Magi Descent: The Magi Saga, #6

By Andrew Dobell

Stop the world's most powerful Magus, from gaining more power, and ending the world.
Easy, right…?

Back in the modern day, Amanda discovers that the situation has changed.
Yasmin is out to kill her and destroy the world as we know it.

Amanda isn't going to sit and wait for her though.
She starts to work her way through the Nomads closest allies, hunting Yasmin down.
But dark Magus has plans of her own.

With the Voodoo Queen also out for Amanda's blood, and Mary of the Inquisition doing everything in her power to hurt Amanda, the situation is getting ever more desperate.

Amanda must continue her fight against the darkness, before it consumes everything.

Read the sixth thrilling book of The Magi Saga today.

This is an Epic Urban Fantasy series, perfect for fans of Jim Butcher, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Kim Harrison and Shane Silvers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Creative Edge Publishing
• Release date: May 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224955947

Book preview

Welcome to the Magi Saga

This is book six of a long, sprawling adventure over several series of books.

This book has been through various editions, with this being the latest.

I hope you enjoy reading about the adventures of Amanda and the Magi, as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

Acknowledgements

For my Grandfather, who was a continual inspiration and support. I miss you, and this is for you.

Thank you to my wife and family for your love and tolerance and help. You make everything worthwhile.

Thank you to my old gaming friends, you guys have inspired this story more than you can know. I have some of the best memories from those hours sitting at the gaming table.

Thank you to my Editors Julie Hall, CP Bialois, and Hanna Elizabeth. Your input has been amazing, thank you.

Thank you to Vicki Blatchley for being my cover model.

Dedication

For my boys, my kids, I love you!

Language

I’m a British author living in Britain, and I write in British English with British spellings.  ;-)

Booklist

For full list of Andrew Dobells Books, visit his website at;

www.andrewdobellauthor.com

Table of Contents

Welcome to the Magi Saga

Acknowledgements

Booklist

Prologue

The Visitor

Intruder Alert

Voodoo Hunt

Home Again, Home Again

Hard Target

Telling the Tale

Frustration

The Calm

Proof

Breadcrumbs

The Gloves Are Off

Service

Resurrection

Hackers Attacked

Consequences

No Sanctuary

One Step Behind

Whispers of the Dead

Breakthrough

Answers

Torn

Black Attack

Condemned

Descent

Sentinels

Released

Endgame

Endings and Beginnings

Booklist

Prologue

The Visitor

2238 years ago

Tartarus, The Aetheric Realm

Lilitu rounded the corner and stopped at the top of the broad stairwell, looking down at the scene below. Samael stood partway down the steps, talking to a curious-looking Magus at the foot of the steps. The pair was deep in conversation, and seemed to have been for a while. The Magus stared up at her fellow Archon in wide-eyed wonder, his mind clearly fractured by what he’d endured to get here.

Few Magi had ever managed the crossing into the Abyss over the millennia, and fewer still returned to tell of it.

She wondered what they were about.

Tiredness fogged her usually keen mind. Their loathsome father’s Magic kept them docile and weak, but she’d fed recently on one of their jailers, so she could fight it off for a while yet.

As she watched from the shadows, she spotted several figures emerging from the darkness beyond the Magus.

Sentinels. Their Essentia burned bright in her vision as they approached the strange Magus. They fanned out, creating a wide arc that surrounded their visitor. Samael backed up, alerting the Magus to the Sentinels’ approach. He turned.

What? No. No, you can’t do this. You can’t stop me. I have travelled too far.

This way, Magus, the Sentinels urged. You’re coming with us.

No. You cannot take this away from me. Not me, not the great Shaitan.

Shaitan turned to look back at Samael, but he’d backed away up the stairs.

Samael noticed Lilitu in the shadows. His milky, dead eyes met hers, but he didn’t acknowledge her, and instead looked back at the Sentinels and Shaitan.

What? Shaitan raged, looking up at Samael. No, come back. We have much to discuss. But when Samael didn’t move to help him, Shaitan roared again. His fury bubbled up and lashed out as a wickedly powerful slash of Essentia that smashed against Samael.

Unprepared, Samael staggered back, and to Lilitu it felt like a sudden wave of energy burst forth from her fellow Archon. She felt the Magic on their Prison, the Magic of their father on dread Tartarus shudder.

What is this?

