| Becoming Something More |
| Evil Wizard Keenan Series - Three |
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| Keenan entered the Council Chamber of the Evil Mages the same way he had for the past six years since he�d first been brought there. His cloak was pulled tight around his shoulders and his eyes were cast down. He moved quickly through the room and didn�t stop or make eye contact with anyone until he�d reached the place Elayne had told him to stand in. The mages that served on the council were seated quietly around the table. Ellery caught Keenan�s eye and raised an eyebrow curiously. Anyone who was paying attention to the small wizard could see that he was standing just behind Elayne�s chair � the traditional position of the leader�s consort. Keenan smiled at Ellery and winked. The young fire wizard rolled his eyes and leaned over to his sister, who was seated beside him. He whispered something to her and she looked up at Keenan in surprise. The young wizard shrugged and then glanced over toward the door he knew Elayne would soon enter through. Keenan shifted nervously from one foot to the other. If Ellery and Elysia had noticed the significance of where Keenan stood, others might too. While all the council members knew that Elayne would choose a wizard for her consort and then install him on the council, and so felt no jealousy toward him, the other wizards in the room would not feel that way. Just as Keenan had decided it might be better for his health to move to a more neutral area of the chamber, Elayne entered and the council members quickly got to their feet. The young wizard breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face his lady. The only person Elayne had informed of her plans was Master Xeneel. The young magician had correctly assumed that Elayne had neglected to tell Keenan what his part in the ceremony was to be. He quickly located Keenan and explained exactly what would take place. As Xeneel had instructed earlier, Keenan waited until Elayne was only a few steps away from him and then dropped to one knee. �My lady,� he said softly. Elayne smiled and held her hands out to him. Keenan hesitated a moment; then gently placed his hand into hers. �Hello, my pet,� she whispered, smiling even more. Keenan was positive she meant it to be reassuring, but the effect was anything but. Looking up at the assembled mages, she said, �I have chosen this wizard � Keenan Meadows � as my consort.� Although Xeneel had told him what would happen, Keenan was caught by surprise when � as soon as the words were out of her mouth � his hands were bound together with invisible cords. He gasped involuntarily and looked up at Elayne for some sort of reassurance. Elayne locked eyes with him and asked, �Do you accept this position and all that goes with it?� Keenan blinked at her and then nodded. �Y-yes,� he replied softly. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he repeated in a firmer voice, �Yes, my lady.� He winced slightly as the invisible bonds seemed to tighten. �Do you swear to obey me in all things?� Elayne asked, her expression softening slightly. �Yes, my lady,� Keenan replied softly. Again Keenan winced, this time gasping in pain as the bonds tightened further. �Rise,� Elayne stated softly, pulling Keenan to his feet. Once Keenan was on his feet, Elayne turned to the conjurer on the council and said, �Rusty, will you accept the position of guardian and companion to my consort?� A tall mage with flaming red hair locked eyes with her and said, �I will, my lady.� Elayne nodded and the conjurer stepped over and took Keenan over to the empty seat at the table. As soon as Keenan was seated, the rest of the council sat, including Elayne. The woman glanced at Keenan, who had shut his eyes against the pain in his wrists. �Will you accept the position of Wizard on this council, Lord Keenan?� �Y-yes,� Keenan stammered, tears forming in his eyes. Thankfully only those seated at the table could see just how much pain the young wizard was in. �So be it,� Elayne whispered, and the invisible bonds were instantly gone. Keenan sighed in relief and looked up at Elayne, who shook her head once. �Be still,� she whispered. When Keenan nodded, the wizardess addressed the assembled mages once more. �Now, official business of the council must be conducted. You are dismissed.� Those mages not on the council quickly left the room and Ellery shut the doors behind them. �I thought Xeneel explained what was going to happen?� Elayne asked irritably. �He did,� Keenan replied, taking steadying breaths. �I � I just didn�t expect it to hurt so much.� �Are you all right?� a conjuress asked softly. Keenan nodded and glanced down at his wrists, which were red and inflamed. Looking back up at Elayne, he asked, �Was this supposed to happen?� The conjuress looked at the wrists and frowned. �Oriole,� she said, calling the witch on the council. �Look at this.� The witch walked over and examined Keenan�s wrists. �I can�t imagine why they�d be inflamed like this,� she said. �It�s as though your aura was a mirror to Elayne�s.� �A mirror?� Keenan asked. �What�like an inverse pair?� When he saw the confused look on her face, he explained, �My aura fluctuates at exactly the opposite frequency as hers does.