The Wizard and the Void - Chapter Seven
Author: Milady Dragon
To be honest, Phil was scared.
No…he was terrified.
He did his best to hide it, however.
What had just happened…it really had felt as if Loki's spear had penetrated his back once more, to emerge from his chest, dripping with his own hearts' blood. Phil still had very vivid nightmares about that spear, and seeing the blade when he'd glanced down.
The funny thing was, he hadn't actually realized that he'd been stabbed until he'd seen that spear tip sticking out of his chest. He'd felt the pressure against his back, but the pain hadn't started until he'd become aware of having been killed. Then it had been all darkness and agony and he'd let the Void take him willingly, suddenly wanting nothing more than to become a part of it forever.
He still wasn't sure how he'd survived. He'd seen that spear protrude from his chest. He'd felt the Void taking him into its embrace. Plus, he'd awakened in a bloody morgue. It didn't make any sense for him to have lived through that sort of thing, let alone crawl off that slab and back into the battle that Loki had brought down on them all.
And when he'd snuck out of that damned place, he'd found Daisy in that alley. He'd understood that he'd been given a second chance to make things right, to wipe away a little of the red that had been painted all over his soul.
Phil just didn't know how to explain it to Clint, because he didn't know how to explain it to himself.
He didn't doubt for one moment that Clint had seen what he had. After all, the Elf's eyesight was the sharpest Phil had ever known. There was a reason that Clint saw things that others missed, and was the greatest marksman in the world.
Phil couldn't explain it, though.
And there was a hole in his memory of the minutes before Clint had commented upon his eyes changing.
Whatever had caused it.
He wondered if Melinda or Daisy had ever seen anything like it before, then dismissed the notion. After all, Melinda would have said something at once, and his daughter would have most likely freaked out about it. Daisy couldn't really be calm where her Dad was concerned.
Phil shook his head, letting Lola curl up on his lap, even though she was little big to be doing that sort of thing. He needed the comfort as much as she did at this moment. He knew he was rationalizing it by telling Clint that he was just overly tired from the interrupted spellcasting and, yes, that was true. But he was certain that wasn't what had caused…whatever it was. But he'd had to say something, especially after his accidental hurting of the archer's feelings. He hadn't meant to be snappish, but he'd been unable to control himself in that moment. It wasn't Clint's fault. It wasn't really anyone's fault, and Phil hadn't had the right to act out like that. It had been in the heat of the moment, and apologizing had been the best thing he could do under the circumstances.
Clint was watching him closely, and Phil could see that he wasn't sure he believed anything the Wizard had said. Which was fine, because Phil certainly didn't believe it, either.
The one thing, though…the Void might have rejected him – and he wasn't at all certain that was what had actually occurred – but Phil had never once considered rejecting the Void.
He wouldn't have been able to, even if he thought he could actually do it. The Void was a part of him; coursing through him like his life blood, cradling his soul like the sweetest of lovers. He could feel it, curled just under his skin, like a cold heat that warmed him even as his body grew chill. It was darkness and peace and calmness, while at the same time it was passion and fierceness and Phil wouldn't have known what to do if he'd lost this connection.
It was what the Greats didn't understand. They saw the Cardinals and the Voids as being unnatural, as tainting the Deep Ways and the Void by their very touch, using either force to power their spells in ways that the Greats considered perverted.
That wasn't the case at all…well, not all.
The Void was a part of Phil, an indefinable part that, if gone, would kill him as surely as Loki's spear should have. Phil lived the Void, it was him and he was it. There would be no Phil Coulson without the Void. It existed in his heart and soul and bone and sinew. He breathed it in with each inhale, and out with each exhale. He was a creature of Void, a Wizard with a unique connection, and while it had hurt to have been cast out of that cold/warm darkness Phil would never cast it out of his own self.
He hadn't chosen the Void… it had chosen him. And he would be its servant until the day he finally did die, not its controller like the Greats believed. The Void let him have access, there was no taking involved. Phil seriously doubted that the Void would let anyone take from it.
"I'm fine," he reassured Clint, who looked as if he didn't believe a word Phil was saying. However, in that moment, it was true: he was fine. Whatever happened was over and done, and they could move on from it.
Certainly, he knew he'd be revisiting events, but for this instant all was well.
At Clint's look of incredulity, the Void Wizard rolled his eyes. "I'm not lying, Clint. I really am fine."
He was still receiving the side-eye, so he chose to ignore it for the time being…although, there was a tiny, warm spot near his heart that was gratified that, after everything, Clint still had the ability to be concerned for his well-being.
"We need to discuss what's going to happen next," he went on, changing the subject back to the reason for the archer's presence.
Clint nodded, although Phil got the impression it was only because they needed to talk about it, and not because he was willing to drop the subject. "I take it that Garrett gave you specific instructions on what to do if you really were serious about joining this Hydra nonsense?"
"Yes, he…" the Phil paused, because he remembered Daisy had been more than happy to listen in on what his meeting with Garrett had been about. He'd been content to let her, but for this, he really didn't want her to get any ideas.
Extending a hand, the Void Wizard sent his magic out to the wards around the study, tightening them and activating the masking charm he'd added to the room a long time ago, just in case he'd need it at some point. It would shroud their conversation from anyone wanting to eavesdrop and, while he didn't actually sense Daisy in the walls – her Cardinal magic pinged his own even when she was somewhere else in the Keep, and from what he could tell she was in her room – he didn't want to take the chance that she'd show up in the middle of their conversation. There were times when he didn't care if she overheard, but this wasn't one of those times.
The wards around his study were a comforting web of magic, and it didn't take him but a heartbeat to make certain they were all in proper order. Then, his attention was back on his guest, who was watching him closely with a tiny smile on his face.
"What?" he asked, curious as to what had caused that particular expression.
"What?" Clint echoed, the smile morphing into confusion.
"You were…" Apparently, the Elf hadn't been aware of it, so Phil let it slide. "Never mind. Garrett told me that there was going to be a meeting of their cabal as soon as they could get together, and that I was invited to attend. He gave me an enchanted bracelet that would transport me directly to this meeting and speaking stone to contact me with."
"There's nothing else on this thing except the Teleport spell? Or what about the stone?"
They were valid questions, and Phil had had that exact same concern when he'd accepted the heavy silver band from Garrett. "I scanned them both for that very reason. I was very suspicious. However, it's just your bog-standard Teleport spell and the speaking stone is simply that. Nothing else has been added, I made very sure of that."
What he didn't say was, that he was surprised by the lack of security on the bracelet or the stone. Looking at Clint, Phil realized he really didn't have to.
"Is the bracelet going to allow you a passenger?"
Phil nodded. "I juiced the power of it a little, when Marcus told me he was sending you along. And he's right; going alone would be idiotic. Me bringing a bodyguard along, one that's obviously not magical, will hopefully be enough to throw off their expectations a little. However," he gave his friend a sly smile, "that doesn't mean I won't give you a little magical help. You already have the ring I created for Marcus. It will work anywhere, but it will only take you to either the castle in Triskelia or bring you back here, whichever is closest."
Clint shrugged. "That's fine, because if I have to use it I doubt I'm gonna care all that much as long as it gets me out of trouble. Just don't expect me to leave you behind. That's not gonna happen."
Phil didn't point out that the ring would only carry one person. Mainly because he'd be carrying his own getaway magic.
"I have a few things for you," the Void Wizard went on, "and I'd like to enchant some of your arrows as well."
"Sounds good to me. I take you have some specific ideas in mind?"
"I do." With that, Phil settled deeper into the cushions of the leather couch, Lola curled up in his lap, as he explained exactly what he wanted to do.