Lilitu looked up and around at the enchantments as the shudder faded and returned to normal as the Sentinels dragged Shaitan from the building.

She was no longer interested in them though, as she studied the strange effect.

Somehow, when Shaitan hurt Samael, it affected the prison’s Magic.

Samael approached, fully recovered.

You seem distracted, he said.

We need to talk, Lilitu replied.

Intruder Alert

The Atoll

Wow, that is incredible, Amanda-san, Yoh exclaimed. She could hear the amazement in his voice. He seemed a little incredulous, but she felt sure he actually believed her. She wouldn’t have blamed him if he hadn’t, though. The story was certainly an incredible one.

I know. It’s kind of unbelievable, but I assure you, it’s true. Gentle Water, Trevelyan, and Maya will all be able to confirm it.

Oh, I believe you, it’s just... It’s a lot to take in, you know?

Amanda nodded. I understand, she said. I know it’s been like five minutes for you. One moment I was standing right there, and then I was gone. Only to float from the sky five minutes later on my new boat, she said, pointing over to her trimaran-shaped Aetheric Craft floating a distance offshore, and looking like a state-of-the-art luxury yacht.

That was certainly something of a shock, that’s for sure. I had no idea you had such a thing.

Well, I didn’t when I disappeared, but I do now.

And you made it?

Yeah, you know, Magically, of course.

Of course. So, who else doesn’t know the truth?

Well, it’s probably easier to say who does. Gentle Water, Raven, Balor-

Balor? Yoh interrupted. He knows?

He does. As does most of the Legacy. So, Royston, Maria, Israel, Aaron. Also Maya, Trevelyan, Stephen Bathory, Count Saint Germain. Um, I think that’s it.

So, Liz doesn’t know. Also Shaun, Vanessa, Howie. That Matt Walker you brought in yesterday... Well, yesterday for me, anyway, he said, shaking his head. How long ago was that for you?

Oh, over one thousand, two hundred and sixty years. I mean, I remember it, but it’s a little hazy. It was a long time ago.

They were sitting on some rocks on the beach of the atoll, their bare feet resting in a pool that was being fed by the gently lapping sea through the gap in the rocks.

The water here was crystal clear and a beautiful shade of azure and green. It was lovely and warm under the baking sun.

Amanda was aware that her fair Irish complexion probably made her look like some kind of ghost next to Yoh’s lovely colour. She didn’t mind, though.

It was nice to finally be back in the world she grew up in, a world she understood, and she was looking forward to finally telling Liz and the others the truth.

She smiled to herself, only to have a pulse of Essentia flow into her mind.

It was an alert from the Aegis at her Brownstone in New York, and for a moment, it caught her off guard. She’d not set those Magical alerts. That had been done by her younger-self. But then, they were both the same person, and the younger version of herself had now been whisked away back in time by the Weaver, leaving only her here. She guessed the alerts just automatically switched over as if they were the same person.

She pondered that for a second or so, before coming back around to realising that this Essentia Pulse was an alert. Someone had destroyed the Aegis around her home

She looked at Yoh.

What’s wrong? he asked, reading her concerned expression.

Looks like there’s an attack happening in New York. She reached out to the controls of the Arkady with her mind and instructed it to move into an orbit above New York.

You ready? Amanda asked as the Aetheric Craft lifted out of the sea and started to rise into the air, its two outrigger hulls transforming into something more like wings.

Yes, Amanda–san. I take it we’re Porting into danger?

I would assume so, she answered, feeling sure that it would be the only reason the Aegis would send out such a warning.

She’d set the Aegis centuries ago, though, so she couldn’t be entirely sure what she’d done.

With a working of Magic, Amanda Ported herself and Yoh from the atoll into the entrance hall of her Brownstone in Manhattan.

Or, at least, she tried to Port them both into the lobby. Instead, they found themselves in the alleyway behind her house, outside a hastily-erected Aegis.

We’re in the alley? Yoh remarked.

Someone stopped us from Porting into the house, Amanda said, as she concentrated and drove a powerful spike of Essentia into the Magical shield, cracking it like an egg. Amanda Ported them both again through the crack, this time appearing in the entrance hall.

