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The Consultant and the Mask Author note 1st: Magic which has always existed is now openly acknowledged. 10% of the population is magically sensitive and 5% can actually be taught to cast spells. Only about 1% have the ability to earn a Magic-User 3rd Class license. In a country of 300 million that means there are potentially 3 million professional practitioners. However, it takes hard work and training to develop that raw talent. There are currently in the United States about 1 million licensed practitioners. Of that about 100,000 are rated 2nd Class, with about 10,000 1st Class Magic-Users, and about 300 Masters in the entire country. Author note 2nd: There are also more ancient private schools of magic. These schools are not registered with the Guild and specialize in unique types of magic that are generally considered illegal. The Guild of Magic-Users actively hunts these schools yet they persist. Author note 3rd: The multiverse is layered with world stacked upon world the only thing separating each realm of existence is the veil. It separates what is, from what might have been, from what may yet come to be; as thin as silk and unless one has the power and skill it is impenetrable. For those with the power and skill it can be parted and thus, Elves, Dwarves, Fairies, Ogres, Orcs, and Trolls and all manner of legendary creatures now walk the earth. The power of magic is rising how humanity reacts will chart the course of civilization of the next thousand years. An Age has come to an end and a new Age has been borne and as yet no one has noticed. Author note 4th: The story "The Thief" was intended as a preface for "The Consultant and the Mask." If you've already read it you might want to skip down to Part I. If you haven't then I recommend reading it since it's an important part of "The Consultant and the Mask". **************** **************** Preface: "The Thief" The moon was full and shining down on the van parked a couple of blocks south of the Mansion House Apartments in downtown St. Louis. It was a hot and humid summer night, nothing new really for St. Louis. The thief left the van running with the a/c on low as he moved to the back and settled into a comfortable position on the floor. Not officially licensed he had to be careful not to come to the attention of the Guild when he practiced magic. Max, (to the few people he called friends) closed his eyes and concentrated. The first spell he cast was designed to cause people to see the van but to file it away as unimportant. This was not a very powerful spell but it called for subtly and skill in mind magic. These were areas that Max excelled. Max had trained with some of the most skilled practitioners in a very exclusive, if illegal, school and he now made a comfortable living with these talents. Tonight he'd been commissioned to remove an artifact from an apartment in Mansion House and he felt confident he would succeed. It was almost 1 am when Max was ready to cast his next spell. He was slightly nervous, although he'd cast this spell dozens of times he'd never cast it at this particular type of target. Max thought about how uncomfortable he was going to be but brushed this aside, the money was just too good. He took a deep breath and glanced down for one last look at the photograph of his target. Max then focused on building a mental picture of the target in his mind and released the spell. It took affect at once. He felt his spirit pull free from his body and fly up toward the Mansion House disappearing into the brick wall of one of the upper level apartments. **************** Max slowly started to become aware of his surroundings. First, from a distance came sound. The breathing was heavy, a man grunting rhythmically to a soft feminine counterpart, whose moans of pleasure, punctuated the air. Next the taste of peppermint filled his mouth along with a salty flavor he couldn't identify. Suddenly he could see but the room was extremely dark with a small amount of light coming from his left. Then the smell of two people engaged in sex filled his nose and with that the sense of touch returned. Max now felt for the first time in his life the sensation of a large penis pushing into his slick welcoming vagina. At the same time the man on top of him was actively sucking the nipple of his right breast while stroking his left breast. He realized that he had his legs wrapped around his lover's waist and was pushing up to meet each thrust as the nearly overwhelming sensation of an orgasm approached. "Harder, harder, ... oh God," Max heard a woman's voice say. With this the man reached down and started to stroke his clitoris as he increased the pace of his thrusting. The orgasm took Max's breath away and caused him to grip his lover's ass tightly with both hands. Max pulled him as hard as he could into his pussy. At this point he couldn't hold in the scream of pleasure as his world shrank down to, cock, vagina, and the sensations of a female orgasm. Suddenly Max felt his husband's penis flood his vagina with a warmth that amazingly caused a series of aftershocks of pleasure, not a full orgasm but pleasant enough to keep his vagina pulsing. After a minute Max's husband rolled off, his penis sliding out with a slick popping sensation. Max lay there momentarily stunned. "That was great Karen," said Will. He then got up and walked to the bathroom and turning on the light. There was the sound of a faucet running as Will moved around. Max lifted his left hand and looked at the slim delicate female fingers, with the wedding ring on the third finger. He then touched his sensitive breast and knew that he possessed the body of Karen Smyth. His spell had been perfect his timing awful. Now that he was fully in control of the body Max knew that Karen's consciousness was in a sleep state. To her everything that happened would feel like a dream after he left. The warm sticky feeling between Max's legs caused him to get up and head to the bathroom. Will had just finished wiping off his manhood with a washcloth and smiled at his wife. He kissed Karen on the top of her head and then returned to the bedroom. Max closed the bathroom door and stared at himself in the mirror knowing what he would see. Karen Smyth stared back. About 5'2" she was in her late forties, and was about twenty to twenty five pounds overweight. Max figured that she had probably been pretty when she'd been younger but a sedentary life style with too much food had left her looking chunky. Her C sized breasts sagged a bit, her stringy brown hair hung down past her shoulders and her skin was somewhat blotchy. The feminine sensation of cum running out of a well-used vagina to drip against the side of her leg startled Max from his inspection. Suddenly feeling nauseous he rushed to the toilet and emptied Karen's dinner into the bowl. "Get a grip, Max," he said to himself. Max used some tissue to wipe his mouth and then flushed the toilet. After waiting a couple of seconds for his stomach to settle he turned and sat on the toilet and used more tissue to wipe the cum and the juices of his own orgasm from his vagina. He was startled by how sensitive it remained even several minutes after sex. Feeling dirty Max went to one of the drawers next to the 'his and her' sinks and pulled out a wash cloth. Wetting it down with warm soapy water he then cleaned his crotch and legs. Next Max found a tooth brush and got rid of the after taste of vomit, peppermint, and cock from his mouth. One of the benefits of the possession spell was that Max had access to his victim's memories, mannerisms, and skills while he possessed a body. The problem was that he had to focus to bring these forward. However Max had used this spell often and was skilled in pulling up a victim's memories. He now used Karen's memories to find panties, a night gown, turn off the lights, and then he climbed