missed the bottle completely when she cleaned up in the room. Thankfully, it was still there; she pulled it out of the wardrobe and motioned for Dana to lie face down on the bed.
“Stay still,” she ordered, as she poured some of the liquid onto her hands. Dana froze. “This won’t take long.”
She rubbed the liquid onto her friend’s bottom and smiled at Dana’s gasp of relief. Making a basic numbing potion wasn't difficult and Master Jay, it seemed, had missed the fact that she’d produced a full bottle of it. He’d probably notice if she numbed her bottom before a spanking, but there was no reason the pain had to last any longer than it took her to get back to her room. Dana signed, her buttocks shaking slightly, as the potion took effect. Up close, her dark skin was still cut and bruised.
“You do me now,” Bella said, lying down on the bed. Dana knelt, took the bottle and squeezed a generous amount onto Bella’s buttocks. The pain slowly faded away to a dull ache that reminded her that it was there. It wouldn't heal any quicker, magic or not, but it would make the next few hours a little more bearable.
“Impressive,” Dana said, as she screwed the lid back on the bottle. “How do you make this?”
Bella blinked in surprise. She had always assumed that Dana knew more about magic than she did. After all, she’d been an apprentice for much longer. “You don’t know how to make potions?”
“Mistress Toadstool says that potions detract from true magic,” Dana said, stiffly. “But I could never learn how to cast a simple numbing charm.”
“My father says that potions are the true embodiment of magic,” Bella countered. She looked down at her friend’s arm. The cuts were even more prominent there. “What happened to your arm?”
Dana’s face twisted with anger. “Go fuck yourself.”
Bella started in shock as she rolled over, her treacherous hands moving of their own will down towards her vagina. She tried to stop them, only to discover that it was impossible. Her fingers started to pry into her vagina, bringing her rapidly to orgasm. Dana stared as Bella twitched, then cried out in delight. The spell, part of her mind realised numbly; Master Jay had intended to ensure that they both obeyed Clover without demure. But he’d ensured that they had to take orders from anyone, even each other.
She came with a cry, then sank backwards, feeling utterly drained. Go fuck yourself, Dana had said, and her body had interpreted it as a command to masturbate, rather than something physically impossible. Bella looked down at her fingers, unsure what to feel. Dana let out a high-pitched laugh and Bella’s temper snapped.
“Go stick your panties up your ass,” she snapped, and watched in horror as Dana tried to do just that. “Stop!”
Dana glared at her as her fingers returned to her control. “Go ...”
“Enough,” Master Jay said. Both girls started and tried to cover themselves. They hadn't even heard him coming into the room. “Go shower, both of you, then present yourself to Clover. Naked.”
They obeyed, helplessly. Clover was waiting for them in the sitting room and wasted no time in issuing a handful of commands, just to point out how helpless they were. Bella winced as Clover examined their bottoms and pronounced herself satisfied, then directed the girls to start cleaning the toilet. Even in a relatively modern magical household – their house in the village hadn't had running water or a proper sewer – it was still an unpleasant job. By the time they were finished, Bella was thoroughly sorry about what they’d done. And about losing her temper with Dana.
“Listen,” she said, and winced as Dana snapped her head around to listen. Of course; she’d worded it as an order. “I don’t want to hurt you, but if there's anything you want to talk about ...”
“My mistress has many uses for one such as me,” Dana said. It was meant to sound dramatic, but the tears welling up in her face told a different story. “I was never given a choice. All of this” – she waved a hand at her buttocks, then around her – “is nothing compared to some of her punishments. Every time I make even a minor mistake ...”
She shook her head. “I’ve been a frog or a slug or a statue for weeks on end,” she added, bitterly. “And I’ve been controlled and enchanted and ... all to teach me to maintain discipline and obey my mistress. Your tutor is so soft!”
Bella winced. Back home – although she was no longer sure that the village was home – there had been a family headed by a drunkard who’d beaten his wife and kids at the slightest provocation. Eventually, they’d been hammered into complete submission, just in time for the husband to stumble into a well one night while coming home from the bar and drowning within its waters. Even after his death, his family had just been shadows of true humans.
“I’m sorry,” she said, softly.
“She told me to make sure we stayed friends,” Dana confessed. “She said that it didn't matter what you wanted me to do, I was to do it. You didn't even need the spell to make me obey.”
Bella reached out and enfolded her friend in a hug. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, softly. “I’ll find a way to get you away from her.”
“You can't,” Dana said. “The only way you could break me free is through convincing her to surrender her ties to me. And she won’t ...”
Bella hesitated, then took the plunge. “Tell me why she keeps cutting you.”
Dana gave her a betrayed look as her mouth opened of its own accord. “I don't know,” she admitted. “Every three or four days, she makes a little cut in my skin and then leaves it to heal naturally. It doesn't even hurt!”
Her gaze hardened as the command wore off. “Pinch yourself,” she ordered. “Hard.”
Bella grunted in pain as her hands obeyed. “I’m sorry,” she said, and meant it. “But why does she cut you if it isn't for punishment?”
“I don't know,” Dana said. “I just don’t know.”
She looked over at Bella. “Tell me something you’re ashamed of,” she ordered. “What would you really not like me to know?”
Bella felt the answer welling up from within her and shuddered. “When I was nine, I accidentally turned my best friend’s older brother into a doll,” she said. No one had teased her in the village, not when her father had been the most powerful man there, but Perrin had been teased quite a bit, particularly by her siblings. “It took me hours to undo the spell, then I had to threaten him to ensure that he kept his silence.”
“Wish I’d done that to my sister,” Dana muttered. “What else are you embarrassed about?”
Bella tried to keep her lips closed, but the command was implacable. “I once spied on a couple in the woods,” she admitted. “It’s a long story.”
She smiled, embarrassed. One of the village girls had been seduced by a trader and Bella had followed them, intending to see what they were doing. The sight had been oddly fascinating and disgusting at the same time, particularly when she’d watched the girl go down on her knees and take the man’s penis in her mouth. It hadn't been until she’d started to date Adam that she’d realised that it wasn't entirely disgusting.
Clover cleared her throat as she entered the toilet. “You appear to have done a good job,” she said, after inspecting their handiwork. “Well done.”
Bella scowled, inwardly. The compulsion had kept pushing them onwards until every last inch of the toilet was thoroughly scrubbed. It wasn't as if they could leave the room; they were lucky that Clover hadn't ordered them to be quiet, which would have kept them from talking. It struck her, too late, that they could simply have ordered each other not to work ... which might not have worked for very long. Master Jay would simply have redesigned the spell to exclude that possibility.
“Last command, then,” Clover ordered. “Go into the dining room and expose yourself to Master Jay.”
Bella wanted to object, but the compulsion pushed her out of the toilet and down the corridor into the dining room. Master Jay looked at her as she entered and she found herself clutching her breasts, pushing them towards him. Beside her, Dana bent over and spread her ass, exposing her vagina and anus. Clearly, they’d had different idea of how to expose themselves.
“I shall have words with you, Clover,” Master Jay said. He scowled at the girls. “Stand up and take your seats.”
Bella obeyed. A moment later, she felt the compulsion spell fade away.
“I trust that you understand,” Master Jay said, “quite what will happen to you if you do anything as stupid as that again?”
Bella nodded. Beside her, Dana nodded too.
“I don’t blame Clover for being mad at you,” Master Jay continued. “I also expect you both to refrain from trying to take any revenge for her ... participation. Being transfigured into something can be disconcerting even if you’re prepared for it, even if you have volunteered for it. You are not trained magicians and you could have hurt her quite badly. And, of course, you violated my privacy.”
Bella looked down at her bare breasts and shivered. He’d had to have felt as exposed as they did, perhaps worse. Nakedness was one thing, but having one’s secrets exposed to the world ... she could understand why he was so angry.
“Dana, you will return to Mistress Toadstool after lunch,” Master Jay said, as Clover brought in the meal. “Bella, you will concentrate on your studies for a week before I let you out of the house again. And I expect” – he made a show of sniffing the air – “that you will use less numbing potion in future.”
Bella flushed, brightly. But at least he hadn't banned her from using it altogether.
She made a mental note to prepare some for Dana. Her friend was likely to need it in the very near future.
Chapter Nine
“Wake up,” a voice said. It took Bella a moment to realise that it was Clover. “You need to wake up now.”
Bella flinched as memory came crashing back into her mind. Last night, they'd broken into Master Jay’s study and he’d been mad at them. He’d spanked her – and spanked Dana – and promised that the punishment wasn't over. How could she have been so stupid? She sat upright and saw her friend, grim apprehension in her eyes. God knew what they were about to face, but she doubted that it would be pleasant.
“Better put on something solid,” Dana muttered, as she reached for her bag. Inside, there was a set of tough working trousers and a spare pair of panties. “Maybe a few more pairs of panties too.”
“I shouldn't worry about that,” Clover said, sweetly. “You won’t be wearing anything for much longer.”
Bella scowled at her, but she suspected that Clover was right. It didn't stop her donning a pair of trousers herself, along with a white shirt that she didn't mind getting damaged. Maybe it would delay proceedings for a few more seconds. Once she was dressed, she led the way downstairs and frowned in surprise as Clover pointed into the sitting room. Master Jay was standing there, his face unreadable. The dark circles around his eyes suggested that he’d had very little sleep.
“Stop,” he ordered, in a tone that refused to brook disobedience. “Do you know precisely how stupid you were last night?”
Bella cringed as he ran through the entire lecture, ending with the warning that many other wizards would not hesitate to trap or enslave them permanently, if they were lucky. They could have been legally killed for breaking into a magician’s study; it wouldn't even have set off a blood-feud. Or they might have wound up statues forever ... the list of possible fates was limited only by the magician’s imagination.
“I have spoken with your mistress,” Master Jay said, addressing Dana. Bella felt her friend shiver against her body. “She has agreed that I may punish you along with my apprentice. I feel that both of you were to blame for this disaster and I do not feel it right that you should be punished separately. Do you understand me.”
Dana nodded, hastily.
Master Jay stepped backwards. “Face each other,” he ordered. Bella and Dana exchanged glances, then complied. Master Jay nodded and issued the next set of orders. “Take hands, then bend over.”
Bella could feel Dana’s shaking as they joined hands and bent over, thrusting out their bottoms. She caught sight of Clover, watching with an odd expression on her face, but she couldn't see Master Jay. He was right behind her ... there was a swishing noise, followed by something striking her covered buttocks. The pain hit her a second later and she screamed, convinced that he’d touched her with a red-hot poker. She let go of Dana and straightened upright, clutching her bottom ...
“Bend over,” Master Jay ordered, coldly. “Now ...”
Shaking, Bella obeyed as Master Jay paced around to stand behind Dana. She glanced up and saw that he was holding a long thin cane in his hand, right above Dana ... the swishing noise came again and Dana jerked, gasping in pain. Somehow, she seemed to be better at taking it than Bella ... had Mistress Toadstool caned her once or twice? Or even more? She had agreed very quickly to be punished by Master Jay.
Master Jay paced around until he was standing behind Bella again. Bella braced herself, but she was still unprepared for the second stroke. It was, if anything, worse than the first. She would have gratefully have submitted to a bare bottom spanking, even with the hairbrush, than the cane. Tears dripped from her eyes as Dana jerked, followed by a third stroke of the cane against Bella’s buttocks. The pain was so agonising that she wasn't even sure she could stand up again.
“Pull down your trousers,” Master Jay ordered.
Bella stared at him in disbelief. Surely he couldn't want them to bare their bottoms for the cane ... a moment later, he struck the back of her legs, convincing her to stand upright despite the pain and fumble with the catch on her trousers. It hurt pushing her trousers down to her knees and she barely managed to avoid pulling down her panties as well. In front of her, Dana did the same; Bella caught a glimpse of multiple cuts on her legs before her friend bent over again. What the hell was happening to her?
