Chapter 35
“I’ll get it,” Carson said, jumping up. “That must be Mystia.”
“And I’ll reheat the water for tea,” added Remy, picking up the teapot, heading for the kitchen.
Pausing in front of the door, Carson gathered his thoughts, making sure he remembered all the questions he had. Then, opening the door, he gave Mystia a wide welcoming smile, stepping forward to hug her. “Thank you very much for protecting my family until I got here,” he murmured in her ear.
“Congratulations,mon petit loulou,”Mystiasaid, returning his smile. “I’m so happy for you and Remy.”
“Thanks,” Carson replied, ushering Mystia into the living room, “Remy’s in the kitchen. The boys are asleep so we’ll be able to talk without interruption.”
Sitting down, Mystia said, “As much as I’d like to see them again, it’s probably for the best, since we have much to cover tonight.”
Arriving with the hot teapot, Remy said, “Hi, Mystia, I’d appreciate all the help you can give. To be honest, I’m a bit overwhelmed by everything the Oracle told me.”
Taking the teapot from his mate, Carson set it down before sitting next to him. “So am I…especially since I haven’t talked to Remy about it, yet.”
“Then that’s where we should begin,” Mystia said. “Let’s start with your questions, Carson. What is your biggest concern?”
“Hmmm…well, I understand I can remove magic from someone, but what happens if I inadvertently do it to Remy?” asked Carson.
“You can’t,” Mystia said, “Remy is immune to your power so that can never happen.”
“Thank goodness,” replied Carson. “Next question, what happens to the magic I remove from someone? Where does it go? Do I keep it and if I do will I be able to use it?”
Giggling, Remy said, “Carsy, that’s more than one question.”
“Hey, they’re all connected,” Carson protested.
Smiling, Mystia said, “Any magic removed by you goes to Remy since he is the Keeper of All Magic. However, there are a number of ‘spells’ that you can do, but these are not spells in the same sense as mine…for instance, the anti-scent spell I cast on you and your brothers to keep Josiah from finding you. Your spells come from your anti-magic power and belong to you alone. No other magic user has the ability to do them.”
“Oracle said my power was for defensive purposes,” Carson said.
“In a way, yes,” Mystia replied, “first and foremost, you are the guardian of the Keeper. If anyone is foolish enough to attack or try to hurt Remy, you are responsible for protecting him and, in those cases, it becomes defensive. But your powers can also be wielded by the Keeper as punishment.”
“In what way?” asked Carson.
“Keeper of All Magic is only part of what Remy is,” Mystia said. “He is also Ruler of the Mystic Realm.”
“Oracle addressed me as that,” said Remy, “but I don’t know what it means.”
“Basically,” Mystia began to explain, “it means your decision is the final word for the mystic realm whetherit’s what laws and rules magic users must adhere to, or punishments handed out to those who choose to disobey them…and even what governing structure will be used. For instance, the last Ruler of the Mystic Realm formed the Witches’ Governing Council, but you are under no obligation to keep it. You can disband it, and rule yourself, or decide on a totally different structure.
“But getting back to Carson’s question, his power to remove a person’s magic can be used by the Ruler of the Mystic Realm as a punishment. In that case, it would not be considered defensive,” said Mystia.
“Whoa! That’s some heavy stuff,” Carson said. “Remy told me magic users fear that the most.”
“Yes, they do,” Mystia agreed. “It would be used for only the most serious crimes.”
“I’m not sure I could ever do that to another magic user,” Remy said, frowning. “Magic is part of who we are…to take that away…”
“Would probably be like me losing my wolf,” said Carson.
“Exactly!” exclaimed Remy. “I’m not sure I’m the right person to be Ruler of the Mystic Realm.”
“You are,mon chéri! Never doubt it for a moment,” Mystia said. “The Fates do not make mistakes. Punishments are rare in our world and that particular one is even rarer. Every magic user knows you have the power to do that, making it the best kind of deterrent there is…it has to be, otherwise, magic users wouldn’t have incentives to obey the laws governing the use of magic.”
Frowning, Remy replied, “That makes sense and I agree with it but it doesn’t mitigate the pain I would cause if I ordered magic removed.”