into bed. He settled onto his back and listened to the slow rhythmic breathing of Karen's husband. "There's no way he can already be asleep" Max thought to himself. Max glanced at the clock and saw that it was now twenty minutes past one, twenty of the longest minutes of my life he thought. Max settled in to wait knowing that he had to make sure that Will was asleep before he made his move. By 2 am Max could hardly stay awake and figured that it was time to get going. The possession spell didn't have a time limit and unlike a transformation spell, once it had been cast no energy was required to maintain it. But he didn't want to be in this body any longer than he had too. His masters had lectured him about what might happen if his body died while he possessed another body. Not something Max wanted to think about. Particularly since Will was a Class 1 Magic-User and would exact a vengeance on Max if he caught Max possessing his wife. In fact this was the reason Max had targeted Karen. Magic-Users had a natural defense against this type of magic, and the stronger the Practitioner the more powerful the natural defense to hostile magic. In order for Max to possess Will he would have needed some type of symbolic consent. Max climbed out of bed and walked out of the bedroom not feeling the thick shag carpet beneath his bare feet as he focused on the task at hand. The hall had hard wood floors which were cold enough to cause his nipples to harden breaking Max's concentration. Doing his best to ignore this reaction, and the sway of breasts and hips as he walked, Max continued to the study. Once in the room he turned on the light and looked around. There was a pentagram inscribed on the floor in silver. Books dominated one wall and windows the other. The third wall held several display cases. One of these cases held a Mask made of a strange white stone. Max quickly focused on the Mask since this was the object he'd been commissioned to pilfer. Karen had no magical power but she was magically sensitive. One of the characteristics of possession spell was that Max was limited to the magical abilities of the person he possessed. He walked over to the display case and using Karen's limited sensitivity opened his third eye and examined the wards protecting the case. The intricate weaving of energy was well beyond anything that Max could hope to overcome in Karen's body. However his ace in the hole was Karen. Most Magic-Users included their spouse's bio-metric information when building household wards. This way a spouse who was not magically gifted would still be able to access buildings and valuables. By possessing Karen, Max controlled her body which should allow him to breach the wards. Watching the wards carefully Max stepped forward and reached up to the latch keeping the display case closed. The wards flared for a second in Max's sight and parted. He opened the case and picked up the stone Mask. Max was startled by how light the Mask felt, but there was no doubt that it was made of some kind of stone. Max also noticed that the Mask felt oddly cold. He closed the case and went to the kitchen where he put the Mask into a plastic bag. Next Max went to the hall closet and found a pair of Karen's tennis shoes and a long khaki trench coat that belonged to Karen. Max wrapped the trench coat around her night gown slipped on the shoes and grabbed a key. He exited the house and felt the wards part and then snap back in place when he passed. He rode the elevator to the lobby and waved at Gus the doorman as he left the building. Walking two blocks to where he'd parked the van seemed to take forever. Max spotted the van only with difficulty since the spell Masking the van was still in effect. Max reached up under the front right tire and found the key fob for the van and unlocked it with a click. He opened the passenger door and looked back to spot his body apparently asleep on the floor in the back of the van. This filled Max with a sense of relief. At least his body was still safe. He dropped the bag behind the passenger's seat locked the van and left the key fob on the driver's seat. For a second Max thought about returning to his body now, this would leave Karen waking up in the middle of the street with only a vague dream about what had happened. But as soon as Max had that thought he discarded it. Part of his reputation was built on no one really understanding how he accomplished his thefts. Max retraced his steps to the apartment. Once in the apartment he hung up his coat and returned to his place beside Will. Settling into the bed, Max relaxed and with a word activated the part of the spell that returned his spirit to his body. Again there was that sense of dislocation and suddenly Max was back in his natural form. Max reached between his legs to verify that his equipment was in place and the felt his chest finding only firm pectoral muscles. With a sigh of relieve Max slide up into the driver's seat. **************** Max sat down at the laptop in his motel room. He quickly logged on and sent an e-mail to his contact. "I have the merchandize. Where do I deliver it?" As soon as the note was sent Max logged off the computer and got ready for bed, trying not to look at the bag with the Mask sitting on the table to one side. Max turned off the lights and got into bed. He felt fatigued from the day but his mind kept returning to the events of the evening. Max couldn't shake the memory of laying underneath Will as he thrust into Karen's eager vagina. The memory was so disturbingly erotic that Max found himself becoming hard. Max tossed and turned for over an hour before he managed to fall into a fitful slumber. **************** The next morning Max discovered that he was to meet his buyer at a rest stop outside of St. Louis on I-70 toward Lake St. Louis. They would meet at midnight. Max was cautious by nature so he packed up his bags and headed up to the closest exit to Lake St. Louis and found another hotel. He settled in to wait for midnight and his meeting. **************** Max pulled his van into the parking lot of the rest stop and didn't see any other vehicles. Not really alarmed he got out of the van picked up the bag with the Mask and headed back to the picnic tables where he'd meet his buyer. Since he was the first to arrive Max sat down and lite a cigarette. He hated waiting but understood the necessity at times. "Are you Maximilian Alexander Dionissis?" asked a high sweet female voice. Max spun around in time to see a beautiful blonde woman in old fashioned long robes standing behind him. "Yes," he hissed. "Are you Siofra?" Getting his first good look at the woman Max noticed that the tips of her ears were sticking out from her long blonde hair. Her narrow eyebrows and pointed chin finished establishing her race. "You're an Elf," Max stated redundantly. Ignoring Max's statement Siofra asked, "Do you have the artifact?" Max now lifted the plastic back which contained the Mask he'd taken from the Smyth's apartment yesterday. "May I see it," Siofra said. "As soon as I see the money," Max stated feeling in control of the situation. Suddenly Siofra snarled, "Insolent human" and made a gesture with her left hand. Max was already moving before she completed her spell. He dodged to the left, diving into a roll that came up to Siofra's side. At the same time Max spoke a Word of power that increased his, speed, strength, and resistance to hostile magic. There was a blaze of light as a bolt of magical energy blasted through the space that Max had occupied moments before. Now furious, Max didn't have that many offensive magical spells, but he knew how to fight and augmented his abilities with mundane weapons. He pulled out a Glock, Semi-automatic, 9mm, and started firing. Siofra was faster and had a shield in place before Max got the first round off. With a gesture telekinetic force gripped Max lifting him a few inches off