The Apprentice's Wife

There are some things magic cannot help.

The apprentice's chest heaved as he thrust open the library doors. His body trembled and shook as he stormed past the different shelves of books and colorful vials, hair sticking to the blood coagulating on his tearstained face. Crossing to the H section, he pulled on the book entitled Hidden Ways and the bookcase slid aside, revealing the passage into his master's study.

The old man shot out of his large purple cushion, gasping. "Dear heavens, boy! What is the meaning of this? Entering so abruptly without so much as a knock - knocking before entering one's private study is, of course, proper etiquette! And furthermore..." He paused, eyebrows going up in a narrow arch when he realized the boy's condition. "William. What happened?"

The youth pushed his brown blood-soaked hair out of his face and in a composed manner explained, "You do know there's a war out there, don't you?"

"You mean that's what all the commotion outside my window is about?"

"No time for games, Master Andronicus, I need to know where your book of shadows is."

"But you can't see that until - "

"I don't care!" he cried, the sound ringing from flask to fragile flask. The world around them fell silent. Lifting an elegant necklace from his neck he explained, voice cracking, "I have until this blue gem stops glowing. Once it stops she's dead."

The old man's eyes were wide with wonder. "She?"

William was already tearing through drawers and rummaging through the loose notes in Andronicus' desk, the process made all the more difficult with his hands shaking.

The master wizard watched his apprentice for a moment longer, his own heart sinking. "You mean Emily?"

William's wedding band glistened in the light of the oil lamps along the walls.

"What happened?" prodded the elder, "Is the baby alright?"

"She had the baby. Told me to name her Helena before she - " William halted, unable to finish the sentence.  "Before she..." Without warning, his fist slammed on the desk with a resonating bash. "Book of shadows. Now!"

"Oh, yes! Yes, coming right up." Andronicus lifted the purple cushion at his feet, revealing an obviously loose plank. Without hesitation he dug his nails into the wood and pulled it free, taking the book wedged in between. Carrying it with both hands and no longer able to bend his elbows, the master hurried to his desk and heaved the book atop. It landed with a thud, and before the sound had time to echo back, William had opened to the desired page. 

"There," William muttered, "Soul Binding." His eyes fell intently on every word describing the ritual. "It says it can be done from anywhere." Both were silent as the apprentice continued reading. He breathlessly laughed. "This can work. Andronicus, this can work! We need thyme, sage, and white candles. Thyme, sage, white candles!"

Andronicus hopped to, springing to his herb garden and plucking up sage and thyme while William dashed into the candle cabinet. Ignoring the many wax and honey sticks that fell on his head, he grasped five white candles and placed them in a circle in the middle of the floor. He found a sixth longer one and held it as he sat at the center. Andronicus rushed to him, thrusting the herbs into his open hand. 

"Now the book, Master Andronicus, please, read me the incantation."

The Latin syllables rolled off his tongue effortlessly. "'Vita in mortem. Anima discede. Morte. Convertatur anima.' It says to chant it thrice."

William did so, the language strange to his tongue but correct nonetheless. As he recited he waved his hand over each of the surrounding candles. All were lit by the time the second round of chants was complete. As the third began the flames grew taller, the air thicker, his pronunciation stronger. The sixth candle set itself aflame without William's help, and then he uttered the final words, "Convertatur anima."

The room darkened drastically when the candles went out. 

"Did it work?" Blinded, William was afraid to move from his spot. All he could see for now was the glowing gem around his neck, and all he could do was wait for his eyes to adjust to the oil lamps again. "Master Andronicus, what does the book say?"

The old man stared at the text until his vision adjusted to the darkness. "It says the light of the sixth candle shall guide her spirit back. If the flame went out before ever leaving the wick, the spell... the spell did not work."

William stared blankly at the purple cushion ahead of him, his throat tight and dry. "Didn't work."

The elder's tone dropped to a shaky whisper as he read on. "'Disclaimer. Sometimes... sometimes people are - are meant to...'" Andronicus shut the book.

"No," the apprentice murmured, "People aren't meant... My wife. Emily wasn't meant to..."

The blue gem was alight no more.

Author's Note

Open to any and all suggestions.

Reviews

This story really tugged at my heartstrings. You can tell how hurt William is when he finds out that Emily isn't meant to live, and that his daughter will never know his mother. Nonetheless, I would have liked to know a little more about Emily. Maybe memories that William was thinking of while gathering the ingredients, or aspects of her he was thinking of? I understand that sometimes that doesn't make sense, since his main thought is to work quickly to save her. If you didn't add anything during the time it took to prepare the spell, maybe shortly after "'No,'" before "'People aren't meant... My wife. Emily wasn't meant to...'"?
Still, a wonderful story nonetheless. Very nicely done.

[Crow]

I feel this is a superbly written story for which I would love to read more. Well told story, thank you for sharing.

[TheSweet]

The beginning of this story set the scene very well and held my interest, the ending was very well portrayed and the emotion was clear. My issue is the middle, the bulk of the story seemed to be involved with getting and performing the spell - which in a much larger story is fine because it bulks out the suspense and gives detailed view of exactly what's happening...

However, this is only a short piece, in which case the reader is more likely to be interested in the characters and their relationships - would have liked to have known more about the Elder and William and Emily, so that the emotional part hits home harder.

I love the idea, I like the setting and the world, and I found the elder to be an amusing character - so this has a lot of potential. So I think you could edit this to take that idea and just run with it - this world with these characters. Then it can also afford to be longer, if you wish, methinks :) Thanks for sharing!

[Buck West]

This story you need to expand into a book. Keep writing , you are very talented. I look forward to more from you. write on.

[Creepy Swine Guy]

This is interesting ... more as the beginning oof something larger than as a short. I would say that it could use a bit more description as far as the appearance of the two principles. But it was certainly a compelling read. I wanted to know the outcome. Do you have ideas on where you might take this?

[Moto Kaligawa]

I slipped right into the story, good descriptions and dialogue. But the character types threw me off. ( Would an apprentice order a master around and succeed? A master may aid his aide but I would believe on his terms. My 2 cents. )

Readable and fun, I'll be reading more! Thanks!