A Knight's Purpose (Book 1) ✔️

Rage

Ansley slammed his hand on the desk so hard it shattered.

"What do you mean you can't find one? We had one literally under our nose and first you lost it and now you can't find me a new one?" He drew in a deep breath before looking up to stare into the eyes of the witch standing before him

The woman's knees were shaking so hard her entire body vibrated but she knew better than to take a step back. "My Lord..."

"I AM NOT DONE!" Ansley screamed before she could continue with her placation. "This is an integral part of the spell and there is no substitute for this ingredient. If you do not find me a catalyst before I need it I will kill everyone you know and wipe your coven from the earth. You will not fail me again," he hissed.

The woman bowed and grovelled, whimpering while failing hide her fear. Ansley was disgusted.

The witches if Anivan's coven had already failed to locate the ingredient and now she could barely face him. Why did he even bother with them?

"Get out of my sight." He slammed his hand on the desk again and stormed back to glare out the window behind him.

He watched her terrified form flee his top floor office in the windows reflection.

A soft knock came and a round face peered around his door.

"Master, would you like some tea?" The short man asked softly after Anivan fled.

He was a half mage, father having been a human, and therefore relegated to menial tasks instead of spell work. He'd learned his place after Ansley had given him to some of the spirit mages to practice on. His time being possessed had worked very favorably for his disposition.

Occasionally, Ansley almost felt bad for the man, but then he remembered how his own master has treated him when he was learning. And he had been a full blood mage!

"No, Neeley, I do not wish for tea. Leave me in peace unless someone is to bring me good news."

No sooner had he given this order than a tall blond man clad in a suit and flowing red cloak slammed through the door. The enthusiastic door opening slammed Neeley into a wall.

"My Lord," the man gave a dramatic sweeping bow and fell to one knee. "I have come with a report on the progress for the Awakening."

Coleman had a flair for the dramatic and loved to pretend he was a knight of old serving his Lord. Sometimes it was entertaining, others it merely annoying.

Sighing, Ansley took his seat. He frowned and waved a hand over his desk, watching it knit itself back together.

"You may proceed with the report, Coleman. Tell me how much time loosing the catalyst will cost us." He pressed a hand to his nose to stave off the growing headache.

Coleman rose and sauntered forward. "We can slow our progress with the other spells and are still a week away from needing it. The rest of the enchantments for the first stage are close to complete. All other casting groups other than those present here have finished their spells."

"Then we have a week to find another catalyst. Our last attempt at locating one was less than successful. If we are unable to find one, how long will the spell be stable before we must restart from the beginning?"

That was the real question. The first stage in Claudus's spell was close to complete but having to recast it would take months. And there were many more stages after this before the full Awakening, and his true immortality, could occur. Having to restart now would not bode well for the rest of the stages.

"I believe we can hold it for up to a day. We will need to sacrifice some mages in order to provide the power the unstable spell will require. However, I do not think you need to worry. I might have found a new catalyst within our own grasp." Coleman grinned with triumph and excitement of the death to come.

Ansley sat forward, tenting his hands. "There is no catalyst here, Coleman. We would know."

The other man shook his head slowly. "It is not here yet. But I have been told that in the prisoners we have a catalyst soon to be born. It might be just enough to stabilize the spell, should Anivan's coven fail to find you a replacement for the one they lost." His sly voice easily reminded Ansley of his competition's failure.

Coleman and Anivan both directly reported to Ansley. He went to them whenever he needed something found, letting the two compete for his favor. He didn't discourage it, in fact he found it rather entertaining.

He, Ansley, had people fighting for his praise and attention. The boy they said would amount to nothing, the man who was told he would die before he would do anything worthwhile, the mage who hadn't been able to cast more than a simple light spell until he was an adult, he, Ansley, was worth everything to these people. His attention, mere scraps, enough to satisfy them and be at each other's throats for more.

A small smile finally graced his face. Soon, he would be the first person graced with immortality. Then, there would be no one who could say he wasn't worthy.

He would have his whole life to study and learn. With an infinite number of days before him, he could become the most powerful mage alive.

He already was, but he could only grow more so as the gap in knowledge grew between him and those who only had a measly hundred years to learn grew wider.

"Should this be true, I will of course appoint you to prepare for the second stage of the Awakening." Ansley nodded as Coleman barely contained his elation.

"However," he held up one finger and Coleman froze. "Should your catalyst be needed and you are wrong of its origins I will take pleasure in killing you myself. Slowly."

Coleman, to his credit, didn't blanch simply falling to one knee again. "I would never disappoint you, my Lord."

Ansley flicked a finger, and the man was dismissed.

Could the answer really be residing inside his very building? The last and most difficult to acquire piece was the only thing between him and his destiny.

Soon, not even that would stand in his way.