the ground and pinning his arms to his side. Siofra smiled an evil leer and walked over to pick up the bag that Max had dropped. "You've got the Mask now let me go," Max said, hoping that he might yet come out of this alive. Siofra walked gracefully around Max in a full circle before stopping in front of him. When she smiled this time Max noticed that her teeth were a brilliant white and that a small trace of saliva had run down from the corner of her mouth. "Maximilian you have done me a service. My mistress will be very pleased. Yet I cannot risk you telling anyone about what happened. Go with my thanks into the afterlife," she said. Before she could start casting Max interrupted. "If I've done you a service then you owe me a debt, if you'll not grant me my life then I ask a kiss. You are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. I'll count myself lucky to die with the taste of your kiss upon my lips," Max said, hoping to play on Siofra's Elven pride and culture simultaneously. Eleven culture was known for repaying debts, and what Elven woman could resist being called beautiful. Siofra cocked her head to one side a slow wide smile dominating her face. "Your silver tongue has granted you, your last request" she said. Siofra moved forward confident in her power and gripped Max's head with both of her hands. She then leaned forward and brought her lips to his. While Siofra had been talking and moving toward Max, he started casting the only spell he could think of that might save him focusing intently on Siofra the whole time. Suddenly Siofra pulled back, eyes wide, "What have you done?" With a snarl Siofra made a gesture with one hand and spoke a word, of power. A bolt of magical energy blasted from her open mouth hitting Max in the chest blowing a hole through it the size of a softball. The power of a kiss Max knew, was ancient, a symbol of unity so powerful it would potentially overcome even a truly powerful beings natural resistance to Max's most unique spell. Siofra froze. She blinked several times as though she were becoming aware. Then she opened her mouth and licked her lips. Next she raised her hand to touch her face. This seemed to break her free from whatever force had held her motionless. **************** Max looked down at his body with the huge hole blown clean through his chest. His knees gave out and he collapsed to the ground. Long blonde hair cascaded around his bowed head as he tried to catch his breath. Staring into his own dead face was not a situation he'd ever thought he'd have to deal with. ****************** ****************** Part I ****************** ****************** The obnoxious buzzing of my cell phone pulled me from a deep sleep. I rolled over to grab it and managed to tangle my hand in my long dark hair. I reached again and only knocked the phone from my night stand. "Damn it," I growled. I threw back the covers and started patting around on the floor until I located the offending device. "Yes!" I said grumpily into the phone. "Morgana Livingstone?" asked a deep male voice. "Yes, who is this?" I replied feeling annoyed, I had just glanced at the clock and saw that it was 6 am. Who in their right mind calls someone at six in the morning? "This is Inspector Lee from the St. Louis Guild Hall. I understand you're an expert on magical wards and runes." The doubt that filled Inspector Lee's voice made me want to bristle. "The Guild could use your help on a theft we're investigating," he said. It took a moment for my sleep addled mind to recall but I was now on retainer as a consultant to the Guild. My mother's idea and as usual I couldn't say no. "Okay, where do I meet you?" I said again looking at the clock. "Can you be at our downtown office by eight?" Inspector Lee said in a tone that indicated it was more of an order than a question. There was also the implication that it might take me more than two hours. I hadn't met this guy yet and already it felt like he was a sexist jerk. "I'll be there" I replied and hit the end button. "Ugh, I hate mornings" I said to the empty room and rolled over onto my back feeling my breasts shift around under my large men's t-shirt. It was summer now in St Louis and the a/c in my house was already running. For a second I stared up at the ceiling fan and thought back about all the changes in my life. ********************* For three months now I've been living as Morgana Livingstone. After Ambrose Grosvenor managed to escape in my mother's body leaving her in mine and me in Morgana's the Guild Council of Elders had held a closed door meeting to discuss the situation. My mother had been invited, I had not. The Council decided to state publicly that Ambrose was on the loose and wanted. He'd stolen my Mother's body and left her in my body. That way she could retain some status as an advisor but since she lacked the power she couldn't be a council member. This also allowed them to put Ambrose in Evaline Mor Donegal's body on the Guild's most wanted list. They were desperate to catch Ambrose. The Council chose to keep my involvement a secret. Alastar in Ambrose's body was, (nothing more than ashes now) officially missing. According to the Council the Livingstone's were a powerful and well- connected family. The idea that Ambrose could murder all three and take down my mother (the matriarch of the Donegal family) would, (they felt) be too much of a blow to the prestige and reputation of the Magic-User Guild Council of Elders. On top of which it was an election year and the Guild was once again under attack by politicians who wanted to limit the power of the Guild and enforce strict control over the magical community. When Mother broke the news to me I'd felt like I'd been violated yet again. My body had been stolen and now my identity? I admit I'd become a bit irrational as evidenced by the broken furniture. My mother had watched it all with her normal annoying calm and when I'd run out of energy asked if I was done with my tantrum. I tried to move back into my old house but mother had vetoed that idea. She'd let me return briefly but soon had a moving service there to clean out my belongings. Most of the clothes she confiscated. With the assertion that they fit her far better than they fit me, which while true, still felt like theft. Next she insisted on finding me a small house to rent and begrudgingly returned some of my things. I drew the line when she offered to go shopping with me. So instead she'd asked Chelsea, our long time cook, to take me shopping. That had easily been one of the most embarrassing events of my life. Chelsea had insisted on taking me to my mother's tailor. Once in the exclusive shop I'd been measured and fussed over. Chelsea had taken Ann, the shop owner, to one side and talked quietly to her. When Ann returned to the room where I stood in my panties and bra feeling very exposed she looked me over carefully. "So I'm told that you need several dresses, business suits, and a couple of gowns." Ann said looking down at a piece of paper. "What! I don't need all that and besides I can't afford it," I said. ?Oh don?t worry Morgana Mrs. Evaline Donegal has ordered it for you and has already paid for it,? Ann said bustling out. At least now I know my measurements, I thought, I?m 5?7? and 36C, 23, 37. Chelsea now forced me into several department stores where she threw outfit after outfit at me. I had never tried on so many clothes in one day. I learned several things that afternoon: Chelsea is a tireless shopper, heels take practice, I can?t snap a bra behind my back to save my life, and I?m still very uncomfortable being a girl. However the practical part of me knew that I was now Morgana probably for the rest of my life and I needed a wardrobe. All of this, unbeknownst to me, was in preparation for a trip back east, once again arranged by my mother. It was necessary anyway under the fiction that I was Morgana. She was