� �Yes,� Oriole said. �But that�s not possible� is it?� Keenan nodded and smiled weakly. �It would explain what happens when we touch,� he said. Blushing, he added, �It�s like this� power goes back and forth between us. It�s very�� �Stimulating,� Elayne supplied. �Is he alright?� she asked Rusty. �I don�t know,� the conjurer replied. �I�ll let my nurse check him.� �Your nurse?� Keenan asked. Rusty nodded and mumbled an incantation. A moment later, a small portal opened and a bush shuffled through it into the room. Keenan�s eyes widened in alarm and he jumped to his feet and the small nurse tree made its way toward him. �Elayne,� he called. �Keenan,� Elayne replied, catching him in her arms. �Don�t let it� I can�t�� Keenan stammered hysterically. Rusty frowned and called the tree back him. �Keenan,� he called gently. �Are you dendrophobic?� �Hmm?� Keenan asked, turning to the large man. �Are you afraid of trees?� Rusty repeated. Keenan nodded and explained, �A Wizard Tree attacked me when I was younger. It � it killed my master. I�ve been terrified of magic trees ever since.� Rusty sighed and sent the tree back through the portal. �We�re going to need a natural healer to check out his wrists, Elayne.� �I captured one the other day,� the council�s warlock said softly. Elayne nodded. �Bring him here, Jacob,� she ordered. �Yes, my lady,� the small man replied. He smiled at Oriole; then bounded out of the room. Still trembling and near tears, Keenan looked up at Elayne and whispered, �I�m sorry, Elayne. I � I just can�t� can�t have it near me� let it touch me�� �It�s not your fault, Keenan,� Elayne consoled. �Sit down here and wait for the healer.� When the healer arrived a moment later, the man was not at all pleased with the whole situation. He was protesting his capture loudly as Jacob dragged him into the room. �Stop it,� Elayne snapped. �You have a patient.� The healer stopped. Frowning slightly, he turned to Keenan and sighed. The young wizard was as pale as a sheet and he was trembling uncontrollably. His wrists were red and inflamed and the inflammation seemed to be spreading up his arms and down onto his hands. �My name�s Jason,� he said softly, taking Keenan�s wrist. �Keenan,� the younger man replied weakly. �What happened?� �T-tree�� Keenan said. �Th-they called it to check my wrists, but I�m s-scared of trees.� �What happened to your wrists?� Jason asked patiently. �B-binding spell,� Keenan replied. �But something went wrong�we�re an inverse pair so it reacted strangely.� �What did you feel during the spell?� Jason asked, nodding slightly. Now he had some idea what was happening, but needed confirmation. Keenan shook his head. �It felt like the bonds kept getting tighter and tighter,� he said softly. Jason smiled and nodded. �Your aura reacted with Elayne�s during the spell. It caused a side spell to kick in. Pairs aren�t supposed to be bonded to each other.� �Can you fix it?� Elayne asked softly. Jason nodded and set his hand over Keenan�s wrists. A moment later, the young wizard relaxed against the back of his chair and sighed. The redness was completely gone, as well as the pain. �Thank you,� Keenan said earnestly. Jason blinked in surprise. �You�re welcome,� he replied, uncertainly. The last thing he'd expected was for the wizard to thank him. The young wizard looked up at Elayne and smiled warmly. The wizardess sighed and turned to the healer. �You�re free to go,� she said softly. �But I have an offer to make you.� �What sort of offer?� Jason asked suspiciously. �Because Keenan is afraid of trees, we can�t have them heal him,� Elayne explained. �Would you work for me as his physician?� �I�d be free to leave and you�d pay me?� Jason asked, in order to clarify what she was asking. When Elayne nodded, Keenan locked eyes with him and added, �Please, Master Jason?� Jason sighed deeply. This went against what his instincts told him, but his heart said that if this little wizard were severely injured and wouldn�t allow a tree to heal him, he might die before a healer could be found to treat him. �Alright,� he said softly. �Thank you,� Keenan replied. �Excellent,� Elayne stated, nodding to herself. �I�ll see to it that chambers are prepared for you and a work area as well.� Jason nodded and said, �He should rest. His aura was very stressed by that spell and he�ll take a while to recover from it. Until he is, he shouldn�t do magic, especially since he�s a contact wizard.� Elayne nodded again and set a hand on Keenan�s shoulder. �I�ll see you later, sweeting,� she said softly. �Yes, dear,� Keenan replied, kissing her on the hand. He smiled briefly at Jason, then hurried from the room. He paused at the door and said, �Your room, right?� �Our room,� Elayne corrected, nodding. �Right,� Keenan replied and he left the room. �Okay,� Kerry said softly as she watched Keenan's retreating form. Turning to Elayne, she said, �He�s a contact wizard. Doesn�t that make him vulnerable to attack?� Elayne smiled and said, �I like vulnerable.� Ellery smiled. �This is certainly going to be interesting, sister.� �Indeed,� Elysia agreed softly. End |
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