There was another swish – and her bottom seemed to explode with pain. It was all she could do to keep control of herself; her entire body was shaking as Master Jay walked behind Dana and struck her again, then back to Bella. The pain was so dreadful that she barely noticed when he bared her bottom and struck her one final time, then did the same to Dana.
“Stand up,” Master Jay ordered. Bella stood up and automatically reached for her trousers and panties. “No, take them off completely.”
Bella scowled, but obeyed. Her bottom was burning; she couldn't help, but wonder if Master Jay had cursed the cane to make it hurt worse. Dana turned slightly, exposing a set of purple lines covering her dark buttocks, the last three very clear. Bella wondered what her pale bottom looked like, but there was no time to check. Master Jay was already pointing to the corner. Carefully, feeling her buttocks aching worse as she staggered forward, she stepped into the corner and stopped.
“Hands on your head,” Master Jay ordered. “And stay there.”
Bella heard him sitting down and scowled. She didn't dare touch her buttocks or anything else where he was there, watching them. It was all she could do to glance briefly at Dana and send her a reassuring look. Her friend looked as if she was in pain, but had it under control, something that bothered Bella for some reason. Was she used to being beaten regularly?
It seemed like hours before Master Jay cleared his throat. “Get undressed,” he ordered. “Take off everything.”
Bella flushed bright red, but she didn't dare disobey. Her shirt – she hadn't bothered to wear a bra – hit the ground a moment later, leaving her completely naked. She glanced over at Dana and realised that her friend’s breasts were bigger than hers, but not as firm. And there were faint marks on her body ... hundreds of tiny cuts. Her pubic hair had been allowed to grow out until it was an untidy bunch, forbidding entry. If Master Jay noticed, he gave no sign.
Instead, he waved his hand. Bella felt a strange spell fall over her mind.
“You may go back to your Bella’s room to rest for an hour,” he said, firmly. “After that, Clover has a set of tasks for you to perform. You will obey orders; you will have no choice. Once those tasks have been completed, we will consider the matter closed.”
Bella blinked. No choice?
“Go,” Master Jay ordered.
They obeyed, heading up the stairs and back into the bedroom. Bella could barely stand to touch her buttocks as they made their way up the stairs; it hurt so much that she could barely stand it. And there was the mystery spell ... she could feel it working its will on her, no matter how she tried to resist it. What was it doing to her?
She closed the door and opened the wardrobe, looking for the bottle she’d concealed behind a misdirection charm. It wouldn't fool Master Jay, but Clover should have missed the bottle completely when she cleaned up in the room. Thankfully, it was still there; she pulled it out of the wardrobe and motioned for Dana to lie face down on the bed.
“Stay still,” she ordered, as she poured some of the liquid onto her hands. Dana froze. “This won’t take long.”
She rubbed the liquid onto her friend’s bottom and smiled at Dana’s gasp of relief. Making a basic numbing potion wasn't difficult and Master Jay, it seemed, had missed the fact that she’d produced a full bottle of it. He’d probably notice if she numbed her bottom before a spanking, but there was no reason the pain had to last any longer than it took her to get back to her room. Dana signed, her buttocks shaking slightly, as the potion took effect. Up close, her dark skin was still cut and bruised.
“You do me now,” Bella said, lying down on the bed. Dana knelt, took the bottle and squeezed a generous amount onto Bella’s buttocks. The pain slowly faded away to a dull ache that reminded her that it was there. It wouldn't heal any quicker, magic or not, but it would make the next few hours a little more bearable.
“Impressive,” Dana said, as she screwed the lid back on the bottle. “How do you make this?”
Bella blinked in surprise. She had always assumed that Dana knew more about magic than she did. After all, she’d been an apprentice for much longer. “You don’t know how to make potions?”
“Mistress Toadstool says that potions detract from true magic,” Dana said, stiffly. “But I could never learn how to cast a simple numbing charm.”
“My father says that potions are the true embodiment of magic,” Bella countered. She looked down at her friend’s arm. The cuts were even more prominent there. “What happened to your arm?”
Dana’s face twisted with anger. “Go fuck yourself.”
Bella started in shock as she rolled over, her treacherous hands moving of their own will down towards her vagina. She tried to stop them, only to discover that it was impossible. Her fingers started to pry into her vagina, bringing her rapidly to orgasm. Dana stared as Bella twitched, then cried out in delight. The spell, part of her mind realised numbly; Master Jay had intended to ensure that they both obeyed Clover without demure. But he’d ensured that they had to take orders from anyone, even each other.
She came with a cry, then sank backwards, feeling utterly drained. Go fuck yourself, Dana had said, and her body had interpreted it as a command to masturbate, rather than something physically impossible. Bella looked down at her fingers, unsure what to feel. Dana let out a high-pitched laugh and Bella’s temper snapped.
“Go stick your panties up your ass,” she snapped, and watched in horror as Dana tried to do just that. “Stop!”
Dana glared at her as her fingers returned to her control. “Go ...”
“Enough,” Master Jay said. Both girls started and tried to cover themselves. They hadn't even heard him coming into the room. “Go shower, both of you, then present yourself to Clover. Naked.”
They obeyed, helplessly. Clover was waiting for them in the sitting room and wasted no time in issuing a handful of commands, just to point out how helpless they were. Bella winced as Clover examined their bottoms and pronounced herself satisfied, then directed the girls to start cleaning the toilet. Even in a relatively modern magical household – their house in the village hadn't had running water or a proper sewer – it was still an unpleasant job. By the time they were finished, Bella was thoroughly sorry about what they’d done. And about losing her temper with Dana.
“Listen,” she said, and winced as Dana snapped her head around to listen. Of course; she’d worded it as an order. “I don’t want to hurt you, but if there's anything you want to talk about ...”
“My mistress has many uses for one such as me,” Dana said. It was meant to sound dramatic, but the tears welling up in her face told a different story. “I was never given a choice. All of this” – she waved a hand at her buttocks, then around her – “is nothing compared to some of her punishments. Every time I make even a minor mistake ...”
She shook her head. “I’ve been a frog or a slug or a statue for weeks on end,” she added, bitterly. “And I’ve been controlled and enchanted and ... all to teach me to maintain discipline and obey my mistress. Your tutor is so soft!”
Bella winced. Back home – although she was no longer sure that the village was home – there had been a family headed by a drunkard who’d beaten his wife and kids at the slightest provocation. Eventually, they’d been hammered into complete submission, just in time for the husband to stumble into a well one night while coming home from the bar and drowning within its waters. Even after his death, his family had just been shadows of true humans.
“I’m sorry,” she said, softly.
“She told me to make sure we stayed friends,” Dana confessed. “She said that it didn't matter what you wanted me to do, I was to do it. You didn't even need the spell to make me obey.”
Bella reached out and enfolded her friend in a hug. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, softly. “I’ll find a way to get you away from her.”
“You can't,” Dana said. “The only way you could break me free is through convincing her to surrender her ties to me. And she won’t ...”
Bella hesitated, then took the plunge. “Tell me why she keeps cutting you.”
Dana gave her a betrayed look as her mouth opened of its own accord. “I don't know,” she admitted. “Every three or four days, she makes a little cut in my skin and then leaves it to heal naturally. It doesn't even hurt!”
Her gaze hardened as the command wore off. “Pinch yourself,” she ordered. “Hard.”
Bella grunted in pain as her hands obeyed. “I’m sorry,” she said, and meant it. “But why does she cut you if it isn't for punishment?”
“I don't know,” Dana said. “I just don’t know.”
She looked over at Bella. “Tell me something you’re ashamed of,” she ordered. “What would you really not like me to know?”
Bella felt the answer welling up from within her and shuddered. “When I was nine, I accidentally turned my best friend’s older brother into a doll,” she said. No one had teased her in the village, not when her father had been the most powerful man there, but Perrin had been teased quite a bit, particularly by her siblings. “It took me hours to undo the spell, then I had to threaten him to ensure that he kept his silence.”
“Wish I’d done that to my sister,” Dana muttered. “What else are you embarrassed about?”
Bella tried to keep her lips closed, but the command was implacable. “I once spied on a couple in the woods,” she admitted. “It’s a long story.”
She smiled, embarrassed. One of the village girls had been seduced by a trader and Bella had followed them, intending to see what they were doing. The sight had been oddly fascinating and disgusting at the same time, particularly when she’d watched the girl go down on her knees and take the man’s penis in her mouth. It hadn't been until she’d started to date Adam that she’d realised that it wasn't entirely disgusting.
Clover cleared her throat as she entered the toilet. “You appear to have done a good job,” she said, after inspecting their handiwork. “Well done.”
Bella scowled, inwardly. The compulsion had kept pushing them onwards until every last inch of the toilet was thoroughly scrubbed. It wasn't as if they could leave the room; they were lucky that Clover hadn't ordered them to be quiet, which would have kept them from talking. It struck her, too late, that they could simply have ordered each other not to work ... which might not have worked for very long. Master Jay would simply have redesigned the spell to exclude that possibility.
“Last command, then,” Clover ordered. “Go into the dining room and expose yourself to Master Jay.”
Bella wanted to object, but the compulsion pushed her out of the toilet and down the corridor into the dining room. Master Jay looked at her as she entered and she found herself clutching her breasts, pushing them towards him. Beside her, Dana bent over and spread her ass, exposing her vagina and anus. Clearly, they’d had different idea of how to expose themselves.
“I shall have words with you, Clover,” Master Jay said. He scowled at the girls. “Stand up and take your seats.”
Bella obeyed. A moment later, she felt the compulsion spell fade away.
“I trust that you understand,” Master Jay said, “quite what will happen to you if you do anything as stupid as that again?”
Bella nodded. Beside her, Dana nodded too.
“I don’t blame Clover for being mad at you,” Master Jay continued. “I also expect you both to refrain from trying to take any revenge for her ... participation. Being transfigured into something can be disconcerting even if you’re prepared for it, even if you have volunteered for it. You are not trained magicians and you could have hurt her quite badly. And, of course, you violated my privacy.”
Bella looked down at her bare breasts and shivered. He’d had to have felt as exposed as they did, perhaps worse. Nakedness was one thing, but having one’s secrets exposed to the world ... she could understand why he was so angry.
“Dana, you will return to Mistress Toadstool after lunch,” Master Jay said, as Clover brought in the meal. “Bella, you will concentrate on your studies for a week before I let you out of the house again. And I expect” – he made a show of sniffing the air – “that you will use less numbing potion in future.”
Bella flushed, brightly. But at least he hadn't banned her from using it altogether.
She made a mental note to prepare some for Dana. Her friend was likely to need it in the very near future.
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davidbrennan
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Re: The Wizard's Apprentice
Chapter Ten
Clover didn't try to hide from him, thankfully. He’d had enough problems for the day. Not that he could blame the maid for wanting a little revenge, but she simply wasn't in a position to take it. Bella might well revenge herself upon Clover at a later date, no matter what Jay said about it, and that could get unpleasant very quickly.
“You shouldn't have done that,” he said, as he stepped into the kitchen. “I allowed you to set their punishment task. That was enough.”
Clover bowed low, then prostrated herself in front of him. “Forgive me, master,” she said, hastily. “I went too far.”
“Indeed you did,” Jay said, rolling his eyes. He wasn't the sort of master who demanded such outwards signs of submission ... even though Clover’s skirt was riding up, giving him a very nice view indeed. If she hadn't been his maid he would have been tempted to try his luck. “Stand up, right now.”
Clover obeyed, keeping her eyes downcast.
“You are not to do that again,” Jay ordered, firmly. He tapped the table and she flinched. “Take off one of your sandals, then bend over.”