an only child but had relatives and an estate that needed to be settled, as well as her parents funeral to attend. The Guild and its lawyers had smoothed the way legally, so now I had a sizable inheritance. I did my best to avoid talking to Morgana?s friends and relatives pretending to be morning my parents. However the head of the Livingstone family Bernard?s older brother and now my uncle insisted on seeing me. Arthur Livingstone was a member of the Council of Elders and was well aware of the situation. That didn?t stop me from being nervous when I entered the large house on the Livingstone estate. My shoes made the distinctive click clack noise as I walked over the marble floor following the Livingstone butler. He was about four and a half feet tall and clearly dwarven. I was wearing a conservative skirt, blouse, and business jacket but felt awkward and out of place. As I approached the study I noticed the large oak doors nearly twelve feet tall. ?Good God that?s pretentious,? I thought to myself. The irreverence help with my nerves as the doors swung open at our approach. Unlike most Magic-Users studies I didn?t see a summoning circle, although there were plenty of book shelves. Looking out a pair of tall windows behind a large desk was a man with long white hair, his hands clasped behind his back. Without turning around he said in a gentle male voice, ?Please sit down.? I gulped involuntarily, and saw a set of chairs off to one side with a pot of tea and cups already set out. I walked over as gracefully as I could and sat, barely remembering to put my knees together at the last second. When I looked up I saw that Arthur had turned around and was watching me. He had a long face full of angles, a large drooping mustache, and brilliant blue eyes. I instantly saw from which part of the family Morgana got her eyes. As he looked at me I got a vague sense of disapproval. ?Please pour the tea, my dear,? Arthur said. Suddenly I felt like this were some kind of test and felt annoyed. I picked up the tea pot paying no attention to the quality of the service and quickly filled both cups. I then glared up at Arthur. ?Satisfied?? I asked. Without saying anything he crossed the space and sat down in the vacant chair. He looked at me with those piercing blue eyes and said. ?No, I am most definitely not satisfied. My brother and sister-in-law are dead, my niece?s soul has been sent to the afterlife and you wear her body.? The bluntness of his speech stunned me. I didn?t think that he?d be happy about the situation but I hadn?t expected this. ?If it?s any consolation I?m not happy about this either," I said. At that he grunted and picked up his cup and took a sip. ?I had thought that perhaps the best way to keep your identity secret would be to bring you here and surround you with family. I see now that your mother was right," he said. ?What are you talking about?" I asked still unsure what was going on. ?During the council meeting after it had been decided to keep what happened to Morgana secret I argued that you should be turned over to me. Your mother argued that the best thing to do would be to keep you in St Louis. No one there knows Morgana, so it would be less likely that you?d make a mistake that would give away your identity. I didn?t see it at the time but she was right.? At this I tried to interrupt but he held up a hand and continued. ?You may have my niece?s body but you move nothing like her. She was graceful and refined, you are neither. I could see that you?re a fake just from the way you poured the tea," he said sounding sad. I suddenly felt guilty. Like I was some sort of pervert wearing this stunning female body, and doing it badly. But I never asked for the sex change and I was just as much a victim as anyone. ?Sir, I?m sorry that I?m not what you were hoping for, but this is hard for me too," I said. Arthur now met my eyes and nodded. ?Morgana was the sole heir to Bernard?s estate. Since you are eighteen the estate will be held in a trust and I?m the executor. I will make a stipend available to you but you will not get the full inheritance until you?re 21. You are registered to start classes in the fall at the St Louis Institute of Magic. The cost of your schooling will come out of the estate.? Before I could say anything he continued. ?I saw the reports of your battle with Ambrose and if they are true.? Again I tried to say something but he once more held up a hand and continued, ?I have no reason to doubt the truth. Morgana was always very gifted, I?m sure with your knowledge you are more than worthy of the Master status. However, this might cause a few to wonder. So even though you?ve been awarded the rank, your mother and I agree you need to go back to school. It should be much easier to earn a degree the second time around.? He paused to sip his tea and then looked at me with hard critical eyes. ?Now that I?ve met you in person I think that I need to have a word with your mother about getting you some additional help learning how to be a lady. I?ll not have the Livingstone name become embarrassed or Morgana?s memory tarnished with such unrefined behavior.? ********************* I shook my head to help clear it of memories. The trip back east had been uncomfortable and embarrassing. With two distinct results, the first was that I was due to start classes at the St. Louis Institute of Magic in the fall. My mother had helped me pick out this house close to campus and the one bright spot (if you could call it that) was that I was now Alastar Donegal?s junior partner in the consulting business. So I got to keep my office and using my Magic-User Master Class status I purchased a magical consulting license from the Guild. The second was far more embarrassing. Apparently my uncouth behavior or at least lack of refinement had bothered Arthur Livingstone enough to talk to my mother. Shortly after my visit back east mother had forced me onto an airplane bound for New Orleans to spend two weeks with Mrs. Broussard and her school for young ladies. Manners, edict, diction, makeup, and clothes had all been crammed down my throat. I?m not exactly sure what story Arthur Livingstone and my mother concocted but I kept getting comments like ?you poor thing? and ?isn?t she sweet? the flight back to St Louis had felt like an escape from prison. I threw the covers back and stalked into the bathroom suddenly angry at the events. Even after this much time my body felt awkward to me. I turned on the lights and saw Morgana?s sleep tussled long dark hair framing her beautiful face and stuck my tongue out. The woman in the mirror copied my movement. ?God I hate mornings,? I muttered and started getting ready. After getting cleaned up I started in on my makeup. With the training I?d received from Mrs. Broussard it was almost easier than using a glamor and it certainly helped me look more normal. Besides when I?d explained to mother that I would rather use a glamor he had stated in no uncertain terms that there was no way he was going to allow his ?daughter? to waste magical power everyday simply because I was to embarrassed to learn what every woman knows. It felt like mother had decided that it was his duty to cram a life time?s worth of lessons on womanhood into a few weeks. I?m sure Arthur?s phone call hadn?t helped things either. I started to suspect that it was a way for mother to avoid dealing with her new male body by focusing on me and my ?adjustment? issues. The lessons paid off now since I was able to do a passable job of putting on my ?face paint? as I still thought of it. I walked into my closet amazed at the amount of clothes. There were the things that Chelsea and I had bought, and several bags from my mother?s tailor that I hadn?t even dared to open. In addition I had returned from Massachusetts with all of Morgana?s clothes. I thought about putting on one of the business suits, but then in a rebellious