She didn’t have time to marvel at the unfamiliar but welcome feeling of being back home. Instead, she found herself looking at Nymira, the Nomad Voodoo Queen who was standing in her front hallway wearing a long dark cloak of leather and fur. Her dreadlocks cascaded over her shoulders like black mamba snakes as she turned to look at Amanda. She’d painted a white skull over her face, its contrast against her dark skin giving her a gruesome look.

Nymira’s piercingly intense eyes regarded Amanda as a smile grew over her face. Amanda glanced down at Liz, who was sitting up against the wall and looking over at Amanda with hope and desperation.

With her Aegis already pumped full of Essentia and her mind split using the Multitasking effect, she regarded Nymira with her Magic ready.

There were five other Nomads standing behind the Voodoo Queen, and they were all drawing Essentia into them.

Ah, there you are. I was just asking this bouzin here where you might be. Looks like you arrived just in the nick of time.

Your fight is with me, Amanda said.

Is it? Nymira asked turning to face her, revealing the lithe body that had been hidden by the cloak. It was covered in human and animal bones that had been strapped to her figure, while a loin cloth made from finger bones hung from her crotch. Two circular metal pasties did the same over her nipples. It was a bizarre look that made Amanda blink with incredulity. But then, when you were as powerful as Nymira was, few people were going to argue with how you dressed.

Amanda took a step forward. It is.

Not going to run away from me this time, then? Not going to have your Scion friend save your skinny ass? Nymira’s companions laughed.

Nah. I thought I’d just kick your arse myself, if that’s okay with you?

Oh child, how naive of you, Nymira replied with mirth, much to the amusement of her companions.

Amanda had heard enough and unleashed a flurry of Magical attacks at the Arch Magus before her. Essentia Strikes mixed with furious blasts of lightning flew from Amanda as she raised her hands. Amanda smashed Nymira back into the wall, sending a couple of her coven mates sprawling to the floor.

Get up, get behind me, Amanda said to Liz, who moved quickly, looking at Amanda in awe.

One of Nymira’s coven mates, a woman in long robes with braided hair, rushed towards Amanda, Essentia lashing out.

You dare to insult the Voodoo Queen?

Amanda hit her with a blast of Kinetic energy and Essentia that slammed her into the sidewall and destroyed her Aegis as the woman hit the floor in a heap.

Yeah, I dare, Amanda replied.

Nymira rose to her feet and launched an attack on Amanda that hit her Aegis like a battering ram, but her shield held.

Essentia blasts rushed out of Amanda and smashed into the Voodoo Queen’s Aegis. Nymira was pouring Essentia into it to bolster her defences, but Amanda noticed the shield flicker under the assault. She’d hurt her.

Amanda smiled. Naive, am I?

Tear her apart, Nymira roared.

Gladly, one of them answered.

The other four Magi Amanda had yet to attack strode forward, Magic crackling around their hands and shields. Magic lashed out from them, whipping across Amanda’s Aegis. It tore a layer of protection from her, but she wasn’t worried.

She had one of her Multitasking minds repairing her Aegis the whole time, keeping her defences running as she targeted the strongest of these fellow Nomads and ripped into him with a ferocity that left him wide-eyed with surprise. Her Magic lanced into him and reduced his Aegis to tatters in moments before she reached through with a Kinetic force and smashed his head against the wall, knocking him unconscious.

Behind her, Liz had recovered from Nymira’s attack. Want some help? she asked.

Liz threw Magic at one of the weaker Nomads, bolstering Amanda’s attack. Yoh shot forward, sprinting at superhuman speed and attacked another. Raking at the man with his claws, he ripped holes in the man’s Aegis and slashed the Nomad’s soft flesh beneath.

The remaining coven mate backed off, looking scared as Nymira surged forward once more, throwing another round of Magical blasts at Amanda that hit her Aegis, damaging it further.

You’re mistaken if you think you can win this, Nymira taunted.

Her Aegis held as Amanda returned the attack, blasting Nymira again. This time the Nomad’s Aegis flickered and tore open, no longer able to resist Amanda’s attacks.

We’ll see, Amanda replied.

Magic swept in from two of Nymira’s female companions.

Amanda turned and blasted them with Essentia Strikes, before hitting the woman with the braid with a lightning bolt that flashed between them. She fell to the floor, lifeless.

The Aegis of the blonde girl resisted Amanda’s Magic slightly better, but not by much as Amanda followed it up with a Kinetic hit that had her tripping over the man Amanda had knocked out a short time before.

