A Wizard's Magic" Chapter 3

Leila was furious and turned on Troy as soon as they were backstage.

“What the hell was that Troy? You didn’t tell me anything about a new trick. I don’t like having to ad lib…you know that.” She was fit to be tied and didn’t care that a member of the audience was still with him. In fact, that bothered her even more.

“Calm down Leila. Next time, I’ll let you know first.”

“There’d better never be a next time Troy.” Leila fumed.

“I need to get back to my friends or they’ll worry.” Serena was a little uncomfortable with the undercurrents between the two partners and still shaken from the experience she's had on stage.

Troy turned to her, “I’ve sent Mike, our stage usher, to tell them you’re backstage with me. He’ll bring them here in a moment.”

“Troy?” Leila tugged his arm.

“Yes, Leila?” Troy answered his sister but never broke eye contact with Serena.

“Why is she back here with us?” Leila asked with insincere sweetness barely keeping her anger in check.

“Serena this is my sister Leila.” He ignored Leila’s question.

“Nice to meet you,” Serena smiled at Leila.

“Yeah, sure, same here...I’m going to go and change now Troy. I’ll see you later,” which meant she’d want answers then.

“Yeah, much later,” Troy laughed and didn’t feel any remorse for shaking up his sister, even when her door slammed shut.

“I know we only have a few minutes before your friends arrive and I need to know who you are.”

“Serena Michaels,” she said shyly, glad her voice sounded normal because she wasn’t feeling normal. Out on that stage this man had sent her to a place she still couldn’t believe and then he’d joined her there. It was fantastic, magical, and totally impossible. She took a steadying breath and asked boldly, “And I need to know, how you did that…I mean where did we-”

“That isn’t your question.”

“Isn’t it?” Serena felt her pulse quicken at his intense stare.

“No,” he moved closer, “The question you want to ask is what happened between us out there.”

“What did happen?”

Troy smiled wickedly, “This,” he whispered and lowered his lips to hers.

She felt him against every pulse point in her body even though only their lips were touching. Her attraction to him was too strong to deny. Whatever ‘this’ was, it was pulse tripping weird.

“Where do you live?” Troy murmured against her lips.

“I live in New York.” She murmured not opening her eyes. “We’re only on vacation here. I’m staying at the-. ”

“Alone?”

Her eyes flew open,“With friends,” she answered slowly, but knew what he was asking and added softly, “I’m here with someone.”

“Serena where are you?”

Belinda’s voice carried backstage.

Troy stepped back but his eyes never lost their intensity, “Are you married?”

“No.”

He smiled broadly and turned just as her friends found them.

 

“You were fantastic!” David was the first to reach them and extended his hand to the illusionist.

“Thank you,” Troy nodded and shook his hand.

“This is David.” Serena introduced him to Troy just as David came up next to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

“You were fantastic too Rena,” he squeezed her shoulder.

“Thanks.” 

Introductions were made and Troy graciously answered their many questions and even signed Belinda’s program when she waved it at him. He congratulated the newly engaged couple and invited them all back to see the show again.

Serena watched him closely, a little shocked to realize she fervently wished he could make all her friends disappear and finish that kiss. Just as she acknowledged this awful thought his eyes connected with hers. One dark brow lifted slightly and she knew, with no uncertainty, she would see him again. The message in his eyes was unmistakable.

*                                              *                                              *

 

The Robe’s presence was a formidable force in the small room. Troy had tossed it off and taken a quick shower earlier but now as he walked back into the room dressed in his jeans with his hand on his half buttoned shirt he stood staring at it.

Where had it come from?

He had no doubts that it had brought Serena to him, but why?

Troy paced as he completed buttoning his shirt and let the restlessness he felt at the unanswered questions work out of his muscles.

The command of power he’d felt when he wore the robe was another concern altogether. Primal images and a deep-seated knowledge of shadowed mysteries had filled his thoughts. He’d been careful not to let any image form completely. He wasn’t sure why he kept them at bay, he was only sure that instinctively he knew it was the right thing to do.

He reached out and touched the robe.

The symbols sizzled with electrical current at his touch and he remembered vividly the moments on stage with Serena. Their combined awareness was the reason he was able to perform a trick he had never practiced. A trick he had no conception of how to perform. Problem was …it wasn’t a trick at all and he’d had no control over any of it.

The harsh knock on his door brought his thoughts to an end and made him smile. He knew she really wanted to pound him and not the door.

“Come on in Leila,” he called out.