mood pulled out a comfy pair of jeans, a short sleeved black blouse, and comfortable black leather shoes with no heel. I knew this look was way too casual for a Guild Inspector, or even a Guild Special Agent. Which is why I chose it, I didn?t want anyone to think that I was part of the Guild. My only concession to a professional appearance was that I pulled my hair up into a more business look. Glancing at the clock I saw that it had taken me an hour to get ready. I hurried into my kitchen pouring a bowl of Cheerios muttering, ?It was so much easier to get ready as a guy.? Still I had twenty minutes before I had to leave. Edgar my familiar flew from his perch over to the counter and started begging. If you?ve never seen a crow beg before it?s worth a laugh. I giggled softly as I ran a finger over his head and then dropped a handful of Cheerios onto the counter. Less time required to get ready in the morning was only one among the many physical changes I was struggling with. I had toyed with the idea of using my power to transform into Alastar. In fact I?d done it the day after I?d recovered from my battle with Ambrose. Even though I was much more comfortable I knew I had to release the spell. Transformation spells require a continuous flow of power to maintain the altered shape. This meant that anyone who was sensitive to magic would know as soon as they met me that I had a powerful spell running. Most people with the ability would reflexively check to see what type of spell was being used. In the magical community wearing a transformation spell around in public was the same as a mundane person walking around wearing a Mask. While not illegal it was a bit rude and caused plenty of uncomfortable questions. The last and perhaps most compelling reason was the steady drain of energy. I guessed that I was now strong enough to last about a week before my strength failed and I?d have to drop the spell and rest. During that time I?d get progressively weaker and more vulnerable. Transforming back into Alastar simply wasn?t a solution. Besides as my mother lectured me I was using my power to avoid having to accept the fact that I was now a woman. My new house was on a minor ley-line in University City it would take me a solid twenty minutes to get to the Guild Hall in downtown St Louis. Edgar my familiar flew up to my shoulder as I picked up my purse from the counter. I opened the purse, (a new habit for me) and checked cell phone, wallet, keys, a few small magical tools, some feminine products (that I didn?t want to think about) and a new addition a Walther P22, a very small .22 pistol. A girl, even one with magical gifts like mine, can?t be too careful. ****************** The drive downtown was uneventful and the traffic was light. I reached into the glove box and removed a pass that allowed me to pull into the underground parking garage at the Guild Hall. I held up the pass for the attendant to see and spoke the word of activation and felt the Guild?s outer wards part. I pulled the Charger forward and stopped next to the booth. Leaning out the Guildsman said, ?Ma?am what brings you to the Guild Hall today.? ?I?m here to see Investigator Lee,? I replied. ?Very good Ma?am, please park in spot 24 and take the elevator to the sixth floor," he said. When I nodded he hit the button that caused a yellow mechanical arm blocking my progress rise. Driving into the shadowy interior I saw that each of the spots were numbered and found spot 24. From my location I could see the elevator off to the left. The ride to the sixth floor was uneventful and I walked into a lobby with a buxom blonde receptionist. Something bothered me about the woman and I took a look at her with my third eye. A Magic-Users third eye allows them to view the world of magic. Everything mundane appears in black and white but everything magic is in vivid color. The blonde practically glowed with color. There were at least half a dozen active spells including a transformation spell. Somehow I got the impression that it would be a very bad idea to mess with her. ?Well here goes nothing,? I thought to myself and walked cautiously forward, Edgar balancing on my shoulder. ?Excuse me I?m here to see Inspector Lee.? I said feeling out of my depth. The blonde smiled up at me, ?Certainly. If you?d take a seat I?ll let the Inspector know that you?re here.? I settled into a chair remembering to cross my legs at the knee the way Mrs. Broussard had been coaching me and looked around. Obviously the Guild had money. The lobby had new carpet and the furniture was of good quality. I?d only sat there for a minute before the door behind and to the left of the receptionist opened and a large dark haired man in a crumpled cheap grey suit walked out. He scanned the lobby for a second almost as if he was looking for someone else before he settled on me and walked over. ?I?m Inspector Lee, are you Morgana Livingston?? he asked. I stood up feeling Edgar flap his wings for balance and extended my hand. ?I?m Morgana, you asked me to come in," I said feeling unsure about this situation due to his reaction. ?Excuse me,? he said, ?I was expecting someone older based on your reputation.? His grip was strong and his hands had a rough edge of calluses that reminded me of how small soft my hand now was. I felt my face flush. ?I can assure you Inspector I?m more than qualified to assist you on a crime involving wards.? He looked me up and down his eyes lingering on my chest for a moment before he said, ?Let?s get going then. I?ll drive we are headed out to the Mansion House Apartments. ****************** ?So do you have a first name or should I just call you inspector all day?? I asked feeling irritated. We were driving an older Buick, which stank of coffee and old cigarettes, toward the crime scene and the Inspector hadn?t said much yet. Glancing at me out of the corner of his eye he said, ?I?m Allen, you can call me Al.? Then with a sigh he said ?look it?s nothing personal but I don?t agree with the Guild?s policy of bringing in outside experts. So when the Lieutenant told me that the Guild Grand Master had directed us to get in touch with you to help on this case,?. Well it feels political and like a waste of money. But my opinion doesn?t count so let me bring you up to speed.? Another minute went by in silence before Al started talking, ?We are headed to William Smyth?s apartment. He is a licensed Magic-User 1st Class and two nights ago after he and his wife went to bed they were burglarized. We?re stumped. The wards were never disturbed. The only thing out of the ordinary was that Gus the doorman saw Mrs. Smyth leaving the building in the middle of the night and return a few minutes later. Mrs. Smyth claims to have no memory of leaving the building. So the Guild is hoping you can look over the security and see if there was a hole in the protections anything that might give us a lead.? I nodded to indicate I understood and then glanced out the window. Odds of me spotting something they?d missed were slim. ****************** The thief Max stood in the bathroom of the safe house he?d driven to after his failed attempt to sell the Mask. He?d only stopped long enough to ditch the van and switch into his current car. He was staring into the mirror at the blonde Elven beauty. At the moment Max was 5?10? and in a body he?d dearly have loved to fuck if he?d been in his natural form. Instead his body was dead, and he was stuck in this one. He reached for the memories that came along with the body when he possessed it and felt Siofra fight him. This had been a strange situation from the start. Max had been desperate and tricked Siofra into kissing him before she killed him. The powerful symbolic nature of a kiss had been all Max needed to breach her natural defenses and possess her. However she?d felt his spiritual invasion and before Max had time to take full control she?d cast a spell killing