The girl gulped, then slowly removed one of her sandals and passed it to him. Jay took it and tested it as she bent over the table, then he reached for her skirt and lifted it up over her back so her bottom was exposed. He pulled down her panties, took aim and swatted her bottom with the sandal. Clover let out a yelp, but remained firmly in place. She was far too well trained to try to escape her punishment. Jay swatted her several more times until ugly red marks covered her buttocks, then dropped the sandal on the floor, signifying the end of the punishment. Clover straightened upright and began rubbing her bottom earnestly. Her flesh seemed to be shaking from the pain.
“Take some time to rest in your room,” Jay said, knowing that most masters would expect the maid to go straight back to work. The worshipful look Clover threw at him almost made him blush. “You can tidy up the food later.”
He watched her go, one hand still rubbing her buttocks, and then turned to walk back to the two girls. Bella and Dana seemed oddly subdued, although Dana seemed to have recovered quickly from the caning – and from the humiliation of being forced to do actual chores while naked. Children with magic rarely did chores – Bella certainly hadn't had to do much in the village – but if someone had come into their magic late ... he shook his head. Dana was Mistress Toadstool’s apprentice and that was all there was to it. If she wanted to make the girl work, she could make the girl work.
The girls finished their dinner, then stood up. Jay kept his eyes away from them, even though he wanted to feast his eyes on their bodies. Dana found her clothes, dressed rapidly and then headed towards the door. Bella donned a simple nightgown – her bottom wouldn't allow her to wear even normal robes – and followed her friend as she prepared to leave the building. Jay was silently relieved that they seemed to be still friends, even if they had gotten into terrible trouble together. A life without many friends suited him, but he could easily see Bella not liking it at all.
She’s a young girl, not a old wizard, he told himself. She needs friends as well as a tutor.
He scowled as the door slammed closed. He’d interrogated Dana thoroughly while she was under the compulsion spell and it was clear that Mistress Toadstool had ordered her to get close to Bella. She hadn't bothered to explain why, which left Jay unable to tell if Mistress Toadstool was playing political games – Bella might speak up in support of her friend’s tutor, if Dana asked – or if she knew the truth behind Bella’s mother. If the latter, Bella might be in some danger.
But Dana doesn't want to harm Bella, he thought. He wasn't entirely sure that proved anything. Dana could easily be manipulated by her mistress. For all he knew, she might have been pushed into serving as a spy without actually being aware of what she was doing ... it might be impossible to lie while under a compulsion spell, but she could easily think she was telling the truth.
Bella came back into the dining room, her eyes as downcast as Clover’s. “Master,” she said, slowly, “I am truly sorry.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Jay muttered. He was still annoyed with her, although now that she had been punished the matter should be closed. “How are you feeling?”
Her hands went to her buttocks. “Sore,” she said. “I ...”
Jay smiled. He’d always hated the cane when his master had applied it ... and old Master Hubble had been a firm believer that sparing the cane spoilt the child. It hurt much worse than the old man’s hand, or even his belt, and left him feeling sore for days afterwards. If Bella didn't have a genuine skill at potions, she would be in far worse pain. He just hoped that Dana didn't suffer for Bella’s ingenuity. Mistress Toadstool might easily decide that what the girls had done was cheating ...
Or she might want to put on a show to convince me that she didn’t manipulate Dana, he thought, and shook his head. Outwitting an experienced political operator was tricky, to say the least.
Bella swallowed. “I didn't mean ... I just wanted to know about my family,” she said. “I just want to know.”
“I suggest that you write to your father,” Jay said, tartly. He understood why she was upset – he even sympathised – but he wasn't about to allow her to raid his study just to find out one of her father’s secrets. “I will be happy to send the message for you.”
“Thank you,” Bella said. She hesitated. “Should I tell him what happened?”
“If you wish,” Jay said. If his father had heard about him doing something so stupid, there would be another whipping in the very near future. Bella’s father might change his stance on corporal punishment and give his daughter an additional lesson. “But I’d suggest that you concentrated on asking about your mother.”
He looked over at her. She hadn't sat down, which meant that the numbing potion was probably wearing off. Too much of it tended to speed up the reactions that used up the magic imbued into the potion. She should probably have known that, which raised the question of why she’d used too much in the first place. He made a mental note to ask her when they were in a calmer state.
“I need to ask you a different question,” Bella said, slowly. “Dana’s body ...”
Jay lifted an eyebrow. She’d been looking at her friend’s body?
“She has cuts everywhere,” Bella said. “Mistress Toadstool cuts her. What does that mean?”
Jay shuddered. He’d noticed a handful of cuts, but he’d tried not to pay too much attention to Dana’s body. As for what it meant ... he hesitated, trying to decide what – if anything – he should tell his apprentice. She really wasn't advanced enough to perform the magic behind them, but she’d already shown that she was willing to do something stupid just to try to find out the answers to her questions. Would Bella be tempted if she found out?
“The human body is a naturally-replenishing source of life force up until the early fifties,” he said, softly. “After the body passes its peak, Bella, the life force no longer replenishes itself and old age starts to sink in. Eventually, the person dies.”
It was a little more complicated than that, but the basic idea was simple enough. “If you happen to be a magician – or even have some degree of magical talent – you can extract life force from someone else and use it to prolong your life,” he continued. “It takes a tiny cut in the donor’s skin, then a simple spell ...”
Bella stared at him. “Mistress Toadstool is draining Dana’s life?”
“Dana is young enough to replenish the lost energy,” Jay said. He could understand her horror. There were far more horrific ways to use such spells than taking a little life force every day. Some of them left the victim nothing more than a husk of dead flesh. “She won’t be in any real danger until she turns fifty.”
Bella swallowed, hard. “That’s ... awful,” she snapped. Her face paled noticeably. “Why don’t you do that to me?”
Jay quirked an eyebrow. “You want me to do it to you?”
“No,” Bella snapped.
“I’m young,” Jay said, dryly. “There is no need to consume your life energy for me to survive. Something capable of injuring me badly – or killing me – will not be stopped by all the life energy in your body. I don’t need to take energy from you.”
“You won’t,” Bella said, with absolute certainty. “I’d fight you ...”
She looked over at him. “Is there nothing we can do?”
Jay blinked. “To do what?”
“To free Dana,” Bella snapped. “She can't stay like that forever!”
“She won't,” Jay assured her. “In two to three years, she will be a qualified magician, able to leave her mistress and go out into the world. She will even be able to take apprentices for herself and teach them however she sees fit.”
He caught his apprentice’s hand and looked up at her. “But Mistress Toadstool has every right to use her apprentice as a source of life energy,” he warned. “There is nothing we can do about it, nothing at all.”
Bella pulled herself free. “I hate her,” she said, tartly. “She deserves death.”
Jay snorted. “Many have said that of me,” he said. “But all the ill-wishing in the world won’t stop her being both magically and politically powerful.”
He looked Bella in the eye. “Go to your room and read,” he ordered, “then get some sleep. I don’t think there’s much point in returning to our studies today, so you can read on your own. We will resume the formal lessons tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir,” Bella said, shortly. She didn't sound happy, but Jay found it hard to blame her, not when she’d discovered what was happening to her friend. “Will you be at dinner?”
“I will,” Jay confirmed. He held up a hand. “One other thing?”
Bella nodded, waiting.
“Clover ... exceeded her orders with her final command to you and Dana,” Jay said. “I have punished her for it. You are to consider the matter closed.”
“Yes, sir,” Bella said, reluctantly. “I won't do anything to her.”
Jay watched her go, shaking his head slightly. The gown she wore was almost translucent in places, revealing the undulation of her hips as she walked out of the room. There were faint marks clearly visible across her buttocks, a sharp reminder of her punishment. Jay hesitated, fighting down the urge to go after her, then headed back towards his study. He had yet another letter to write.
***
Bella had thought that she’d known horror. There had been few secrets in Shady Tree; she'd known about families that fought, husbands that beat their wives, wives that dominated their husbands, bullies ... hundreds of little nightmares that threatened to consume lives. But there had been nothing so horrific as an elderly woman using a young girl as a source of life force, just to keep herself alive. What was the difference, she asked herself, between a vampire and Mistress Toadstool?
A vampire would be hunted down and destroyed, she told herself. Mistress Toadstool is a respected member of society.
She caught sight of Clover down the hallway and hesitated. The maid was bending over a chest, her dress lifting up to reveal the underside of her buttocks ... and ugly red marks. Bella felt an odd moment of satisfaction at seeing the signs that the maid had been punished too, followed by a desire to cast spells that would ensure that Clover never tried to humiliate her again. But then, Dana had turned Clover into a cat. Who could blame her for wanting to get a little of her own back?
Shaking her head, Bella hurried up the stairs, walked into her room and closed the door, then pulled off her gown and inspected her buttocks in the mirror. Nine ugly red lines stood out against her flesh, each one throbbing in pain as the numbing potion finally wore off. Bella gritted her teeth, then lay down on the bed and summoned a pair of books to her. One of them – A Guide to Apprenticeships and Apprentices – had been a gift from Master Jay, although she’d barely looked at it. But she had to look at it now.
The dull ache grew worse as she opened the book, but she refused to allow it to distract her any further. There was a brief blurb about the importance of master-apprentice relationships and one-to-one tutoring, which she flicked through in some irritation, then found the section on an apprentice’s duties to her master or mistress. It was surprisingly detailed. Bella had honestly never realised that Master Jay could command almost anything from her, including access to her body. He could have sex with her!
She'd caught him looking at her, once or twice ... and he'd seen her naked, even forced her to strip naked for her punishment. But he’d never done more than spanking her buttocks ... somehow, she realised that he never would, unless she consented willingly. Master Jay was strict, but fair. She couldn't help wondering if that was true of all masters when they had beautiful young girls as their apprentices. Indeed, if it was legal ...
She pushed that thought aside and looked down at the other list of obligations. Political support ... that was odd; Bella had none to offer and she doubted that Dana, the second daughter of a powerful family, had any either. Magical support ... that made a certain amount of sense. God knew there were potions that could only be brewed properly by two people working in concert. Verbal support ... she scowled as she realised that she was supposed never to speak ill of Master Jay. What would happen, she wondered, if she broke that rule?
Right at the bottom, there was a droll note confirming her worst fears. An apprentice could be obliged to provide their master with life energy, if necessary.
Bella stared down at it for a long moment, then looked at the next section. As Dana had said, an apprenticeship only ended early when the tutor decided to end it – and there were only a handful of acceptable reasons. Direct disobedience, treachery ... even if someone happened to die, allowing the apprentice to inherit, the master could still refuse to release the apprentice from their apprenticeship. Bella hesitated; maybe she could induce Dana to disobey her mistress. But somehow she doubted that Dana’s buttocks would survive the experience.
A thought entered her mind and she smiled, then summoned one of the potions textbooks to her. There were some brews that might be of help, starting with the numbing potion. She had a feeling that Master Jay wouldn't object if she were to brew more of them, although she wasn't planning to tell him. It was easier to gain forgiveness rather than permission.
By the time she had to go down for dinner, she had the basics of a plan worked out. Resisting the temptation to walk down naked, she pulled her gown back on and realised, to her amusement, just how translucent it actually was. She flushed as she realised that she’d shown Master Jay her breasts, then she laughed at herself. He’d seen her completely naked, seen every last secret of her body. The only thing he hadn't done was have sex with her.
She hesitated, considering it. She liked him ... and everyone said that city-folk made good lovers. Adam certainly hadn't; he'd pushed his way inside her, then shot his seed seconds later, leaving Bella feeling oddly disappointed and unsatisfied. Maybe he’d only cheated on her because he’d been unsatisfied too ... somehow, the thought no longer hurt. If Master Jay wanted her ... he was young, handsome, powerful ... what more could she want?
