The iron cuffs burned my wrists. The runes carved into the rings taunted me when they flared with power, suppressing my gifts. Stanwick had tricked me, and I found myself in this predicament. The time will come when I crush him under the very power that he takes from me. I was the mage he couldn’t contain. I was the one that he feared, but instead of killing me, which is what he should have done, he locked me up. Stealing bits of my power at a time. Little did he know that each time he removed my talent to claim as his own, I was taking over his body. He had my talent, but he would never have my soul. But I would have his.

​

This cell which was my prison had a toilet, a non-working sink, and an iron frame bed with a shoddy mattress. I stared at my face in the mirror. The wrinkles multiplied on my face with each passing day. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been held in this hell hole, but I was sure that it wouldn’t be much longer.

​

When one of Stanwick’s minions approached me as if she were going to let me out, I stood back in my cell away from her. She was the one I feared the most. A devil child. She needed a red-hot poker shoved through her chest, and I wasn’t even sure that would kill her. The little one had plenty of magic but no moral compass. Her soul was devoid of it. I’d done the things I’d done for a reason. My reasons may have differed from others, but I had done what I knew was right by magic and by humanity.

​

One of those things was hunting the little ones like this one. Putting them out of their parents’ miseries before they were too much trouble. I could spot them a mile away. That one child that would always do the opposite as told. The child that would kill an animal for fun.

​

“I know you hate me,” the little one said.

​

“I do not hate you. I hate the thing that made you,” I said to her. I didn’t know what that thing was, but I was sure it wasn’t God.

​

“I made me,” she replied. “Stanwick needs you for a ceremony. You will come with me without an incident or I will hack you to pieces and serve you to the dogs.”

​

“Don’t lie, Little One. You would eat me, wouldn’t you?” I asked.

​

“Probably, but you stink,” she said.

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“Death stinks. I am Death,” I said.

​

“Heh. Well, Death, the Master calls, and I’m not putting up with his whining tonight,” she said.

​

“You could kill him, you know?”

​

“Then what? Nobody is going to believe a kid. I’ll do what I have to do when it comes time, but it isn’t time,” the Little One said. “And if I were him, I would have killed you when I found you.”

​

If I could get my hands around her neck, I was sure I could snap it. She smirked at me as if she knew what I was thinking. She unhooked my chain from the magical ring on the wall. I felt the pressure of the magic holding me back slacken.

​

“What ritual?”

​

“Oh, he’s finally found a female 3rd generation, and he’s gonna fuck her hoping to produce a 4th gen,” she shrugged.

​

“Interesting. What spell is he using?” I asked.

​

“Something from the book he got,” she said.

​

“What book?”

​

“The first book.”

​

“The first book is in the library.”

​

“Yeah, well, he has it.”

​

“The first book is incomplete.”

​

“No, it’s actually pretty accurate. It’s just the more distasteful spells that most mages won’t touch. Like enthralling a woman and impregnating her in a ritual.”

​

“Poor child. Who is she?”

​

“None of your business.”

​

She led me down the dark earthen hallway to the large ritual room. I stopped in my tracks when I saw the girl spread-eagle on the floor. She had been blindfolded and her chest rose and fell rapidly with her scared breaths. I saw magic in her. Pure, white magic. The same color as her wondrous hair.

​

Stanwick pointed to the water rune. I looked around the room but didn’t see the bug-eyed fellow that was his water mage. My strength was in shadow, but I knew Stanwick wouldn’t give that one to me. I’d break free of these chains. I kept my eyes on the beautiful girl in the center of the circle.

​

The blindfold held down her hair which was a shame. It needed to fly free like a dove. She needed to be free, but she also needed to be caged. Free of Stanwick. Caged for protection. I could protect her from anyone that tried to take her power. She was so good. She was the opposite of the devil child who joined in a chant with the others. I moved my mouth to the words after I’d heard the chant, but I didn’t speak them.

I watched as the girl formed magic in her head. I could see the glowing purple rune flashing on her forehead. No one else could see it but me. Stanwick removed the blindfold but she kept her eyes closed, focusing on the little rune that wouldn’t save her.

​

Open your eyes, White Dove.

​

Her focus shifted from the air rune to the earth which shook below her. They were coming to save her, and I would do nothing to stop them. She would be safer with them than with Stanwick. They would keep her alive until I could take her.

​

Finally, her eyes opened to look up at the monster standing over her. I saw her fear, but I also saw determination. She wouldn’t let this beat her.

​

Yes, fight, White Dove. Norman will come for you. Norman will save you.

​

When the other mages stormed the room, I backed against the wall watching them take her with very little effort on their part. I spun away from one attacker so I could keep my eyes on her. She fell into the earth below the circle, and the last thing I saw was a wisp of her white hair.

​

One day, White Dove, you will be safe with me.

​

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