Black Mage Cursed
Cleave Bourbon
Contents
Prologue
1. Chapter 1: Adversary
2. Chapter 2: Sacrifice
3. Chapter 3: The Way Back
4. Chapter 4: The Meeting
5. Chapter 5: Tanyth Veridian
6. Chapter 6: The City
7. Chapter 7: Clever Secrets
8. Chapter 8: Dark Mistress
9. Chapter 9: A Tale of Winter’s Chill
10. Chapter 10: The Young Man in the Market
11. Chapter 11: Before Dawn
12. Chapter 12: Reunion
13. Chapter 13: Daggers of the Soul
14. Chapter 14: The Broken Lands
15. Chapter 15: Cracks in the Marble
16. Chapter 16: Danse Macabre
17. Chapter 17: Memorial
18. Chapter 18: A Grave Mistake
19. Chapter 19: Black Mage
20. Chapter 20: The Way is East
21. Chapter 21: The Sunken Lands
22. Chapter 22: Abominations
23. Chapter 23: Life and Death
24. Chapter 24: White Mage
25. Chapter 25: The Last Stand
26. Chapter 26: Futility
27. Chapter 27: The Bramble Path
About the Author
Glossary
Copyright © Cleave Bourbon 2021
Book cover design by Sanja Gombar www.fantasybookcoverdesign.com
Editing by Courtney Umphress www.courtneyumphress.com
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Black Mage Cursed…
She never wanted to be the Black Mage. She was only trying to defend her loved one. But soon, Thessa learned the curse she inherited runs deeper than she ever imagined. Being the Black Mage means following an ancient tradition to please a patron god bent on death, decay, and destruction. A patron god who wants to bring back the abominations of old and wants to use the Black Mage to do it.
Prologue
Excerpt from Red Mage–
“How did you even know I was the Red Mage all those years ago?”
Sarren smiled wickedly, “You don’t recognize me. I didn’t think you did, but I wasn’t certain until now. It’s the doom of the noble class. They never bother to look into the face of their servants. You never bothered to look at me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I was your mother’s handmaiden. I watched you. I set up your meeting with Tovo. It was me! I did it all! I followed you to the city of Talt and to the Sephera family.”
“That’s why you disguised yourself as a man.” She looked at Thessa, “You have failed Sarren, you can’t turn my own blood against me.”
“I never do anything I haven’t meticulously planned out. You should know that by now!” She lurched forward and stabbed her twisted dagger into Hana’s stomach. “I may not be able to kill you, but I can have another do it.” Hana fell to her knees. “Get the dagger from the girl.” Sarren commanded.
Hana looked back to see Thessa dive for the dagger as a young man beat her to it. Thessa grabbed the boy by the waist.
“Let him go, child,” Sarren said. Thessa began to change again, and it freed the boy from her. Hana crawled toward Sarren, but she easily sidestepped her.
“Kill the Red Mage!”
The boy stabbed Hana in the back repeatedly. Hana felt no pain, and it was then that she remembered the dagger was her own. It was the ruby-handled dagger of the Red Mage; it wouldn’t hurt her. Thessa ran up behind the boy and attacked him by the throat.
“No, Thessa, that’s my dagger!” Hana pleaded.
Sarren screeched with glee until she realized what Hana was saying. Thessa now had the dagger, and she was inches away.
“No, Thessa, that dagger can’t hurt me! Don’t do it! Just drop it!”
It was too late, Thessa plunged Hana’s dagger into the heart of Sarren. The blade of the Red Mage, which had no effect on Hana, was deadly to Sarren. Hana watched in horror as the life force drained from Sarren and entered Thessa. A black fog rolled out from Sarren’s body as she fell with Thessa still gripping the dagger. Thessa looked at her mother with terror. Her eyes turned red and her facial features contorted while she collapsed onto Sarren. Hana went to her, still holding the wound in her stomach. She took the blood from her wound and began smearing it on the now unconscious Thessa.
“I can turn you back.” Her tears flowed, blocking her vision. “Please, I can turn you back!” The blood burned Thessa’s skin rather than help her. Thessa began to whimper and Hana wiped the blood from her. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She took the Well of Life stone from her pocket and rubbed it over her wound. The green light from the stone healed her. She tried to use it on Thessa, but it too burned her skin. She moved away from her daughter and Hana’s eyes caught sight of Tovo, who was still standing near the throne. He gazed forward with a catatonic expression.
Chapter 1: Adversary
Thessa stood in disbelief as Asleth shrouded Hana with his cloak and they both disappeared from the cavern. Hana had abandoned her. She scoffed at the corpse of Sarren, whose face was hidden just beneath the cloudy water. She felt a little sick because of her next thought, but she was not about to be left alone, and she was confident that Tovo would make a poor companion in his present state.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” The tears came uncontrollably, and she wiped them away angrily as if she were mad at them for flowing. She focused once again on the corpse of Sarren. “I can’t let you get away with the horrible things you have done! I can’t let you die so easily without paying for the things you have done to people and what you have done to me!” She reached out to Sarren and let some of the energy she still felt pulsing through her body enter the former Black Mage. With a jolt which also startled Thessa, Sarren abruptly sat up out of the water. The woman immediately felt around for the dagger wound, but it was no longer there. Her eyes were full of anger when her gaze met Thessa’s, “Fool! What