Shaking her head, she walked down to the dining room, trying to put such thoughts out of her mind. If nothing else, her buttocks were still aching from the caning and she suspected that she couldn't even think about sex right now. Clover nodded to her as she entered the dining room, then brought in the first tray of food. She seemed to have recovered from her spanking quicker than Bella had ...
Probably didn't get the cane, Bella thought, feeling a trace of resentment. But then, Clover hadn't tried to spy on her master. All she’d done was take a little revenge. Bella hesitated, then did her best to give the maid a forgiving look. She didn't want to fight with her in future, not when Master Jay had threatened dire punishment. God knew what was worse than the cane; Bella didn't want to find out the hard way.
“Eat up, then get some rest,” Master Jay ordered. His gaze flicked over her once, then looked back at his food. “Tomorrow we will start on more complex spells.”
Bella smiled. Learning the basics had been tricky, but fun. Now, though, they were going to start work on spells that interacted with other spells. It would be hard – the textbooks had made that clear – but it would also be interesting. And she was already coming to grips with her magical well. It was easy to resent her father for not teaching her earlier, or sending her to the Academy ...
She pushed the thought aside. At least she was learning now.
Clover didn't try to hide from him, thankfully. He’d had enough problems for the day. Not that he could blame the maid for wanting a little revenge, but she simply wasn't in a position to take it. Bella might well revenge herself upon Clover at a later date, no matter what Jay said about it, and that could get unpleasant very quickly.
“You shouldn't have done that,” he said, as he stepped into the kitchen. “I allowed you to set their punishment task. That was enough.”
Clover bowed low, then prostrated herself in front of him. “Forgive me, master,” she said, hastily. “I went too far.”
“Indeed you did,” Jay said, rolling his eyes. He wasn't the sort of master who demanded such outwards signs of submission ... even though Clover’s skirt was riding up, giving him a very nice view indeed. If she hadn't been his maid he would have been tempted to try his luck. “Stand up, right now.”
Clover obeyed, keeping her eyes downcast.
“You are not to do that again,” Jay ordered, firmly. He tapped the table and she flinched. “Take off one of your sandals, then bend over.”
The girl gulped, then slowly removed one of her sandals and passed it to him. Jay took it and tested it as she bent over the table, then he reached for her skirt and lifted it up over her back so her bottom was exposed. He pulled down her panties, took aim and swatted her bottom with the sandal. Clover let out a yelp, but remained firmly in place. She was far too well trained to try to escape her punishment. Jay swatted her several more times until ugly red marks covered her buttocks, then dropped the sandal on the floor, signifying the end of the punishment. Clover straightened upright and began rubbing her bottom earnestly. Her flesh seemed to be shaking from the pain.
“Take some time to rest in your room,” Jay said, knowing that most masters would expect the maid to go straight back to work. The worshipful look Clover threw at him almost made him blush. “You can tidy up the food later.”
He watched her go, one hand still rubbing her buttocks, and then turned to walk back to the two girls. Bella and Dana seemed oddly subdued, although Dana seemed to have recovered quickly from the caning – and from the humiliation of being forced to do actual chores while naked. Children with magic rarely did chores – Bella certainly hadn't had to do much in the village – but if someone had come into their magic late ... he shook his head. Dana was Mistress Toadstool’s apprentice and that was all there was to it. If she wanted to make the girl work, she could make the girl work.
The girls finished their dinner, then stood up. Jay kept his eyes away from them, even though he wanted to feast his eyes on their bodies. Dana found her clothes, dressed rapidly and then headed towards the door. Bella donned a simple nightgown – her bottom wouldn't allow her to wear even normal robes – and followed her friend as she prepared to leave the building. Jay was silently relieved that they seemed to be still friends, even if they had gotten into terrible trouble together. A life without many friends suited him, but he could easily see Bella not liking it at all.
She’s a young girl, not a old wizard, he told himself. She needs friends as well as a tutor.
He scowled as the door slammed closed. He’d interrogated Dana thoroughly while she was under the compulsion spell and it was clear that Mistress Toadstool had ordered her to get close to Bella. She hadn't bothered to explain why, which left Jay unable to tell if Mistress Toadstool was playing political games – Bella might speak up in support of her friend’s tutor, if Dana asked – or if she knew the truth behind Bella’s mother. If the latter, Bella might be in some danger.
But Dana doesn't want to harm Bella, he thought. He wasn't entirely sure that proved anything. Dana could easily be manipulated by her mistress. For all he knew, she might have been pushed into serving as a spy without actually being aware of what she was doing ... it might be impossible to lie while under a compulsion spell, but she could easily think she was telling the truth.
Bella came back into the dining room, her eyes as downcast as Clover’s. “Master,” she said, slowly, “I am truly sorry.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Jay muttered. He was still annoyed with her, although now that she had been punished the matter should be closed. “How are you feeling?”
Her hands went to her buttocks. “Sore,” she said. “I ...”
Jay smiled. He’d always hated the cane when his master had applied it ... and old Master Hubble had been a firm believer that sparing the cane spoilt the child. It hurt much worse than the old man’s hand, or even his belt, and left him feeling sore for days afterwards. If Bella didn't have a genuine skill at potions, she would be in far worse pain. He just hoped that Dana didn't suffer for Bella’s ingenuity. Mistress Toadstool might easily decide that what the girls had done was cheating ...
Or she might want to put on a show to convince me that she didn’t manipulate Dana, he thought, and shook his head. Outwitting an experienced political operator was tricky, to say the least.
Bella swallowed. “I didn't mean ... I just wanted to know about my family,” she said. “I just want to know.”
“I suggest that you write to your father,” Jay said, tartly. He understood why she was upset – he even sympathised – but he wasn't about to allow her to raid his study just to find out one of her father’s secrets. “I will be happy to send the message for you.”
“Thank you,” Bella said. She hesitated. “Should I tell him what happened?”
“If you wish,” Jay said. If his father had heard about him doing something so stupid, there would be another whipping in the very near future. Bella’s father might change his stance on corporal punishment and give his daughter an additional lesson. “But I’d suggest that you concentrated on asking about your mother.”
He looked over at her. She hadn't sat down, which meant that the numbing potion was probably wearing off. Too much of it tended to speed up the reactions that used up the magic imbued into the potion. She should probably have known that, which raised the question of why she’d used too much in the first place. He made a mental note to ask her when they were in a calmer state.
“I need to ask you a different question,” Bella said, slowly. “Dana’s body ...”
Jay lifted an eyebrow. She’d been looking at her friend’s body?
“She has cuts everywhere,” Bella said. “Mistress Toadstool cuts her. What does that mean?”
Jay shuddered. He’d noticed a handful of cuts, but he’d tried not to pay too much attention to Dana’s body. As for what it meant ... he hesitated, trying to decide what – if anything – he should tell his apprentice. She really wasn't advanced enough to perform the magic behind them, but she’d already shown that she was willing to do something stupid just to try to find out the answers to her questions. Would Bella be tempted if she found out?
“The human body is a naturally-replenishing source of life force up until the early fifties,” he said, softly. “After the body passes its peak, Bella, the life force no longer replenishes itself and old age starts to sink in. Eventually, the person dies.”
It was a little more complicated than that, but the basic idea was simple enough. “If you happen to be a magician – or even have some degree of magical talent – you can extract life force from someone else and use it to prolong your life,” he continued. “It takes a tiny cut in the donor’s skin, then a simple spell ...”
Bella stared at him. “Mistress Toadstool is draining Dana’s life?”
“Dana is young enough to replenish the lost energy,” Jay said. He could understand her horror. There were far more horrific ways to use such spells than taking a little life force every day. Some of them left the victim nothing more than a husk of dead flesh. “She won’t be in any real danger until she turns fifty.”
Bella swallowed, hard. “That’s ... awful,” she snapped. Her face paled noticeably. “Why don’t you do that to me?”
Jay quirked an eyebrow. “You want me to do it to you?”
“No,” Bella snapped.
“I’m young,” Jay said, dryly. “There is no need to consume your life energy for me to survive. Something capable of injuring me badly – or killing me – will not be stopped by all the life energy in your body. I don’t need to take energy from you.”
“You won’t,” Bella said, with absolute certainty. “I’d fight you ...”
She looked over at him. “Is there nothing we can do?”
Jay blinked. “To do what?”
“To free Dana,” Bella snapped. “She can't stay like that forever!”
“She won't,” Jay assured her. “In two to three years, she will be a qualified magician, able to leave her mistress and go out into the world. She will even be able to take apprentices for herself and teach them however she sees fit.”
He caught his apprentice’s hand and looked up at her. “But Mistress Toadstool has every right to use her apprentice as a source of life energy,” he warned. “There is nothing we can do about it, nothing at all.”
Bella pulled herself free. “I hate her,” she said, tartly. “She deserves death.”
Jay snorted. “Many have said that of me,” he said. “But all the ill-wishing in the world won’t stop her being both magically and politically powerful.”
He looked Bella in the eye. “Go to your room and read,” he ordered, “then get some sleep. I don’t think there’s much point in returning to our studies today, so you can read on your own. We will resume the formal lessons tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir,” Bella said, shortly. She didn't sound happy, but Jay found it hard to blame her, not when she’d discovered what was happening to her friend. “Will you be at dinner?”
“I will,” Jay confirmed. He held up a hand. “One other thing?”
Bella nodded, waiting.
“Clover ... exceeded her orders with her final command to you and Dana,” Jay said. “I have punished her for it. You are to consider the matter closed.”
“Yes, sir,” Bella said, reluctantly. “I won't do anything to her.”
Jay watched her go, shaking his head slightly. The gown she wore was almost translucent in places, revealing the undulation of her hips as she walked out of the room. There were faint marks clearly visible across her buttocks, a sharp reminder of her punishment. Jay hesitated, fighting down the urge to go after her, then headed back towards his study. He had yet another letter to write.
***
Bella had thought that she’d known horror. There had been few secrets in Shady Tree; she'd known about families that fought, husbands that beat their wives, wives that dominated their husbands, bullies ... hundreds of little nightmares that threatened to consume lives. But there had been nothing so horrific as an elderly woman using a young girl as a source of life force, just to keep herself alive. What was the difference, she asked herself, between a vampire and Mistress Toadstool?
A vampire would be hunted down and destroyed, she told herself. Mistress Toadstool is a respected member of society.
She caught sight of Clover down the hallway and hesitated. The maid was bending over a chest, her dress lifting up to reveal the underside of her buttocks ... and ugly red marks. Bella felt an odd moment of satisfaction at seeing the signs that the maid had been punished too, followed by a desire to cast spells that would ensure that Clover never tried to humiliate her again. But then, Dana had turned Clover into a cat. Who could blame her for wanting to get a little of her own back?
Shaking her head, Bella hurried up the stairs, walked into her room and closed the door, then pulled off her gown and inspected her buttocks in the mirror. Nine ugly red lines stood out against her flesh, each one throbbing in pain as the numbing potion finally wore off. Bella gritted her teeth, then lay down on the bed and summoned a pair of books to her. One of them – A Guide to Apprenticeships and Apprentices – had been a gift from Master Jay, although she’d barely looked at it. But she had to look at it now.
The dull ache grew worse as she opened the book, but she refused to allow it to distract her any further. There was a brief blurb about the importance of master-apprentice relationships and one-to-one tutoring, which she flicked through in some irritation, then found the section on an apprentice’s duties to her master or mistress. It was surprisingly detailed. Bella had honestly never realised that Master Jay could command almost anything from her, including access to her body. He could have sex with her!
She'd caught him looking at her, once or twice ... and he'd seen her naked, even forced her to strip naked for her punishment. But he’d never done more than spanking her buttocks ... somehow, she realised that he never would, unless she consented willingly. Master Jay was strict, but fair. She couldn't help wondering if that was true of all masters when they had beautiful young girls as their apprentices. Indeed, if it was legal ...
