Page 35 of Magic and Medicine

I’d once heard an angry English tourist shout a saying in the ER, ‘I’m at the end of my tether,’ and it has stuck with me ever since. Well, right now, the end of my tether was so far behind me I’d need a telescope to see it.

With the quintessential manners of a gentleman, Leszek, my host and now apparent candidate for sainthood, had avoided being alone with me for one day short of a month. Not that I’d been counting the days, of course, but with a schedule as regimented as mine had become, lessons, followed by work, followed by sleep, you found amusement where you could. Mine came in the form of asking, once a day, every day, whether Leszek wanted to join me for a stroll in the forest, then counting the seconds till he suddenly remembered an important meeting in town.

This new and improved gentlemanly act was going to end with me either stabbing, fucking, or hiding Leszek’s body, possibly all three, if this went on much longer.

Only once had his calm, distant persona slipped. One night, as Scarface was answering the call of nature, I’d had a horrific nightmare, and I must have cried out in my sleep because he’d rushed in and gathered me into his arms. I woke up, thrashing to escape, but the warm, comforting scent of the forest surrounded me; reassuring and loving, softly spoken nonsense soothing me back to sleep as I held my rescuer against my cheek, happy that Leszek had forgiven my hateful words.

However, when I woke up in the morning, it was as if the night hadn’t happened, Leszek’s gaze lingering only a few seconds longer as he kissed my hand and left for work.

Even though my host left me frustrated and confused, I had to admit that his aide, Michal, made the time at the manor bearable. The regimented schedule had been his brainchild, and when presented with such an organised plan of action, I’d piled on the sarcasm as I asked if the bathroom breaks were just as detailed. With a smug smile, he had simply shrugged, offering to include them if I found it too taxing to make such an onerous decision.

Michal was a sadistic, micromanaging bastard, but his schedule brought an ordered peace to my disorganised life. As much as it pained me to admit that, it did leave me with time to absorb all the new discoveries I made during my lessons on magic.

‘Sara, could you please go to the office? Veronica will be here shortly, and we both know she gets prickly when you’re late.’ The voice startling me belonged to Jarek, my new aide-de-camp, the term still making me laugh even as my feet moved, looking over my shoulder to mock scowl at him.

‘If I’d known you’d spend your life sneaking around, I’d have left a bell inside your chest when I operated on you.’ My response only made Jarek roll his eyes in that typical fashion all teenagers reserve for grown adults the world over as he followed me. I imagined seeing his tail wagging like a puppy to distract myself from the meeting with Veronica.

Training with the witch always left me wondering why she bothered teaching me. Yes, she was fascinated by my magic, but she also seemed to think it was beneath her to sully her hands with such a mundane activity. I also suspected the attitude had something to do with Leszek because, after the first icy introductions, the troublesome gangster never appeared before her again.

I should be grateful he arranged for me to have lessons, I thought, teeth clenching only slightly at the reminder of our argument. I took a deep breath to regain my composure, admitting that Leszek was only protecting me from the bastard that hurt Scarface and Jarek.

Fuck it! I will talk to him, even if it means acting like a cat in heat. He only had himself to blame after brushing me off so many times, even living in the city five days a week. Well, it wouldn’t happen this time. The only thing I was sure about between us was the physical attraction, and stripped of other means, it was time to use it. Jealousy was a wonderful thing if used for the greater good, and after a month of polite conversation, it was time to take the gloves off.

It had taken me a month to decide that not everything was Leszek’s fault. The frightening vision in the hospital and the attack in my apartment had dented my confidence, but thanks to Veronica’s lessons and Scarface’s guidance, I was prepared to take on the world. It was time for the Forest Lord to learn precisely who was living down the hall.

Within moments, I’d hit speed dial, and Nina’s phone was ringing.

‘Hey girlfriend, guess what?’

‘Oh, is that my long lost best friend? The one living the high life deep in the forest? Are you finally ready to leave tall, dark, and yummy’s bed and remind yourself what friends look like?’ The sarcasm in Nina’s voice didn’t drip; it hit you in the face with a kipper, and I couldn’t be happier. I needed her. Not just her. I needed my entire pack, but tonight, Nina, with her sharp tongue, brazen manner and drunken sailor’s charm, would be the perfect companion.

‘I love you, too. We’re hitting the town tonight, and I can get into the VIP area of the Anchor.’ I knew mentioning the VIP area would hook my friend, the gasp I heard giving away her interest, but Nina also knew me well.

‘Why?’ she asked warily.

‘Because I want to check it out and see how they send so many clients to visit us, or maybe I’m feeling adventurous. Besides, we need to talk about what’s going on, and I want to have that conversation face-to-face, so what do you say?’

Of course, she was going, and I got an earful for not inviting her earlier, but beneath the sharp tone was the hint of mischief that always appeared before our nights out.

‘Ma’am, you can’t. It’s too dangerous. The Boss would never allow it.’ Jarek looked at me with eyes widened in horror as if I’d just proposed cocking my leg next to Leszek’s favourite tree.

‘First, what did we agree? Call me ma’am again, and you’ll clean Scarface’s litter for a year. Second, I can and I will. You, however, won’t say a word about it to your Boss because I am your Boss, not Mr I Won’t Allow It. Is that clear, or do I need to compel you?’

Yup, I threatened to bespell him, and it was immensely satisfying. Apart from the fear of attack, my training was the only reason I’d put up with Leszek’s bullshit for so long. Veronica might resent teaching me, but she was a powerful witch and a brilliant teacher whose patience was helping my skills to flourish. Thanks to her, I’d made tremendous progress in the past month.

I’d learned that to be a Soul Shepherd, one had to be a seer first, similar to how, in order to be a surgeon, you first needed to be a doctor, but with fewer drinking games. That explained the vision I received from the burns victim and my hunches, which I now knew was my subconscious catching glimpses of probable realities and influencing my decisions, aiding my success in complex and unpredictable situations. Once Veronica learned about it, she spent the entire week teaching me to visualise them consciously rather than relying on capricious hints.

‘There are many seers. Why aren’t there more women with skills like mine?’ I asked one day, and she sighed, avoiding looking at me.

‘Some legends say that the Soul Shepherd was Dola’s gift for a god to calm their weary spirit and connect them with the source. Other books claim only the seer who brushes with death and sees spirits crossing the Veil many times develops the magic that allows them to guide souls to the afterlife. The honest answer is that we don’t know, but each time the Soul Shepherd reveals their presence, sooner or later, they become tethered to the powerful spirit. I’m sorry, Sara.’

At some point, we discussed my abilities as a Soul Shepherd and how I could use them in my daily work. She was uncomfortable bringing up the subject, but her explanation gave meaning to another critical part of my life. I could see souls, especially those close to exiting this existence, and I could guide them towards the afterlife or elsewhere. On that matter, Veronica didn’t offer any information, moving on to another aspect of my power: the ability to tether spirits to their mortal form as I did with Scarface.

‘Your touch balances the physical and metaphysical aspects of the world, giving them harmony. You can help the spirit, but you can also imprison them in physical form.’ With that ominous statement, she refused to elaborate further.

Maybe I can make zombies. I thought, chuckling slightly as I entered the office, closely followed by Veronica.

‘Ah, good, at least you’re here. When you see the Leshy, tell him to stop overdoing it. He should know that better than anyone.’ She said, and I wished I knew what she meant.

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