Essentia flared to Amanda’s right, and Nymira Ported out. Damn it, Amanda cursed.

The blonde threw another dagger of Essentia that dug into Amanda’s Aegis. She lashed out on instinct, furious at herself for not stopping Nymira from Porting away and slammed the Nomad against the far wall. She dropped lifeless to the floor, her Aegis torn to bits.

Looking up, Yoh stood over his opponent, his claws dripping with blood and the Nomad he’d fought, dead.

Nearby, Liz smashed her Essentia-laced fist into the last Nomad’s face. The woman dropped to the floor, leaking blood onto Amanda’s carpet as Liz caught her breath, her hands crackling with energy.

Amanda smiled. Her apprentice had handled herself well.

Holy shit, Liz gasped between breaths. That was intense.

Are you okay? Amanda asked. She could see with her Magical sight that Liz was fine physically, apart from a few bruises, but it never hurts to ask.

I’m fine. You?

Just grand, Amanda replied.

Good, Liz replied, and looked up. You totally kicked her arse, Mandy. How the bloody hell did you do that?

Ah, well, that’s a long story.

She’s like, an Arch Magus, right? Liz asked, referring to Nymira.

"Yeah, to be sure. Look, I have a lot to tell you, but not right now. I need to find Nymira and finish this before she goes after anyone else.

Do you know where she might be, Amanda-san? Yoh asked.

I have a rough idea, but I’m hoping that one of these pair will know more, she said, talking about the two Nomads that were still alive.

Amanda regarded them both. One of them was the girl Liz had fought, the other was the one Amanda had chosen to attack first. He was a bald man with a few tattoos and he’d undoubtedly been the most powerful of Nymira’s crew.

Amanda walked over to the man, his Aegis long since gone, and reached out with her Magic into his unconscious mind. She searched for any knowledge of Nymira’s possible whereabouts and followed his lead on which of these places was most likely to be correct.

It was somewhere in Haiti from the looks of things, which fit with what Amanda knew of the Voodoo Queen. She also found out what she needed to do to pass through the Aegis that protected the place they were Porting into.

She looked up at her friends and saw Gentle Water walk through from the back of the house. Amanda smiled and stood, before walking over to him and giving him a hug. He looked a little surprised.

Everything alright, Amanda? he asked.

Shaun also appeared just behind Gentle Water, leaning out of the door from the basement. What the hell is... oh, wow, he said on seeing the carnage. Are you alright?

Oh, everything’s grand, don’t worry, and I’m fine.

So, has the younger... Gentle Water began.

Yes, Amanda said, not wanting to get into an in-depth conversation right now. But we can talk about that later, I have something... Well, someone to deal with first.

I’ll leave you guys to it, Shaun said. You seem to have it under control.

Thanks, Shaun, Amanda said as he disappeared through the basement door.

I’ll help, Gentle Water said.

Amanda nodded. Okay, you take Liz and Yoh, I’ll bring these ejit’s, Amanda said, waving at the bodies on the floor. We’re going here, she said and sent Gentle Water the location of where they were Porting. Let’s find this Voodoo Queen and deal with her once and for all.

She reached out with her mind and wrapped the defeated Nomads up in her Magic before bringing her will to bear and Porting them and herself down to the island in the Gulf of Mexico.

- Somewhere in the Middle East

Look at this, how can they do this? It’s barbaric, Kennedy said, looking at the ruined monument. He’d seen too many of these now. Too many victims of religious fervour. These ancient monuments should be preserved, and yet they were, at least for a time, inside the territory of an oppressive theistic nation that didn’t like such blasphemous idols in their backyard.

So, they were destroyed, and the world became less colourful because of it.

The rest of his team had similar looks of exasperation on their faces as they explored the site, picking over the debris, trying to find something worth saving.

The ground shifted beneath Kennedy, and he froze in place, looking down at the sandstone under his feet.

For a moment, nothing happened, and then the ground beneath him gave way. For a moment, he was weightless and then gravity took hold of him. He left his stomach behind as he fell, skidding down a slope of rock to land awkwardly in the shadows of an underground chamber.

Kennedy got up gingerly, checking himself over to make sure nothing was broken.

Kennedy! Kennedy?

Are you okay?

He looked up to see the faces of his team appear around the edge of the hole he’d fallen through. Bryn, Lillia, and Sandy all looked shocked but relieved to see him alive.