She pushed that thought aside and looked down at the other list of obligations. Political support ... that was odd; Bella had none to offer and she doubted that Dana, the second daughter of a powerful family, had any either. Magical support ... that made a certain amount of sense. God knew there were potions that could only be brewed properly by two people working in concert. Verbal support ... she scowled as she realised that she was supposed never to speak ill of Master Jay. What would happen, she wondered, if she broke that rule?
Right at the bottom, there was a droll note confirming her worst fears. An apprentice could be obliged to provide their master with life energy, if necessary.
Bella stared down at it for a long moment, then looked at the next section. As Dana had said, an apprenticeship only ended early when the tutor decided to end it – and there were only a handful of acceptable reasons. Direct disobedience, treachery ... even if someone happened to die, allowing the apprentice to inherit, the master could still refuse to release the apprentice from their apprenticeship. Bella hesitated; maybe she could induce Dana to disobey her mistress. But somehow she doubted that Dana’s buttocks would survive the experience.
A thought entered her mind and she smiled, then summoned one of the potions textbooks to her. There were some brews that might be of help, starting with the numbing potion. She had a feeling that Master Jay wouldn't object if she were to brew more of them, although she wasn't planning to tell him. It was easier to gain forgiveness rather than permission.
By the time she had to go down for dinner, she had the basics of a plan worked out. Resisting the temptation to walk down naked, she pulled her gown back on and realised, to her amusement, just how translucent it actually was. She flushed as she realised that she’d shown Master Jay her breasts, then she laughed at herself. He’d seen her completely naked, seen every last secret of her body. The only thing he hadn't done was have sex with her.
She hesitated, considering it. She liked him ... and everyone said that city-folk made good lovers. Adam certainly hadn't; he'd pushed his way inside her, then shot his seed seconds later, leaving Bella feeling oddly disappointed and unsatisfied. Maybe he’d only cheated on her because he’d been unsatisfied too ... somehow, the thought no longer hurt. If Master Jay wanted her ... he was young, handsome, powerful ... what more could she want?
Shaking her head, she walked down to the dining room, trying to put such thoughts out of her mind. If nothing else, her buttocks were still aching from the caning and she suspected that she couldn't even think about sex right now. Clover nodded to her as she entered the dining room, then brought in the first tray of food. She seemed to have recovered from her spanking quicker than Bella had ...
Probably didn't get the cane, Bella thought, feeling a trace of resentment. But then, Clover hadn't tried to spy on her master. All she’d done was take a little revenge. Bella hesitated, then did her best to give the maid a forgiving look. She didn't want to fight with her in future, not when Master Jay had threatened dire punishment. God knew what was worse than the cane; Bella didn't want to find out the hard way.
“Eat up, then get some rest,” Master Jay ordered. His gaze flicked over her once, then looked back at his food. “Tomorrow we will start on more complex spells.”
Bella smiled. Learning the basics had been tricky, but fun. Now, though, they were going to start work on spells that interacted with other spells. It would be hard – the textbooks had made that clear – but it would also be interesting. And she was already coming to grips with her magical well. It was easy to resent her father for not teaching her earlier, or sending her to the Academy ...
She pushed the thought aside. At least she was learning now.
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davidbrennan
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Re: The Wizard's Apprentice
Chapter Eleven
It was three days before Bella received an answer to the letter she'd sent to Dana, three days during which she worried that Dana had decided that she didn't want to be friends any more ... or that Mistress Toadstool had ordered her not to speak to anyone outside her house any longer. Even Master Jay’s lessons seemed to pall against her fears; he gave her a sharp lecture after the third near-accident and then asked her what was wrong. When she told him, he gave her what comfort he could and then told her to get back to work. There was nothing they could do for Dana.
She read the letter with interest and relief. Dana was alive and well ... and she had invited Bella to visit her house. Master Jay muttered darkly when he read the letter and seemed on the verge of refusing permission for her to go, before Bella pointed out that refusing to go could be seen as an insult. Mistress Toadstool might make a fuss about it – or seek to extract revenge at a later date.
“Dress well and be sure to take something for Mistress Toadstool,” Master Jay ordered, finally. “Something small, but personalised.”
Bella scowled. She knew precisely what she’d like to give Mistress Toadstool, but Master Jay would give her a stern spanking if she even mentioned the possibility. Their lessons on etiquette hadn't even touched upon personalised gifts. What could she get Mistress Toadstool?
Her scowl deepened as she came up with nothing. “What do I have that is personalised?”
“Draw out a runic scroll,” Master Jay advised. “She won’t expect an expensive gift from you – you’re only an apprentice – but something that shows you put time and effort into producing it should be fine.”
It took two more days to produce the scroll and then head off to Mistress Toadstool’s house with the scroll and several bottles of potions in her bag. Master Jay accompanied her as far as the front door, then nodded towards the demon-shaped doorknob. Bella hesitated – the house was intimidating large, easily big enough to house everyone from her village – and then touched the doorknob. The door hissed open with a creaking sound and she stepped inside. It closed behind her a moment later.
Magic danced through the air, testing her. Bella fought the urge to flinch – or to run – as it danced over her body; it felt far less friendly than the wards around Master Jay’s house. But then, she was his apprentice and she lived there. The wards would probably be far more through in their scrutiny if she'd been a guest. She looked up as the interior door opened, revealing Mistress Toadstool and Dana standing there, waiting for her. Bella hesitated again, then walked forward. Master Jay had told her, in no uncertain terms, precisely what she had to do.
She went down on one knee in front of Mistress Toadstool and lowered her eyes. “I thank you for inviting me to your home,” she said, nervously. Up close, the woman was hellishly intimidating. “And I bring a gift for you and yours.”
“I welcome you to my home and grant you guest-right,” Mistress Toadstool said. She took Bella’s hand and pulled her to her feel. “Welcome.”
“Welcome,” Dana echoed.
Bella fought down the impulse to throw her friend a concerned look. Dana sounded weak, almost exhausted. Her dark skin seemed unnaturally pallid. Instead, she reached into her bag and produced the scroll, which she passed to Mistress Toadstool with a bow. Mistress Toadstool took it, examined the runes for a long moment and then bowed her head in acknowledgement.
“You may join me for dinner in three hours,” she said, to Dana. “Until then, I expect you to comport yourself with some dignity.”
She turned and swept her way down the corridor, leaving the two younger girls alone. “She was very excited to hear that you were coming,” Dana muttered, unconvincingly. “Come with me.”
Bella looked around as Dana pulled her through a complex maze of corridors and stairwells, wondering just what the house’s designer had been drinking when he’d built the house. It was a nightmare, almost impossible to navigate; she couldn't imagine finding her way around if she had to live their permanently. By the time they finally entered Dana’s room, she was hopelessly lost.
“This is where I sleep,” Dana said. “Thank you for coming.”
“You’re welcome,” Bella said. She grinned, trying to cheer Dana up. “You came to my place, after all.”
Dana rubbed her bottom. “I know,” she said. “Mistress Toadstool was not pleased.”
Bella frowned. “Did she take some of your life energy earlier today?”
“Yes,” Dana admitted, lowering her eyes. “She normally takes it before I go to bed, but today ...”
“You’d think that she could give you a break,” Bella snapped. She reached into her bag and produced the bottles of potions. “I suggest that you hide these somewhere.”
Dana took the first one and blinked in surprise. “Energy potion?”
“It boosts your energy levels,” Bella said. Her father had made it before he started to brew potions that required near-constant attention for over two days. “I don’t know if it will keep you safe with her ... taking your energy, but it should help.”
She picked up the second bottle. “Numbing potion,” she explained. “Apply afterwards; if you apply beforehand, she might notice.”
Dana smiled, weakly. “I guess she will,” she said. “What have you been doing this week?”
Bella smiled and launched into a discussion of the more complex spells she’d been taught to master. As she'd expected, Dana was ahead of her, although not as far ahead as she’d feared. It seemed that Mistress Toadstool wasn't a very good teacher ... and she tended to lose her temper when Dana failed to pick up a concept instantly. On the other hand, Dana admitted that she had been allowed to practice her spells on the maids.
“It does help if you see the effects,” she admitted. “But I don’t always learn in a hurry.”
It was a surprise when the bell rang, summoning them both to dinner. Dana led the way down to the dining hall, which was large enough to seat over a hundred guests. Three places were set at the head of the long wooden table, which was illuminated by hundreds of candles which had been placed around the room. Even if she used magic to light them, Bella realised, it was still an awesome display of conspicuous consumption. Just like the room itself.
Mistress Toadstool entered and took her place at the head of the table. “Be seated,” she commanded. Bella and Dana obeyed hastily as the old woman turned her gimlet stare on Bella. “I trust that you have been taught some decent manners?”
“Yes, Milady,” Bella said. Up close, the magic surrounding Mistress Toadstool was terrifyingly intimidating. “I have.”
“We shall see,” Mistress Toadstool said. She waved a hand in the air. “Let the food be brought to the table.”
It was the most nerve-wracking dinner that Bella had ever endured, worse even than the meal they’d had to eat after their caning. Mistress Toadstool watched carefully and criticised almost everything from her posture to her choice of eating implements. Nothing, it seemed, was good enough to suit her. Bella started at one of her remarks and accidentally cut her finger with a knife.
“That can be very rude at a dinner party,” Mistress Toadstool observed, archly. She took the knife and put it to one side, then produced another out of thin air. “Heal yourself, then return to the dinner.”
It did taste good, Bella had to admit. There was a clear soup that looked suspiciously like water, but tasted of chicken and vegetables; stripes of roast beef with potatoes and vegetables; a pudding so sweet that Bella felt her teeth aching after she took one or two bites ... but the company left something to be desired. Even at his worst, Master Jay had never been so extracting, or prone to make sarcastic remarks about every little failing. By the time the meal was over, Bella was quite ready for bed.
“Thank you for the meal,” she said, formally. “It was very good.”
“I wish to talk with you in my study,” Mistress Toadstool said. There was something in her tone that made Bella’s blood run cold. “My apprentice will show you the way. I will join you momentarily.”
Dana didn't seem to know what she was talking about either as she led Bella down a long dark corridor and into Mistress Toadstool’s study. It was a larger room than Master Jay’s study, larger than any room in his house. There was a large set of bookshelves – Bella looked at them out of habit, but she refrained from touching any of the books – and a single massive book resting on its own table, right at the heart of the room.
“Dana,” Mistress Toadstool ordered. “Leave us.”
Dana threw Bella an unreadable look, then left the room. Bella felt a chill running down her spine as Mistress Toadstool advanced on her, then nodded towards the massive tome. In the elderly witch’s hand there was a knife ... it took her a moment to realise that it was the one she had used to cut herself. Mistress Toadstool put the knife down on top of the book and turned to face her.
“Are you aware,” she said, in a calm tone that didn't fool Bella for a second, “of just what a Heritage Spell does?”
“No, Milady,” Bella said. A Heritage Spell? She’d never come across one in Master Jay’s books. “What does it do?”
“Magic runs in the bloodlines,” Mistress Toadstool informed her. “Your bloodline is your link to the magicians of the past. You do know that much, don’t you?”
Bella nodded, not daring to speak.
Mistress Toadstool tapped the knife and muttered a spell under her breath. “Dana informs me that you know almost nothing about your mother,” she said. “Had you been aware of Heritage Spells, you might well have tried to cast one to learn the truth. It would have worked, naturally.”
She didn't wait for Bella to say something, which was lucky. Bella didn't have the slightest idea what to say.
“You are a curious person,” Mistress Toadstool observed. “You appear to come from a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, the daughter of a Hedge Wizard ... and yet you clearly possess great power. And Master Jay takes you on as an apprentice, when he has seen no reason to take an apprentice before, yet he leaves you with curious gaps in your education that almost start a war. I wonder ... just why are you so interesting to him?”