Max?s body. This meant if he said the release words designed to end this possession, his spirit would try to return to his dead body and instead he?d be flung into the afterlife. Max wasn?t ready to die so he had no intention of saying those words. But this also meant he?d never be able to use the possession spell again. For all practical purposes he was stuck in this body until he died. The spell had been designed for one human to possess another human. It had never, as far as Max knew, been tested on one of the other races. One of the things Max had discovered was that Siofra?s spirit was not nearly as silent as a human would have been. Every time he tried to access her memories she fought him. In some ways this reminded Max of his days as an apprentice at the Hidden Eye Society. When he?d been instructed on this spell he?d been paired with another apprentice. One of them would cast the spell and the other would try to fight off the spiritual violation. As Max got better he learned the mental tricks necessary to fully subdue the mind and spirit of the person he possessed. It had been years since he needed to resort to these principles but Max knew that he had to gain access to Siofra?s memories and skills. Max moved into the bedroom and settled cross legged on the bed. With a few breaths Max had centered himself and began the mental and spiritual assault on Siofra. He desperately needed to put her into the catatonic state normally used so that he could fully possess her. ****************** The Mansion House Apartments were in downtown St Louis and had a variety of tenets all of whom made a good income and wanted to live downtown. It was easy to see that this place had money. From the security guards to the wards that had been set to protect the residents. It didn?t appear like it would have been easy to get in and out of this place I thought. We took an elevator up to the Smyth?s apartment. Apparently they were expecting us because the door opened after the first knock. The man who greeted us was only a couple of inches taller than me. He was your average looking middle age guy. Grey had started to settle into his hair and his waist reflected a sedentary life style. After Inspector Lee introduced himself and flashed his credentials Mr. Smyth let us into the apartment. The d?cor struck me as nice but not over the top. Very classy I thought. Inspector Lee explained that I was here to look at his wards to see if I could figure out how they?d been breached. Mr. Smyth looked over at me the doubt in my ability replaced by lust as he checked me out. I just wanted to scream, ?hello my eyes are up here.? Instead I looked around the apartment and decided to ask a few questions. ?You?ve a very nice apartment. Are these Elven artifacts?? I asked pointing to a display case in his study next the empty case. For the first time Mr. Smyth?s eyes left my chest and looking at the torque in the display case, lit up. ?Yes, you see I?ve a passion for collecting Elven relics," he said. ?Are these all mundane or magical? I said sweetly trying for innocent but I could already feel the power of these artifacts. ?Oh, no my dear they are all magical. Otherwise what would be the point?? His face had flushed with the tones of a true fanatic. ?It was a Mask that was stolen correct? What exactly did it do?? Now I turned to face him trying to catch his eye. ?Ah, yes, like I told the other inspector I don?t know what it did. I had just acquired it and had only begun to examine it.? Looking at him now it felt like he was hiding something, but what? ?Come on Morgana, let?s look at the wards," said Al in an impatient voice. ****************** Driving back to the Guild Hall I felt frustrated. I was missing something but I couldn?t put my finger on it. The wards had been tight. I might have been able to break through them but my intrusion would have left signs. There was nothing to indicate how they?d been penetrated. Allen looked smug like he was happy I?d had no success. This irritated me even more. I may have gotten this job because the Grand Master was friends with mother but I wanted to prove to these guys that I was worth the money! ?Did the Guild interview all of the building employees working the night of the robbery?? I asked. Not even glancing at me Allen replied, ?of course, it?s standard procedure. The only thing we found that was unusual was that Mrs. Smyth left the building at about 2 am. She has no memory of leaving the building. Obviously this is our only lead but we?re at a loss to figure out what happened to her.? ?Can I read through the transcripts?" I asked frustrated that I could piece this together. ?Sure but it won?t do you any good.? ****************** Returning to the Guild hall Allen set me up in a cubical with paper copies of the statements from the building employees. Edgar hopped to the top of the divider and started preening while I read. When I got to the statement by Gus the doorman, I paused, my mental alarm went off. Mrs. Smyth shortly after 2 am had left the building and been gone for 15 minutes. Why would she leave and come back at that time of night? How is it possible that she didn?t remember? Allen mentioned this as the only real lead. They had asked to examine her magically to see if she?d been compelled but Mr. Smyth had refused to allow his wife to be examined. If they wanted the Mask back why would then refuse to cooperate? I packed all the papers into a folder and stood up summing Edgar to my shoulder. There was more here to read but I needed my study and summoning circle. Suddenly I heard a commotion at the other end of the office. A tall thin incredibly good looking man had entered and was confronting Allen. ?Are you Inspector Lee?? asked the stranger in a loud voice. Allen in his rumpled suit, looked up at the man and said, ?Yeah, that?s me who wants to know?? ?I?m Sir, Galohond Larothta of the Sylvari and am here about a crime you?re investigating.? The elven lord stated. Allen eyed the elf for a moment and then invited him back into his office. As they walked by I caught the elf?s eye and felt a shiver run through me. One part of me wished that I?d been invited to go with them just so I could be near this masculine creature. Another part started choking the part that wanted to get closer to him. Blushing I finished collecting my papers I summed Edgar to my shoulder and headed down to the garage. ****************** As I drove home my mind kept wonder back to the blonde elf and his incredibly broad shoulders. Desperate to think about something else I focused on the case. An elven artifact of unknown power had been stolen, why? What was the purpose of the artifact? The wards on the Smyth place were first class. In fact they were much better than I?d have thought necessary for a personal residence. My gut told me that William Smyth was not being completely honest and it was obvious that he wasn?t fully cooperating. Now suddenly an elf lord appears in the Guild Hall. There was something much larger than the theft of a Mask going on here but I couldn?t put my finger on it. Of course the fastest way to solve this would be to find the thief. I shook my head at that, what am I thinking; I?m not a Guild Inspector. They had brought me in to look at the wards and runes on the Smyth place I did and couldn?t help the Guild. So my obligation was complete. I thought about calling my mother and asking what he thought about all of this but rejected the idea. I?d been getting way to much ?help? from mother lately. Gunning the Charger I headed home and thought about getting a work out in before dinner. This body was stunning but it hadn?t been in very good physical condition when I?d gotten it. I?d been working hard at improving my conditioning. I could now run five miles and not feel winded. Besides I needed something to distract me from thoughts of the tall elf and his broad shoulders. ****************** Max