I’m okay. Get a rope, you have to come down here, I think we’ve found something, he said, peering into the darkness. He couldn’t see much, but it was abundantly clear that this chamber was not just a random cave.

It was man-made.

Voodoo Hunt

Haiti

Amanda looked around. The room was dark, and there was a single doorway leading out into another poorly lit and sparsely furnished room. They had walls of peeling paint and floors that were covered in dirt and stains. Strange cries and noises echoed through the complex.

She knew she was on Haiti, in the city of Port-au-Prince. Or rather, beneath it, but other than that, she wasn’t sure what this place was. She’d hunted through the Nomad’s head, searching for the best place to Port  in order to find Nymira. Which was apparently here.

She looked over at Liz, Yoh, and Gentle Water. What do you think?

If any of you even dare to suggest we split up, I’ll slap you, Liz answered.

Amanda smiled. I wasn’t going to suggest anything of the sort.

Good, because I’ve seen how that movie ends up for the blonde girl.

If you plucked this place out of that Nomad’s head, Yoh said, waving towards the dead or unconscious bodies of the Nomads Amanda had brought with her, then Nymira can’t be far away.

I guess, Amanda frowned. Okay, let’s go, she said, and set off, leaving the Nomads on the floor behind them.

There were Magical signatures all around them, not least of which being the Aegis that surrounded whatever complex of rooms they were in. The information she’d gleaned from the Nomad had included the key for the Aegis so they could Port through it into the complex. Part of that key was to have at least one cleared Nomad with them.

Amanda didn’t want to have to dispose of the bodies from the fight anyway, so bringing them here seemed like the logical choice.

Moving into the bigger room, she saw several more doorways and none of them gave any clue about where they might lead. However, there was a clear path through the dust and debris that looked like it was in regular use, plus, it just felt right. Leading the way, Amanda stalked through the room and out into the corridor beyond, nearly walking into someone coming the other way. On instinct, Amanda grabbed him, clamping her hand over his mouth to stifle his yell for help before reaching into his mind with her Magic. He wasn’t a Magus, that much was clear, and it didn’t take long for her to work her Magic and knock him out.

Falling limp in her arms, she carried him into the room and dumped him in a corner, out of the way.

That was close, Liz commented under her breath.

Amanda opened a Mental Link between them all. ~Link talk from now on.~

They all nodded.

~Sounds good,~ Yoh said through the Link.

Moving on, Amanda followed her instincts or took the most likely route, but it was a maze of random rooms and corridors, connected without any discernible rhyme or reason.

If the enemy couldn’t easily find their way around your base, it made an attack less likely to work.

Amanda felt she possessed a good sense of direction though, and was doing her best to keep a rough mental map of which way they had come.

A couple of turns later, they found themselves in a corridor lined with doors that had barred windows set into them, and Amanda remembered a similar corridor in Lucian’s Columbian mansion. Looking through the first window with some trepidation, Amanda wondered what she might see inside.

It was a cell, as she had guessed, but it was empty. There were signs of use, though.

Some of the doors further up stood open, and as they advanced, it became apparent that most of them were empty. Of the few that did have an occupant in this corridor, they were all dead.

~Do you think there might be more cells somewhere?~ Liz asked through the Link.

~I wouldn’t be surprised,~ Amanda answered.

~We need to do a sweep of rooms after we find Nymira,~ Gentle Water said.

~Agreed,~ Amanda nodded. ~But we need to find Nymira first. She’s the priority here.~

They all agreed and moved on, leaving the cellblock behind. Another couple of turns and they found themselves at the entrance to another room, but this one had a lot more furniture and décor, although most of it was not the kind of thing Amanda could see herself using in her own home. Some of it was clearly Voodoo paraphernalia, and the rest was just macabre.

Amanda understood the idea of Memento Mori, but keeping real skulls on a shelf amidst bones and jars of formaldehyde stuffed with hands or organs, was just strange in the extreme.

Nymira might call herself the Voodoo Queen, but Amanda felt sure that she would be disowned by the majority of people who honestly practised true Haitian Vodou. Nymira’s Voodoo was a perversion of the faith, used for her own ends to inspire fear and obedience in her followers.

Pressing on, Amanda could hear voices in the distance. She reached the short connecting corridor into another large room. Sure enough, she could see Nymira