Bella gritted her teeth. Whatever the elderly witch was about to find out, she was sure that she didn't want Mistress Toadstool to know.
“This book is a Bloodlines Grimoire,” Mistress Toadstool explained, as magic sparkled over the knife. “All known magical bloodlines are recorded within its pages. If you have a link to any of the known bloodlines ...”
She sucked in her breath, sharply. “Oh!”
Bella leaned forward, curiosity propelling her onwards. “Now that’s interesting,” Mistress Toadstool said. She cackled, unpleasantly. “Master Jay must have his own plans for you.”
“I don’t understand,” Bella said. Tracing the family tree the book showed was difficult for her. “Who am I?”
Mistress Toadstool laughed. “You’re the last daughter of Nightshade,” she said. “It all makes sense now.”
“I don’t understand,” Bella said, again. “Why ...?”
“Your mother was Gina Nightshade, the youngest daughter of the Nightshade – the family patriarch,” Mistress Toadstool explained. “She married against her father’s will ... a Hedge Wizard. How terrible. But she was never formally disowned.”
“I have family,” Bella said, shocked. “Apart from my father, I mean?”
“No,” Mistress Toadstool said. “They all died. There was a blood-feud between the Nightshade Family and two others. It eventually broke down into open war and most of your family were killed. Even your mother might have been hunted down and killed. I don’t know why they left you alive. Your father must have hidden you well.”
She cackled, again. “And I have you,” she added. “You are going to work for me.”
Bella stared at her as she started to back away. A moment later, she felt magic flare around her. Her feet were suddenly stuck to the floor. Mistress Toadstool grinned at her, savagely.
“Your family has a seat in Court,” she said. “You will take the seat, as is your right, and you will vote as I command. Do you understand me?”
Bella found her voice. “Master Jay won’t let you just take me,” she said, desperately. “I ...”
“Silence,” Mistress Toadstool said. Bella’s lips locked together, almost catching her tongue. It was impossible to talk any longer. “I shall deal with Master Jay.”
***
Jay hadn't gone very far from Mistress Toadstool’s house. He’d taken up residence in the library and found several books to read, while quietly monitoring the protective charms he’d placed on Bella. If she ran into trouble, he'd know about it. Even so, it was still a nasty surprise when the charm vibrated suddenly; he jumped to his feet, leaving the books on the table, and ran out of the building. The librarians were going to be furious with him.
It was hard to pull information out of the charm – he hadn't dared used anything more sophisticated because Mistress Toadstool’s wards might block it – but Bella was definitely in trouble. Silently promising her the thrashing of her life if she had gotten into trouble again, he ran up towards Mistress Toadstool’s house and pressed the doorknob. Unsurprisingly, it refused to open or to summon its mistress. Jay swore and started to cast powerful spells, hoping to unravel the wards. It would take time, he knew, to crack them completely. Did Bella have the time?
The door opened, revealing Dana. Jay gaped at her; the girl was sweating in obvious fear, but she’d still betrayed her mistress. Making a silent promise that he would do what he could for her, Jay ran into the house and followed the charm linking him to Bella down to Mistress Toadstool’s study. Inside, he saw Bella trapped inside a magical cage while Mistress Toadstool prepared to work spells that would bind Bella’s mind permanently. There was no longer any room for doubt. She knew the truth about Bella’s family.
“Stop,” he ordered, and threw a powerful spell at Mistress Toadstool. She spun around, deflected it and threw one back. Jay dodged it and fired off a series of spells, each one powerful enough to overwhelm a lesser witch. Mistress Toadstool proved capable of standing up to them and even returning fire. “You can’t do this!”
Mistress Toadstool glared at him, fighting back savagely. Magic flashed and flared across the room, ripping apart the furniture and destroying a Bloodlines Grimoire on the table. Thankfully, the remaining books seemed to be well-protected ... Jay pushed that thought aside, then concentrated on the fighting. He hadn't realised that Mistress Toadstool had that much power. Of course; she’d been draining Dana every day. It would have boosted her power as well as giving her a few more weeks of life.
But he couldn't give in, not now.
***
Bella braced herself as the spells holding her firmly in place shattered under the impact of the magical duel between the two magicians. She stumbled backwards as soon as she could move, all too aware of what might happen if she was caught by a stray blast of magic; she looked over at Mistress Toadstool and realised that she might well be winning. She couldn't allow her to kill Master Jay ...
She gritted her teeth and lashed out with her own magic, slamming into Mistress Toadstool’s back. The sorceress stumbled and hit the ground, then was wrapped up in Master Jay’s magic as it slid into hers. Bella met her master’s eyes across the room and felt a sense of connection so powerful that it made her legs wobble. He could have made love to her, pushing his penis deep inside her body, yet they would have been less intimate.
“You can't kill me,” Mistress Toadstool bit out. Somehow, she managed to pull herself to her feet, despite the magic boiling around her. “You will start a war.”
“True,” Master Jay agreed. He cast a look at Bella. “But I am not the one who makes the decisions ...”
“Let Dana go,” Bella said. “Let Dana go and keep the fact of my parentage a secret. Give us your magical oath and we will let you live.”
Master Jay stepped forward. “I’ll give you the oath to swear,” he said, quickly. “Or you can die.”
“There will be war if I die,” Mistress Toadstool hissed.
“But you will still be dead,” Master Jay said, implacably. “Do you wish to die out of spite?”
Mistress Toadstool glared at him, then gave her oath as Master Jay dictated. Bella sucked in her breath sharply; she’d never realised just how comprehensive a magical oath had to be, just to avoid loopholes. As soon as she had sworn the oath, Mistress Toadstool crumbled to the floor.
“Disengage your magic,” Master Jay ordered. He sounded utterly exhausted; in truth, Bella felt little better. “It's time to go home.”
Bella stared at the fallen witch, then carefully pulled her magic back into her body. Somehow, the thought of losing her contact with Master Jay left her feeling helpless, almost weak. She’d never touched so much power as when they’d shared their magic.
She scowled and pushed the thought aside. “What happened to her?”
“I stunned her,” Master Jay explained. He gave her a quick hug. “Go fetch Dana. She’ll be my apprentice from now on.”
Bella smiled. “Two apprentices? Is that common?”
Master Jay smirked. “I’m not common,” he said. “Am I?”
It was three days before Bella received an answer to the letter she'd sent to Dana, three days during which she worried that Dana had decided that she didn't want to be friends any more ... or that Mistress Toadstool had ordered her not to speak to anyone outside her house any longer. Even Master Jay’s lessons seemed to pall against her fears; he gave her a sharp lecture after the third near-accident and then asked her what was wrong. When she told him, he gave her what comfort he could and then told her to get back to work. There was nothing they could do for Dana.
She read the letter with interest and relief. Dana was alive and well ... and she had invited Bella to visit her house. Master Jay muttered darkly when he read the letter and seemed on the verge of refusing permission for her to go, before Bella pointed out that refusing to go could be seen as an insult. Mistress Toadstool might make a fuss about it – or seek to extract revenge at a later date.
“Dress well and be sure to take something for Mistress Toadstool,” Master Jay ordered, finally. “Something small, but personalised.”
Bella scowled. She knew precisely what she’d like to give Mistress Toadstool, but Master Jay would give her a stern spanking if she even mentioned the possibility. Their lessons on etiquette hadn't even touched upon personalised gifts. What could she get Mistress Toadstool?
Her scowl deepened as she came up with nothing. “What do I have that is personalised?”
“Draw out a runic scroll,” Master Jay advised. “She won’t expect an expensive gift from you – you’re only an apprentice – but something that shows you put time and effort into producing it should be fine.”
It took two more days to produce the scroll and then head off to Mistress Toadstool’s house with the scroll and several bottles of potions in her bag. Master Jay accompanied her as far as the front door, then nodded towards the demon-shaped doorknob. Bella hesitated – the house was intimidating large, easily big enough to house everyone from her village – and then touched the doorknob. The door hissed open with a creaking sound and she stepped inside. It closed behind her a moment later.
Magic danced through the air, testing her. Bella fought the urge to flinch – or to run – as it danced over her body; it felt far less friendly than the wards around Master Jay’s house. But then, she was his apprentice and she lived there. The wards would probably be far more through in their scrutiny if she'd been a guest. She looked up as the interior door opened, revealing Mistress Toadstool and Dana standing there, waiting for her. Bella hesitated again, then walked forward. Master Jay had told her, in no uncertain terms, precisely what she had to do.
She went down on one knee in front of Mistress Toadstool and lowered her eyes. “I thank you for inviting me to your home,” she said, nervously. Up close, the woman was hellishly intimidating. “And I bring a gift for you and yours.”
“I welcome you to my home and grant you guest-right,” Mistress Toadstool said. She took Bella’s hand and pulled her to her feel. “Welcome.”
“Welcome,” Dana echoed.
Bella fought down the impulse to throw her friend a concerned look. Dana sounded weak, almost exhausted. Her dark skin seemed unnaturally pallid. Instead, she reached into her bag and produced the scroll, which she passed to Mistress Toadstool with a bow. Mistress Toadstool took it, examined the runes for a long moment and then bowed her head in acknowledgement.
“You may join me for dinner in three hours,” she said, to Dana. “Until then, I expect you to comport yourself with some dignity.”
She turned and swept her way down the corridor, leaving the two younger girls alone. “She was very excited to hear that you were coming,” Dana muttered, unconvincingly. “Come with me.”
Bella looked around as Dana pulled her through a complex maze of corridors and stairwells, wondering just what the house’s designer had been drinking when he’d built the house. It was a nightmare, almost impossible to navigate; she couldn't imagine finding her way around if she had to live their permanently. By the time they finally entered Dana’s room, she was hopelessly lost.
“This is where I sleep,” Dana said. “Thank you for coming.”
“You’re welcome,” Bella said. She grinned, trying to cheer Dana up. “You came to my place, after all.”
Dana rubbed her bottom. “I know,” she said. “Mistress Toadstool was not pleased.”
Bella frowned. “Did she take some of your life energy earlier today?”
“Yes,” Dana admitted, lowering her eyes. “She normally takes it before I go to bed, but today ...”
“You’d think that she could give you a break,” Bella snapped. She reached into her bag and produced the bottles of potions. “I suggest that you hide these somewhere.”
Dana took the first one and blinked in surprise. “Energy potion?”
“It boosts your energy levels,” Bella said. Her father had made it before he started to brew potions that required near-constant attention for over two days. “I don’t know if it will keep you safe with her ... taking your energy, but it should help.”
She picked up the second bottle. “Numbing potion,” she explained. “Apply afterwards; if you apply beforehand, she might notice.”
Dana smiled, weakly. “I guess she will,” she said. “What have you been doing this week?”
Bella smiled and launched into a discussion of the more complex spells she’d been taught to master. As she'd expected, Dana was ahead of her, although not as far ahead as she’d feared. It seemed that Mistress Toadstool wasn't a very good teacher ... and she tended to lose her temper when Dana failed to pick up a concept instantly. On the other hand, Dana admitted that she had been allowed to practice her spells on the maids.
“It does help if you see the effects,” she admitted. “But I don’t always learn in a hurry.”
It was a surprise when the bell rang, summoning them both to dinner. Dana led the way down to the dining hall, which was large enough to seat over a hundred guests. Three places were set at the head of the long wooden table, which was illuminated by hundreds of candles which had been placed around the room. Even if she used magic to light them, Bella realised, it was still an awesome display of conspicuous consumption. Just like the room itself.
Mistress Toadstool entered and took her place at the head of the table. “Be seated,” she commanded. Bella and Dana obeyed hastily as the old woman turned her gimlet stare on Bella. “I trust that you have been taught some decent manners?”