opened her eyes. The sun was setting which startled her. Most of the day had been spent sitting in lotus position focused on subduing Siofra. Max stretched feeling her spine pop and climbed off the bed. For the first time in this body Max felt comfortable. Her effort to gain control of Siofra?s memories, skills, and abilities had been mostly successful. Max no longer felt Siofra actively fighting him, instead he felt her in the ?normal? catatonic state. Max reached for a memory and found himself in Summer as the Elves called their homeland. She was standing in a dueling circle with her brother in another circle opposite her. The duel began and Max was surprised by the strength and skill displayed. Elves in the human lands never used so much power. The answer came to him from Siofra?s memories. This time it was a lecture, by her mentor. ?Magic in the human realm is different in its very essence from magic in Summer,? the master said. ?While you can feel the magic, you cannot touch it in the human realm. Therefore the only power you?ll have is what you bring with you. Never use so much magic that you lack the strength to part the veil and return home.? Max shook his head. ?Shit! I?m trapped in the body of a female and I?ll run out of magic very quickly. I?m totally screwed.? Max focused for a second on the internal power stored by Siofra. He was surprised to discover out that she had used very little power before he?d taken control of her body. Max was also startled by her strength. At this moment Max was holding more power than she?d ever been able to hold. However unless Max returned to the eleven homeland he?d never be able to replenish the power. Looking over at the Mask Max felt a sudden surge of excitement when he searched Siofra memories. The Mask! It acted like some sort of magical adaptor. When used by an elf in human lands it would pull magic from here alter the magic so that an elf could use it. There were only a few of these Masks known to exist and they had been made by a master craftsman who had passed away. The technique for crafting them was lost as well. If Max put the Mask on she?d be able to fill up her magical reservoir. There was something else about the Mask tickling at the back of Siofra?s memories. They were gender specific. So a male elf couldn?t use a female Mask and vise-versa. Fortunately this Mask with its delicate feminine features was one that Max could now use. As Max picked up the Mask she realized with another surge of memory why this was so important to Siofra. There was a woman who,?.as soon as these memories floated up Siofra?s spirit rose up against the mental shackles Max had bound her with and fought him. To the observer it appeared that Siofra had simply frozen. Inside Max was doing everything he could to put her back down. Suddenly Siofra seized control of Max?s mouth and spoke a quick incantation. Desperate now Max did the only thing he could think of, he pulled on Siofra?s magical power and turned it against her in a spell known to his brothers and sisters as the ?spirit knife?. It was a direct attack on a person?s spirit. Normally this type of attack would be easy to defend. However because Max was sharing Siofra?s body he was able to attack her spirit directly by passing any normal magical defense. In fact the Secrete Eye Society had designed the spell for this purpose. If he possessed someone and was losing the struggle for control, and could not, for whatever reason, escape to his own body this was the last emergency option. He felt Siofra?s mental shriek as the spell blasted her burning all the ties that bound her spirit to her physical body. For a moment a ghostly image of Siofra hovered in front of Max?s eyes and then it dissipated. Max collapsed to the floor shuddering. He?d felt every bit of agony Siofra had felt when the spell tore into her. It was as though a piece of him had died as well when he?d killed her. There was another consequence Max realized despite the throbbing headache. He would no longer be able to access to Siofra?s memories or skills. He had what he?d managed to take before she?d rebelled and that was it. Whatever spell Siofra had cast, Max knew she was in trouble. ****************** ****************** Part II ****************** ****************** It was well past midnight and Mark was on his way home from work. He?d gotten out of the Army a few months ago and was planning to start college this fall using the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Even though he had a bit saved up from his last overseas deployment Mark had found a job working as a security guard. The pay wasn?t great but he needed the work at least until school started. Besides, in Marks opinion, walking around an empty warehouse at night was much easier than other types of work and far less dangerous than his time in the Army. Suddenly Mark felt a magical stirring on the road behind him. He glanced in the review mirror and saw a set of headlights but they were pretty far back. Mark was on a back road about 25 minutes outside of East St. Louis and was used to this being a fairly quite drive home. Again Mark felt a spike of magic behind him and this time saw a flare of light in the mirror. Someone was throwing magic around back there and it didn?t seem like it could be anything good. Mark had no magical power. None, he was what was currently being called ?magically sensitive.? After he?d entered the Army they?d put him through a battery of tests, Battle-Mages (BMs) were in very high demand. However once the Army was convinced he couldn?t be developed into a BM they put him into another course. The course was designed to develop Mark?s magical sensitivity, after BMs Magic Sensors (MSs) were the next highest demand. When a squad was out on patrol it was handy to have someone who could sense a ward, or magical trap before it killed the whole squad. Mark could now feel the magical battle raging behind him. He sped up and at the same time started to look for side roads. He needed to get off this road and let the battle sweep past. Unfortunately when he looked into his review mirror the car that had seemed at least a half mile back was now only a couple hundred meters behind him and gaining fast. Within seconds it flashed by and swerved in front of him using his truck to block the view of whoever was chasing the car. As soon as it was in front of Mark an object was flung out the passenger side window. Mark reacted instinctively slamming on the brakes and turning the wheel to avoid the object. Before Mark had time to come to a full stop he heard the thunder of hooves and looked out to see nearly half a dozen glowing horsemen galloping down the road at an impossible speed. As they neared Mark?s truck the lead horse leapt into the air sailing over the vehicle. The others followed and Mark turned his head to watch as they continued to gain on the fast moving car. Mark sat there for several seconds watching the incredible chase and felt the spells slashing back and forth between the car and horsemen. After a moment Mark realized that he could feel another source of magic. Getting out of the truck he walked to the side of the road where the object had been flung, Mark knew he was being stupid but couldn?t help himself. There were so many ways this could go bad. If this were some sort of MIED (Magically Improvised Explosive Device) then he was probably already a dead man. Of course how could he leave it along the side of the road? It might hurt the next car that came by. Mark spotted a plain looking cloth bag. Mark knew that instead of approaching it he should call 911 and get some police out here. There was something about the bag drew him toward it. Mark approached carefully every sense full open. Whatever was in there was powerful, and unless he was completely mistaken non-hostile. With care Mark squatted next to the bag and gently eased open the draw strings. He then