Leila stormed into her brother’s room, “Okay Troy, we are going to talk!” her voice was tightly controlled, “You’d better have a really good explanation for tonight’s events.”

“What event in particular Leila? The trick or the woman?” his smile was innocent and he could see Leila really wanted to hit him, he couldn’t stop the laugh.

“Let’s start with the trick and work it over to the woman. I have a feeling it goes that way.”

Leila walked past her brother over to a small bar and looked over his stock. She decided on a glass of wine. “Join me?” she asked as she poured a full glass for herself.

“No, I’d better keep my head so I can give you the clear facts, as clear as I can anyway.”

“Fine, go ahead then,” she waved her hand royally at him and sat down on his overstuffed sofa. She snuggled deeper into the soft cushions and waited for his explanation.

“When I …” Troy started to tell her about the way he’d felt when he’d put on the robe tonight but hesitated. He really had no idea what had controlled it. Would she worry?

“You can begin anytime Troy,” Leila took a small sip of her drink and settled in more.

“Sure…but maybe I will have a glass with you.”

“Stalling?”

“Just a bit,” Troy admitted and went to pour a drink.

“Fine, let me give you a starting point….What are those robes made of? I swear I felt currents of energy when I wore mine and I saw sparks flying from yours. I don’t even want to tell you what I saw around your volunteer.”

Troy’s hand shook and he lowered the glass back to the bar.

“You saw her surrounded by a blue white light and when we disappeared you saw it over both robes.”

“Yes …exactly.” Leila’s voice whispered in awe, “What was that?”

It was Kismet he thought, but he couldn’t explain it. He stared into his wine then took a long sip. He needed an explanation himself but Leila was waiting wide eyed for some kind of enlightenment. He walked over to her and shrugged, “It may sound crazy Leila. I don’t know where these robes came from…all I know is that they came specifically to us.”

“They came to us because you ordered the usual robes and these were sent by mistake.”

“No Leila, the costumer didn’t send them…at least not our usual costumer.”

“You’re freakin’ me out here Troy.” Leila lowered her own glass, “Remember I called and was told you ordered them.”

“I didn’t.” he shook his head firmly, “and the man who answered wasn’t Sam and I can almost bet you he didn’t work for Sam either.”

“Who then and why would someone do that?”

“I don’t know yet.” Troy admitted softly.

Leila turned to look at the robe hanging on Troy’s closet door. “What the heck is it made of?”

“Pure power and ancient knowledge,” Troy murmured.

“What?” Leila looked back at her brother not sure she heard him, but deeply afraid she had.

 “The robe is old. I’m not sure how old but ancient is a good guess.”

“Come on Troy…That’s not possible. It looks brand new…have you been drinking before now?” she laughed hoping to lighten the mood and wanting Troy to tell her he was only playing with her.

Leila’s laughter died when she saw the intensity in her brother’s expression.

“Leila you know me better than that.”
 
“I’m sorry Troy, but you really are freakin’ me out.”

“Then let’s not talk about the robe.”

“Fine, what about the trick you didn’t practice with me?” she asked, deciding she’d go back to the topic of the robe later, but having a moment to process what Troy was telling her wasn’t a bad idea. Anyway, she did want to know how he’d performed that illusion. It was magnificent.

“You might want to stay on the subject of the robe,” he suggested wryly.

“Why?”

Troy closed his eyes and took a deep breath remembering the illusion and the moment when he and Serena had been transported to a land he had never seen before.

Serena thought she was part of a grand illusion he had manifested but he knew better. He was equally spellbound, standing on that unknown beach with a brilliant Sun illuminating and blotting out everything except each other, she’d fallen into his arms like a lost love and their kiss had not been shy or searching; it had been fast and hard and very familiar. They’d only had moments before they were pulled back to the stage but it was enough to seal their lifetime. In that moment their souls connected in a primal recognition of its mate, and even now he could still taste her.

“Troy say something. You're silence is worrying me.”

Troy opened his eyes and nodded.

“Wait!” Leila held up her hand before he could speak and picked up her wine glass and downed the contents. “Okay…go ahead,” she nodded, easing back against the couch cushions trying to ignore her unease.

“For starters Leila, I have no idea where we went to when we left the stage and believe me when I tell you it was not an illusion that I was performing. The robe, or I should say the power of it, controlled the entire show. I knew I could do anything with it on, all I had to do was wish to.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“Not even a little.”

“That’s impossible.” Leila stood up and walked over to the robe. She reached out to touch it but a searing heat stopped her hand inches from the material.