“Yes, Milady,” Bella said. Up close, the magic surrounding Mistress Toadstool was terrifyingly intimidating. “I have.”
“We shall see,” Mistress Toadstool said. She waved a hand in the air. “Let the food be brought to the table.”
It was the most nerve-wracking dinner that Bella had ever endured, worse even than the meal they’d had to eat after their caning. Mistress Toadstool watched carefully and criticised almost everything from her posture to her choice of eating implements. Nothing, it seemed, was good enough to suit her. Bella started at one of her remarks and accidentally cut her finger with a knife.
“That can be very rude at a dinner party,” Mistress Toadstool observed, archly. She took the knife and put it to one side, then produced another out of thin air. “Heal yourself, then return to the dinner.”
It did taste good, Bella had to admit. There was a clear soup that looked suspiciously like water, but tasted of chicken and vegetables; stripes of roast beef with potatoes and vegetables; a pudding so sweet that Bella felt her teeth aching after she took one or two bites ... but the company left something to be desired. Even at his worst, Master Jay had never been so extracting, or prone to make sarcastic remarks about every little failing. By the time the meal was over, Bella was quite ready for bed.
“Thank you for the meal,” she said, formally. “It was very good.”
“I wish to talk with you in my study,” Mistress Toadstool said. There was something in her tone that made Bella’s blood run cold. “My apprentice will show you the way. I will join you momentarily.”
Dana didn't seem to know what she was talking about either as she led Bella down a long dark corridor and into Mistress Toadstool’s study. It was a larger room than Master Jay’s study, larger than any room in his house. There was a large set of bookshelves – Bella looked at them out of habit, but she refrained from touching any of the books – and a single massive book resting on its own table, right at the heart of the room.
“Dana,” Mistress Toadstool ordered. “Leave us.”
Dana threw Bella an unreadable look, then left the room. Bella felt a chill running down her spine as Mistress Toadstool advanced on her, then nodded towards the massive tome. In the elderly witch’s hand there was a knife ... it took her a moment to realise that it was the one she had used to cut herself. Mistress Toadstool put the knife down on top of the book and turned to face her.
“Are you aware,” she said, in a calm tone that didn't fool Bella for a second, “of just what a Heritage Spell does?”
“No, Milady,” Bella said. A Heritage Spell? She’d never come across one in Master Jay’s books. “What does it do?”
“Magic runs in the bloodlines,” Mistress Toadstool informed her. “Your bloodline is your link to the magicians of the past. You do know that much, don’t you?”
Bella nodded, not daring to speak.
Mistress Toadstool tapped the knife and muttered a spell under her breath. “Dana informs me that you know almost nothing about your mother,” she said. “Had you been aware of Heritage Spells, you might well have tried to cast one to learn the truth. It would have worked, naturally.”
She didn't wait for Bella to say something, which was lucky. Bella didn't have the slightest idea what to say.
“You are a curious person,” Mistress Toadstool observed. “You appear to come from a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, the daughter of a Hedge Wizard ... and yet you clearly possess great power. And Master Jay takes you on as an apprentice, when he has seen no reason to take an apprentice before, yet he leaves you with curious gaps in your education that almost start a war. I wonder ... just why are you so interesting to him?”
Bella gritted her teeth. Whatever the elderly witch was about to find out, she was sure that she didn't want Mistress Toadstool to know.
“This book is a Bloodlines Grimoire,” Mistress Toadstool explained, as magic sparkled over the knife. “All known magical bloodlines are recorded within its pages. If you have a link to any of the known bloodlines ...”
She sucked in her breath, sharply. “Oh!”
Bella leaned forward, curiosity propelling her onwards. “Now that’s interesting,” Mistress Toadstool said. She cackled, unpleasantly. “Master Jay must have his own plans for you.”
“I don’t understand,” Bella said. Tracing the family tree the book showed was difficult for her. “Who am I?”
Mistress Toadstool laughed. “You’re the last daughter of Nightshade,” she said. “It all makes sense now.”
“I don’t understand,” Bella said, again. “Why ...?”
“Your mother was Gina Nightshade, the youngest daughter of the Nightshade – the family patriarch,” Mistress Toadstool explained. “She married against her father’s will ... a Hedge Wizard. How terrible. But she was never formally disowned.”
“I have family,” Bella said, shocked. “Apart from my father, I mean?”
“No,” Mistress Toadstool said. “They all died. There was a blood-feud between the Nightshade Family and two others. It eventually broke down into open war and most of your family were killed. Even your mother might have been hunted down and killed. I don’t know why they left you alive. Your father must have hidden you well.”
She cackled, again. “And I have you,” she added. “You are going to work for me.”
Bella stared at her as she started to back away. A moment later, she felt magic flare around her. Her feet were suddenly stuck to the floor. Mistress Toadstool grinned at her, savagely.
“Your family has a seat in Court,” she said. “You will take the seat, as is your right, and you will vote as I command. Do you understand me?”
Bella found her voice. “Master Jay won’t let you just take me,” she said, desperately. “I ...”
“Silence,” Mistress Toadstool said. Bella’s lips locked together, almost catching her tongue. It was impossible to talk any longer. “I shall deal with Master Jay.”
***
Jay hadn't gone very far from Mistress Toadstool’s house. He’d taken up residence in the library and found several books to read, while quietly monitoring the protective charms he’d placed on Bella. If she ran into trouble, he'd know about it. Even so, it was still a nasty surprise when the charm vibrated suddenly; he jumped to his feet, leaving the books on the table, and ran out of the building. The librarians were going to be furious with him.
It was hard to pull information out of the charm – he hadn't dared used anything more sophisticated because Mistress Toadstool’s wards might block it – but Bella was definitely in trouble. Silently promising her the thrashing of her life if she had gotten into trouble again, he ran up towards Mistress Toadstool’s house and pressed the doorknob. Unsurprisingly, it refused to open or to summon its mistress. Jay swore and started to cast powerful spells, hoping to unravel the wards. It would take time, he knew, to crack them completely. Did Bella have the time?
The door opened, revealing Dana. Jay gaped at her; the girl was sweating in obvious fear, but she’d still betrayed her mistress. Making a silent promise that he would do what he could for her, Jay ran into the house and followed the charm linking him to Bella down to Mistress Toadstool’s study. Inside, he saw Bella trapped inside a magical cage while Mistress Toadstool prepared to work spells that would bind Bella’s mind permanently. There was no longer any room for doubt. She knew the truth about Bella’s family.
“Stop,” he ordered, and threw a powerful spell at Mistress Toadstool. She spun around, deflected it and threw one back. Jay dodged it and fired off a series of spells, each one powerful enough to overwhelm a lesser witch. Mistress Toadstool proved capable of standing up to them and even returning fire. “You can’t do this!”
Mistress Toadstool glared at him, fighting back savagely. Magic flashed and flared across the room, ripping apart the furniture and destroying a Bloodlines Grimoire on the table. Thankfully, the remaining books seemed to be well-protected ... Jay pushed that thought aside, then concentrated on the fighting. He hadn't realised that Mistress Toadstool had that much power. Of course; she’d been draining Dana every day. It would have boosted her power as well as giving her a few more weeks of life.
But he couldn't give in, not now.
***
Bella braced herself as the spells holding her firmly in place shattered under the impact of the magical duel between the two magicians. She stumbled backwards as soon as she could move, all too aware of what might happen if she was caught by a stray blast of magic; she looked over at Mistress Toadstool and realised that she might well be winning. She couldn't allow her to kill Master Jay ...
She gritted her teeth and lashed out with her own magic, slamming into Mistress Toadstool’s back. The sorceress stumbled and hit the ground, then was wrapped up in Master Jay’s magic as it slid into hers. Bella met her master’s eyes across the room and felt a sense of connection so powerful that it made her legs wobble. He could have made love to her, pushing his penis deep inside her body, yet they would have been less intimate.
“You can't kill me,” Mistress Toadstool bit out. Somehow, she managed to pull herself to her feet, despite the magic boiling around her. “You will start a war.”
“True,” Master Jay agreed. He cast a look at Bella. “But I am not the one who makes the decisions ...”
“Let Dana go,” Bella said. “Let Dana go and keep the fact of my parentage a secret. Give us your magical oath and we will let you live.”
Master Jay stepped forward. “I’ll give you the oath to swear,” he said, quickly. “Or you can die.”
“There will be war if I die,” Mistress Toadstool hissed.
“But you will still be dead,” Master Jay said, implacably. “Do you wish to die out of spite?”
Mistress Toadstool glared at him, then gave her oath as Master Jay dictated. Bella sucked in her breath sharply; she’d never realised just how comprehensive a magical oath had to be, just to avoid loopholes. As soon as she had sworn the oath, Mistress Toadstool crumbled to the floor.
“Disengage your magic,” Master Jay ordered. He sounded utterly exhausted; in truth, Bella felt little better. “It's time to go home.”
Bella stared at the fallen witch, then carefully pulled her magic back into her body. Somehow, the thought of losing her contact with Master Jay left her feeling helpless, almost weak. She’d never touched so much power as when they’d shared their magic.
She scowled and pushed the thought aside. “What happened to her?”
“I stunned her,” Master Jay explained. He gave her a quick hug. “Go fetch Dana. She’ll be my apprentice from now on.”
Bella smiled. “Two apprentices? Is that common?”
Master Jay smirked. “I’m not common,” he said. “Am I?”
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davidbrennan
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Re: The Wizard's Apprentice
Chapter Twelve
Bella awoke the following morning convinced that it had all been a dream, until she saw the pile of blankets at the foot of her bed. Dana slept there, her nightshirt riding up to expose the hundreds of cuts and bruises her mistress had left her ... her mistress who was no longer her mistress. Bella allowed herself a brilliant smile as she stood up, pulled on her clothes and walked out of the room, leaving Dana to sleep. As she had expected, Master Jay was sitting in the dining room, waiting for her.
“I spoke with your father,” he said, as he motioned for her to sit down. Clover appeared, bringing them both cups of coffee, then faded away again. “He was ... reluctant to let me tell you anything, but I pointed out that you already knew most of the important details.”
“I see,” Bella said. “How much of what she told me was true?”
“Your father was – is – a Potions Master,” Master Jay said. “I don’t know how he met your mother, but they ended up going out together. Her family wasn't entirely happy with their relationship and quite a few nasty things were said. Eventually, they married anyway and your mother became pregnant with you.”
He scowled. “There was a major political struggle going on over which of the king’s sons would be crowned the next king,” he continued. “Several people made miscalculations and several great families – including the Nightshade Family – went to war. They were on the losing side and were exterminated. Realising the danger, your mother left you with your father and went to confront her family’s enemies. She died in the final battle of the war.”
Bella scowled. “But why didn't they come after me?”
“Your father produced a potion that altered your blood slightly, effectively ensuring that standard detection spells would be unable to find you, even if the caster had access to your mother’s body,” Master Jay explained. “By the time you were born, your mother was almost completely estranged from her family. It is possible that they believed that you had been stillborn or died soon after birth.”
He shrugged. “In any case, the Nightshade Family no longer had any mature members left, so their seat in Court was left empty,” he added. “Your father believed that it would be better if you never knew about your heritage. It wasn't until you started to develop really powerful magic that he started to worry, but he still hesitated until it was almost too late. He meant well.”
“I know,” Bella admitted. She’d never doubted that her father loved her. “I miss him.”
“We can take a trip out to Shady Tree if you wish,” Master Jay said. “There’s no reason why we have to stay in the city.”
He scowled. “Mistress Toadstool will not forget what you did in a hurry,” he added. “Nor will she forget your hesitage.”
Bella eyed him. “Can I just walk into the Court and reclaim my seat?”
“Once you reach the age of maturity, yes,” Master Jay said. “Right now, you would have to appoint a proxy to vote in your stead. I imagine that was what Mistress Toadstool had in mind.”