peered into the bag and saw what appeared to be some kind of Mask. Mark decided that it would not harm him so he picked up the bag. He let out a breath he hadn?t realized he was holding when nothing happened. As he walked back to his truck Mark told himself that he?d call the Guild in the morning and turn this thing in. It was way too powerful to leave on the roadside where anyone might stumble over it. He?d never be able to live with himself if some innocent mundane person was hurt because of this artifact. Mark climbed into his truck and headed to his apartment. Safely home Mark tossed the bag on his coffee table and went into the kitchen for some left over Chinese food and a beer. While waiting for the microwave to heat his food Mark downed his bud in two long steady pulls. Once his food was warm he grabbed a second beer and sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. Mark was into his third beer before his attention returned to the bag. Suddenly he realized that it was tugging at him. He opened the bag and pulled out the Mask setting it on the coffee table so he could examine it better. It appeared to be made of a white stone, the features were fine and the Mask was obviously designed as a female face. Mark extended his senses and got his first solid impression. He dropped the Mask and jumped back. The clatter of stone on wood barely registered as Mark realized that the Mask was aware of him, and that it wanted him to put it on. ?The damn thing is sentient,? Mark said out loud. He?d never heard of an artifact that had an awareness or perhaps a sense of identity? But somehow this one does. If Mark?s sensing ability was working then the Mask was curious, it was curious about Mark and its surroundings. Mark snorted slammed his third beer and headed to the bathroom for a shower and to get ready for bed. Mark at the last second and diverted into the kitchen for a fourth beer after what he?d witnessed tonight he needed something to take the edge off. He usually didn?t drink this much but the magical battle he?d witnessed during his trip home had left him shaken. He felt like he was back in Afghanistan and had just returned from a patrol and needed to decompress. Of course they?d not been allowed to drink while in the sandbox. Standing under the shower Mark finished off his beer. Once ready for bed Mark walked back into the living room to turn off the lights and walked around making sure everything was locked up. Again the Mask caught his eye, and this time the siren song snared Mark. Almost in a daze he walked over and picked it up. It didn?t feel like stone. It felt soft somehow and when Mark had first held it the Mask had felt cold now however it was warm to the touch. When his skin made contact he felt a shudder run through his body. Mark returned to the bedroom turning off the lights along the way without conscious thought. Mark looked into the mirror in the bedroom. Staring back was a slender young man, 5? 10? with brown hair and eyes. Mark turned out the lights and settled onto his back holding the Mask in both hands. Unable to fight the urge he settled the Mask onto his face. For a second it made his whole face tingle and then everything went dark. ****************** Moonlight washed over me as I stood in my backyard. Morgana?s body is strongly aligned with heavenly objects as well as ley-lines but the moon felt especially powerful and personal. Even my cycle (I shuddered remembering) was tied to the moon. Once I got home I?d gone for a run and tried to put the case and the handsome elf out of my mind. After I got back my curiosity got the best of me. I got cleaned up made a light dinner and started searching through the records I?d brought home from the Guild. After finishing these I switched to my research books and on-line search engines. I?d come up with a couple of options. First Mrs. Smyth must have been the means the thief had used to take the Mask. She?d left in the middle of the night and returned later. Assuming she was innocent of the theft that left three possible options. A soul swap, which while possible, (I glanced down at my breasts for an ironic confirmation) but was extremely unlikely. It was very rare magic, and it would have been impossible for the thief to get out of her body since she had no magical power. That left compulsion and possession as possible means. Of the two compulsion was the most likely possibility. In the United States it was illegal to compel people against their will but the magic didn?t take all that much power and the principles were obvious to anyone with an undergraduate level of magical training. It would be relatively easy to find out if she?d been compelled a magical examination would answer the question. I wrote a note to myself to ask Allen about having the Guild get a court order and force the exam. Now I considered possession. This was much trickier possibility. She could be possessed by a being from beyond the veil. Or she could have been possessed by another human Magic-User. For a creature from beyond the veil to possess her they would have needed a vehicle. Perhaps a means was a better way to think of it. An artifact, or a messed up summoning would be the most likely possibilities. If her husband had screwed up a summoning or if she?d been in contact with an artifact, well that might have allowed this to happen. The last possibility was a human Magic-User had used a spell to do this, I had no idea how that would be done I only knew that it was theoretically possible. But I was determined to show Inspector Lee, the Guild, and (even though I wouldn?t admit it) the handsome elf, that I was a very capable Magic-User and worthy of the Master Class ranking, that my help was more than just a political favor. Thus I found myself standing in a light cotton robe next to a summoning circle in my backyard under the silvery light of the moon. Luckily for me this spot was secluded because I was very uncomfortable with my next step. I had drawn three circles for tonight?s work. The first was the Great Circle with symbols at each of the four cardinal points. The symbols represented each of the elements. Within the Great Circle I?d drawn to two smaller circles. One of the smaller circles was where I?d be standing and the second was where I intended to summon assistance. I took a deep breath and tossed my robe to one side. I was now completely naked, female, and a virgin. These aspects symbolic and powerful for the ritual magic I was about to preform and were extremely important to the being whose help I intended request tonight. I stepped into the Great Circle and glanced over at Edgar. He was perched outside and would be of no real help for this. ?At least it?s warm,? I muttered under my breath. I now focused briefly on the Great Circle pouring enough power into it to activate it. Next I stepped into my circle and faced the circle I intended to use to summon a Spirit. Once I?d activated the inner two circles I focused on pulling as much power as possible. Morgana?s body gave me access to tremendous amounts power, I added to that by drawing from the ley-line beneath my feet and then with a deep breath focused on the silvery light of the moon. I felt my body hair stand up pulling away from me defying the laws of gravity as I drew even more power. One part of my mind noticed that my skin now emitted a soft silvery light, but mostly I focused on the task at hand. The great thing about this type of circle was that they helped to focus and contain power. I felt the moment was right and spoke my incantation, finishing with a plea in plain English. ?Luna your favor I beseech, send me a sign of your favor in the form of your servant.? I felt the power flow out of me causing me to collapse to my knees and catch my breath. For a second I felt utterly empty. The stillness in the clearing was like a moment of perfect frozen crystal clarity. ?What would you have