 “Ouch!” she stepped back. “I don’t think it likes me,” her eyes widened.

Troy walked up behind her and reached out to calm the currents of the robe, at his touch it glowed with the same electrical current it had on stage.

“I think it has a purpose and only the one it has chosen is allowed to touch it at will.”

“What about my robe?” Leila asked curiously.

“Yours is a ceremonial robe too but it projects only the power given from this one.”

“And the volunteer’s robe?” Leila asked fascinated that any of this could be true.

“I wouldn’t call it a volunteer robe. It isn’t an audience friendly robe Leila…actually, only one person can wear it.”

“What do you mean one person?”

“The Magician’s Mate,” Troy said solemnly.

Leila laughed sharply, “Now I know you’re kidding me, Troy you’re not looking for a mate. You said yourself our lifestyle doesn’t factor in for a family,” she laughed again but knew it was hollow. If that beautiful woman was his mate then where would that leave her? Troy was all the family she had. “Besides how do you really know any of this for sure?”

“I just know Leila.”

“But you really can’t be sure about it all. How can you be so sure?”

“The knowledge came from wearing the robe. I just know.”

 “So the robe picked your mate and you’re going to see this woman again?”

“Oh yes,” his voice projected the smile he couldn’t hide.

“Troy I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” The first real prickling of fear slammed into her when she realized this was a threat to their lifestyle. She wasn’t sure it was a good thing for Troy either. It all seemed too strange to be true.

“Troy listen to me, this has been a weird night let’s not rush to conclusions that can drastically change our lives.”

“I think it’s too late for that.” he warned sagely.

She could see that the woman was in his thoughts. “Okay, maybe you’re right, certainly the robes are odd but what if the powers weren’t really meant for us? We didn’t order them…Or” her voice whispered with concern, “What if the robe’s power is a controlling one and if it is, maybe we should destroy it before it destroys us?” she pleaded quietly, eyeing the garment, fearing its possible retribution for her words. Troy had to end this.

“I don’t think it’s controlling in the way you fear and it can’t be destroyed.”

 Leila turned and stared at the now shimmering robe and shivered. She didn’t like the feel of this at all. Magic was one thing, illusions and all that, but this stuff was too surreal to make her feel comfortable.

“If we can’t destroy it then I think we need to return them all. I still have the box they came in.”

“Believe me Leila, it’s too late for that but don’t be afraid. It isn’t a haphazard power. I know there’s a plan, we’ll just have to see where it leads us.” Troy put his arms around his sister and hugged her just as he had when they were kids and he had to chase away the nightmares. Although, this wasn’t a nightmare for him, not by a long shot, but he knew Leila hated change and this was going to be a major one for both of them.

“Sometimes Troy I really wish we’d never discovered this magic we have,” she mumbled into his shoulder, “I’m so afraid we’re going to be lost to it.”

“Never Leila…you don’t really believe that either. You know when the power sings through you, you feel at peace with it. It’s who we are.”

She nodded owning the truth in his words and feeling as if the two of them were all alone in a strange new world. Just as she had when they were orphaned and left with foster families until Troy was old enough to make a home for them both. It was how they’d discovered their combined strength and honed it through the hardest times.She owed her brother a great deal; he’d taken on the world to protect her. If this was his destiny, their destiny, then she could do no less than to stand by him and protect him this time.

“Fine, I’ll wear the new robe and I guess I can get to know her better.” Leila looked up at him with resignation.

Troy laughed, defeat never sat well with Leila. It was as distasteful to her as change was, but he loved her for trying to understand.

“Let’s wait until I’ve had some time to let her get to know me first.”

There was a great deal Serena would have to accept about him and he needed some time to ease her into understanding it all. She’d said she was on vacation, he hoped it was a very long vacation.

“Sure. That’s true, she needs to get to know you and anyway… after that, I may not have to worry about getting to know her at all,” she smiled impishly at her brother.

“Brat,” Troy pulled her hair playfully and Leila shrugged but was selfishly glad that he wasn’t completely confident of the outcome of this relationship. Maybe nothing would change after all. She glanced back at the robe and childishly stuck her tongue out at it.

If she hadn’t been worried enough before, she was truly shaken now because she could have sworn the robe shook with laughter, even though she didn’t hear a sound.

“Let’s go Leila.” Troy’s voice came from across the room; he was holding open the door to leave.

Leila grabbed her jacket and walked out not daring to look back but an awareness of that piece of fabric’s imposing presence lingered, even after she was safe at home.