The Bookstore Mage

Inside the bedroom, an anxious Lucien was pacing about, his mind still in shock. He would occasionally throw the bound Vampire a glance, causing the latter to shiver in fear.

According to Darius, the smell he was emitting was too appetizing, it was enough to make him lose his reasoning and dare to attack him in broad daylight. After further explanation, Lucien slowly came to the conclusion that whatever scent he was emitting, came after he had visited that alter plane.

'Could it have something to do with that presence I saw?' Goosebumps appeared on the back of his neck as he remembered that incomprehensible figure that lurked deep in the abyss.

'Maybe that could also explain all of these changes I've been going through?' Lucien wondered as he glanced at his hands.

The past few hours had not felt like himself. Instead, it was as if he was nothing but a bystander in his own body, watching everything play out with a calm indifferent attitude. A part of him even enjoyed the sadistic torture he inflicted on the Vampire.

He had been too rash, too nonchalant, and too ignorant of the risks he was exposing himself to. What would have happened if he did not leave that astral plane in time? What would have happened if that inconceivable figure grabbed a hold of him? And what would have happened if he continued using that spell recklessly?

Would he remain as himself? Or would he morph into something else? The scary part of it all was the fact that Lucien truly did not feel anything wrong. It was as if he always had those tendencies. When he was experimenting on Darius, he truly thought it was the normal thing to do. That's what scared him the most.

It was then that Lucien remembered the first page of the magical book, the quote written by his ancestor:

'Magic is how the Divine come to our rescue, how the Devils and Monsters reach in and cause harm with their temptations. Be aware, be good, and be very careful what you wish for. There is always a fee.'

"There is always a fee..." Lucien repeated in a daze.

Moon's sudden cry broke him out of his trance once again. Lucien gave a weak smile and bent down to grab her. For some reason, her presence helped calm him down. He slowly stroked her soft white fur and turned to gaze at the weak Vampire.

'What do I do with him though?' He wondered.

Darius seemed to sense something as he hurriedly avoided his gaze.

It was then that the sound of knocking came from downstairs. It sounded especially loud in the silent bedroom.

Lucien frowned and dragged Darius with him using Imer. Once downstairs he forced the old Vampire to hide behind the counter as moved toward the door. Lucien then cautiously moved the blinds and studied the newcomers.

A duo. One was a beautiful dark-skinned lady with short hair, thick brows, and deep eyes, and the other was a young man in his late twenties, estimated Lucien. He had short dark brown hair and a pair of piercing blue eyes.

With a frown, Lucien opened the door with a clang and spoke:

"We're closed for the day."

"Mr. Lucien, my name is Nia, and this is my partner Patrick. We are here on the behalf of the Council."

Hearing that, Lucien's heart sank a little. He was well aware of the power and respect the Council commanded. His question was, what were they here on his doorstep? And why now?

'Could it be that aura Darius spoke of?'

His mind was spinning fast, yet Lucien maintained his poker face.

"And, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked.

*****

Nia thought that she was prepared for facing the mage. She even brought Patrick, one of the council's top mages with her as backup, yet all of that seemed insignificant once the young-looking mage opened the door.

She was able to immediately sense the weak presence of the Vampire Darius. It seemed like he was hovering on the verge of death.

The main problem, however, was the aura emitting from the bookstore, and the one that the young mage himself was leaking.

The first suppressed the magic inside her body, making her feel like a giant mountain was pressing on her back, the latter on the other hand, made Nia feel like she was in the presence of a devil.

Still, she maintained a respectful attitude and introduced herself as a representative of the Council, hoping that the mage would not do anything rash, for she doubted either her or Patrick were his match.

The mage's face retained its indifferent expression causing her heart to leap in her chest.

"And, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Calming herself, Nia forced herself to speak:

"The Council would like to ask you to hand the criminal Darius the Vampire over for justice. You will be handsomely compensated for your troubles."

A frown made its way to the mage's face. Nia felt the world spin, Patrick who was by her side tensed up and got ready.

'It's over!' Nia thought.

To their surprise, however, the young mage simply moved back and further opened the door to the bookstore.

"Please, come in."

His invitation looked like that of a monster inviting them to the jaws of the abyss. Nia hesitated for a second before she stepped inside followed by Patrick.

The tall bookshelves on both sides greeted her, yet she was not in the mood to study them, the pressure multiplied once she was inside. Nia was sure that it would be impossible for her to use magic here.

Her mind began to spin as various thoughts ran wild in her head.

'Did he bring us inside to finish us off? Does he not care about the Council?!'

Before she could say anything, however, the young mage waves his hand. The figure of the old Vampire Darius floated from behind the counter. He had a bleak look on his face, his pale face looked worse than normal. He dared not gaze at Lucien directly.

'Chantless casting! And so easily!? Just what level did he reach?!' Nia's eyes widened in shock.

"I presume it was him you are looking for?"

"Y-Yes..." Nia stuttered in reply.

"Well then, he's all yours."

Nia gulped nervously, she still couldn't believe how easy it was. She cautiously motioned for Patrick to grab the Vampire, to her surprise, Darius couldn't even struggle. He was too weak to move. If anything, he looked relieved looking at them.

'Just what did he do to him?!'