“She took a risk,” Bella said. “Didn't she?”
“If she’d had your vote in her pocket, her position would have become much stronger,” Master Jay explained. “And she is an elderly woman, running out of time. Now that she no longer has an apprentice the years will be catching up fast. I dare say she will do something desperate to ensure that she gets her way. Trying to place you under her control ... if Dana hadn't opened the door, I would never have gotten to you in time.”
“Serves her right,” Bella said. She frowned as she looked down at the floor. “Is Dana going to be all right?”
“I think she’s had a pretty rough time of it,” Master Jay said. “And Mistress Toadstool might well think that she has a claim for revenge ... God knows Dana certainly did betray her, no matter how much she deserved it. But I think we can take care of her.”
Bella nodded. “We will,” she said. “Should I let you have my seat?”
“I think you’d do better to forget about your heritage until you are of age,” Master Jay said, after a moment. “Announcing yourself as the Nightshade Heir will give you their political power and their fortune, but both of them will come at a very high cost.” He gave her a long considering look. “And you are not yet ready to stand up in Court.”
His gaze sharpened. “And that leads us to another matter,” he said. “What were you thinking when you allowed her to take some of your blood?”
“I cut myself by accident,” Bella protested. “And she took the knife ...”
“Allowing her to run tests on your blood,” Master Jay said, darkly. “You should have known better. She could have done a great deal worse with your blood then merely testing your heritage. You really were very lucky.”
Bella nodded. She knew a little about potions that involved blood and almost all of them were classed as grey, if not outright dark. Spells that involved blood might well be worse. It was one of the reasons her father had taught her how to brew potions to control and minimise her monthly cycles. Master Jay was right. She had been lucky.
She sighed. “You're going to spank me, aren't you?”
Master Jay met her eyes. “Do you not deserve it?”
Bella shook her head, mutely, and stood up, feeling her heartbeat pounding suddenly inside her chest. After the connection they’d shared ... she hesitated, then lowered her trousers and panties herself, baring her bottom willingly. His eyebrows lifted and she flushed brightly. A moment later, she bent over his lap, leaving her trousers and panties around her ankles.
“You risked your own life and mental health,” Master Jay said. He brought his hand hard down on her buttock. Bella yelped in pain. “You need to be more careful, particularly now that your secret may spread.”
Bella gritted her teeth as the spanking grew harder, Master Jay moving his hand from one side to the other. The painful fire built up rapidly, leaving her gasping and then crying out in pain. Eventually, after what felt like hundreds of spanks, he rested his hand on her warm bottom. Bella felt a strange sensation as he stroked her, then another down below her thighs. He was getting an erection!
His hand drifted down between her cheeks, eventually caressing the edge of her vagina. She gasped, half in shock, half in pleasure, then opened her legs enough to let him slip his fingers inside her. The sensation drove away rational thought; she felt her body pressing against his touch, then his fingers withdrawing and his hands moving her so she was sliding off his lap and sitting upright. There was a faint twinge of pain from her buttocks, but she ignored it, concentrating instead on reaching up to kiss his lips. His hands convulsed and moved down to her breasts, stroking them through her shirt. He muttered a spell and her clothes collapsed into dust. Bella, not knowing the spell herself, had to pull his trousers open physically. His penis sprung up in front of her.
“It’s big,” she whispered. She knew men liked being told that – and it was true. Maybe Master Jay used magic to enhance his penis, maybe not ... but it was still larger than Adam’s penis. She kissed it lightly, then stood upright, pulling him to her feet. The rest of his clothes fell away as he gripped her, then bent her over the table, spreading her legs apart. And then she felt his penis pushing into her ...
... The world went away in a wave of orgasm.
***
Jay looked down at the girl as he spent himself inside her. He could no longer deny that they shared a connection, he knew, not after the rush of protectiveness and love drove him into her arms. It was not right, he had always thought, for a master to sleep with his apprentice, but now he understood why some masters broke that rule. Their magic had bonded with their apprentice’s magic.
He shook his head as he pulled out. Bella straightened up, the red marks on her bottom still visible, and gave him a tight hug. The feel of her breasts pressing against his chest – his clothes had vanished sometime ago – was heavenly. He could practically feel the magic bubbling through her, demanding release.
“I love you,” she whispered.
It wasn't going to be easy, he knew. Her family linage had been exposed and there would be others, not just Mistress Toadstool, who would seek to make her a pawn in their political games. The fact that he had no interest in building up a power base for himself had made him ideal as her guardian, but it wasn't going to be enough now. He was going to have to fight for her right to choose her own path. And what they had might not be strong enough for them both to survive.
“I know,” he whispered back. “I love you too.”
The End
Should there be a sequel?
Let me know!
Bella awoke the following morning convinced that it had all been a dream, until she saw the pile of blankets at the foot of her bed. Dana slept there, her nightshirt riding up to expose the hundreds of cuts and bruises her mistress had left her ... her mistress who was no longer her mistress. Bella allowed herself a brilliant smile as she stood up, pulled on her clothes and walked out of the room, leaving Dana to sleep. As she had expected, Master Jay was sitting in the dining room, waiting for her.
“I spoke with your father,” he said, as he motioned for her to sit down. Clover appeared, bringing them both cups of coffee, then faded away again. “He was ... reluctant to let me tell you anything, but I pointed out that you already knew most of the important details.”
“I see,” Bella said. “How much of what she told me was true?”
“Your father was – is – a Potions Master,” Master Jay said. “I don’t know how he met your mother, but they ended up going out together. Her family wasn't entirely happy with their relationship and quite a few nasty things were said. Eventually, they married anyway and your mother became pregnant with you.”
He scowled. “There was a major political struggle going on over which of the king’s sons would be crowned the next king,” he continued. “Several people made miscalculations and several great families – including the Nightshade Family – went to war. They were on the losing side and were exterminated. Realising the danger, your mother left you with your father and went to confront her family’s enemies. She died in the final battle of the war.”
Bella scowled. “But why didn't they come after me?”
“Your father produced a potion that altered your blood slightly, effectively ensuring that standard detection spells would be unable to find you, even if the caster had access to your mother’s body,” Master Jay explained. “By the time you were born, your mother was almost completely estranged from her family. It is possible that they believed that you had been stillborn or died soon after birth.”
He shrugged. “In any case, the Nightshade Family no longer had any mature members left, so their seat in Court was left empty,” he added. “Your father believed that it would be better if you never knew about your heritage. It wasn't until you started to develop really powerful magic that he started to worry, but he still hesitated until it was almost too late. He meant well.”
“I know,” Bella admitted. She’d never doubted that her father loved her. “I miss him.”
“We can take a trip out to Shady Tree if you wish,” Master Jay said. “There’s no reason why we have to stay in the city.”
He scowled. “Mistress Toadstool will not forget what you did in a hurry,” he added. “Nor will she forget your hesitage.”
Bella eyed him. “Can I just walk into the Court and reclaim my seat?”
“Once you reach the age of maturity, yes,” Master Jay said. “Right now, you would have to appoint a proxy to vote in your stead. I imagine that was what Mistress Toadstool had in mind.”
“She took a risk,” Bella said. “Didn't she?”
“If she’d had your vote in her pocket, her position would have become much stronger,” Master Jay explained. “And she is an elderly woman, running out of time. Now that she no longer has an apprentice the years will be catching up fast. I dare say she will do something desperate to ensure that she gets her way. Trying to place you under her control ... if Dana hadn't opened the door, I would never have gotten to you in time.”
“Serves her right,” Bella said. She frowned as she looked down at the floor. “Is Dana going to be all right?”
“I think she’s had a pretty rough time of it,” Master Jay said. “And Mistress Toadstool might well think that she has a claim for revenge ... God knows Dana certainly did betray her, no matter how much she deserved it. But I think we can take care of her.”
Bella nodded. “We will,” she said. “Should I let you have my seat?”
“I think you’d do better to forget about your heritage until you are of age,” Master Jay said, after a moment. “Announcing yourself as the Nightshade Heir will give you their political power and their fortune, but both of them will come at a very high cost.” He gave her a long considering look. “And you are not yet ready to stand up in Court.”
His gaze sharpened. “And that leads us to another matter,” he said. “What were you thinking when you allowed her to take some of your blood?”
“I cut myself by accident,” Bella protested. “And she took the knife ...”
“Allowing her to run tests on your blood,” Master Jay said, darkly. “You should have known better. She could have done a great deal worse with your blood then merely testing your heritage. You really were very lucky.”
Bella nodded. She knew a little about potions that involved blood and almost all of them were classed as grey, if not outright dark. Spells that involved blood might well be worse. It was one of the reasons her father had taught her how to brew potions to control and minimise her monthly cycles. Master Jay was right. She had been lucky.
She sighed. “You're going to spank me, aren't you?”
Master Jay met her eyes. “Do you not deserve it?”
Bella shook her head, mutely, and stood up, feeling her heartbeat pounding suddenly inside her chest. After the connection they’d shared ... she hesitated, then lowered her trousers and panties herself, baring her bottom willingly. His eyebrows lifted and she flushed brightly. A moment later, she bent over his lap, leaving her trousers and panties around her ankles.
“You risked your own life and mental health,” Master Jay said. He brought his hand hard down on her buttock. Bella yelped in pain. “You need to be more careful, particularly now that your secret may spread.”
Bella gritted her teeth as the spanking grew harder, Master Jay moving his hand from one side to the other. The painful fire built up rapidly, leaving her gasping and then crying out in pain. Eventually, after what felt like hundreds of spanks, he rested his hand on her warm bottom. Bella felt a strange sensation as he stroked her, then another down below her thighs. He was getting an erection!
His hand drifted down between her cheeks, eventually caressing the edge of her vagina. She gasped, half in shock, half in pleasure, then opened her legs enough to let him slip his fingers inside her. The sensation drove away rational thought; she felt her body pressing against his touch, then his fingers withdrawing and his hands moving her so she was sliding off his lap and sitting upright. There was a faint twinge of pain from her buttocks, but she ignored it, concentrating instead on reaching up to kiss his lips. His hands convulsed and moved down to her breasts, stroking them through her shirt. He muttered a spell and her clothes collapsed into dust. Bella, not knowing the spell herself, had to pull his trousers open physically. His penis sprung up in front of her.
“It’s big,” she whispered. She knew men liked being told that – and it was true. Maybe Master Jay used magic to enhance his penis, maybe not ... but it was still larger than Adam’s penis. She kissed it lightly, then stood upright, pulling him to her feet. The rest of his clothes fell away as he gripped her, then bent her over the table, spreading her legs apart. And then she felt his penis pushing into her ...
... The world went away in a wave of orgasm.
***
Jay looked down at the girl as he spent himself inside her. He could no longer deny that they shared a connection, he knew, not after the rush of protectiveness and love drove him into her arms. It was not right, he had always thought, for a master to sleep with his apprentice, but now he understood why some masters broke that rule. Their magic had bonded with their apprentice’s magic.
He shook his head as he pulled out. Bella straightened up, the red marks on her bottom still visible, and gave him a tight hug. The feel of her breasts pressing against his chest – his clothes had vanished sometime ago – was heavenly. He could practically feel the magic bubbling through her, demanding release.
“I love you,” she whispered.
It wasn't going to be easy, he knew. Her family linage had been exposed and there would be others, not just Mistress Toadstool, who would seek to make her a pawn in their political games. The fact that he had no interest in building up a power base for himself had made him ideal as her guardian, but it wasn't going to be enough now. He was going to have to fight for her right to choose her own path. And what they had might not be strong enough for them both to survive.
“I know,” he whispered back. “I love you too.”
The End
Should there be a sequel?
Let me know!
Re: The Wizard's Apprentice
A story this good demands a sequel. Bravo!
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