The Wizard's Apprentice

[davidbrennan]

Comments welcome!

Chapter One

There was magic in the air.

Bella could feel it humming around her as she followed her father out of the Midsummer Forest on the path back to Shady Tree. It was rare for anyone to go so deep into the forest, certainly so close to the wild magic running though the trees; she breathed in the air and felt alive, despite her tiredness. Her father had taught her how to find a dozen different plants for potions and, even though she found potions boring, she had to admit that she had enjoyed the walk. It had been too long since she had spent time alone with her father.

But I could be with Adam, she thought to herself. Her boyfriend knew plenty of ways to make her feel great – and her body missed him dreadfully. She pushed the thought aside a moment later. It was good to go on a walk with her father. He was normally too busy to spend time with her.

She smiled to herself as her father stopped and peered at one of the trees, looking for a suitable place to make a cut and draw out some sap. He was a short stocky man, so different from his daughter that Bella knew that some of the village wives whispered that her mother had cheated on her father. Bella, who remembered her mother from when she was a child, knew better. Mother and daughter had both been tall and blonde, with brilliant blue eyes. And they both her powerful magic.

“Not ripe,” her father pronounced, reluctantly. “We will come back in a week.”

Bella nodded and listened to his lecture as they resumed their walk. Potions were her father’s particular skill – and the key to his acceptance by the villagers. Few could remain scared of magic when her father brewed them painkilling potions, as well as hundreds of others that enhanced their lives in a thousand different ways. She looked down at her own legs and smiled. Her magical talent seemed to lie in a different place. It was easy to wear a short skirt – scandalously short, according to the village wives, for a sixteen year old girl – if one could protect oneself from the rigours of the walk.

They were nearing Shady Tree when she heard a moan. Something went prickling down her spine; there was something about the sound that seemed oddly familiar. Bella hesitated – her father didn't seem to have heard the sound – then turned to look in its direction. The source was hidden behind trees and bushes, clearly trying to hide. Bella turned and started to walk towards it, summoning protective magic just in case it was dangerous. And yet there was still something hauntingly familiar about the sound.

She stepped into a clearing and stopped, dead. Adam was standing there ... and Clara, one of the other girls in the village, was kneeling in front of him, sucking his penis. For an awful moment, Bella could barely comprehend what she was seeing. Adam, the boy who had become her lover, was cheating on her. How could he? Adam turned to look at her, his eyes going wide with shock and horror. And yet Clara was still sucking him ...

“This isn't what you think,” Adam protested. “I ...”

Sheer rage boiled up in Bella’s mind as Clara let go of his penis and looked up, her eyes widening with fear. Magic boiled through her mind, demanding release. How could he betray her like that? How could Clara try to steal her boyfriend? How could ...?

“You ... you pig,” she snapped, magic flaring out of her mind. Adam let out a cry of shock and pain as his body morphed into a pig. His clothes tore as the panicking pig strove to escape. Bella had transformed herself before – or been transformed by her father – but for a mundane ... the shock of discovering that he was no longer human would stun him. “You utter bastard.”

She rounded on Clara, who cringed back. Once, the villagers had been scared of the wizard and his daughter. She’d give them a reason to be scared, she vowed, as she shaped a very special spell in her mind. Normally, she would never have even considered using it, but this time ... this time was going to be different. The spell flared to life ...

“Please,” Clara pleaded, no doubt afraid that she was going to spend the rest of her life on a lily pad. “I didn't mean to ...”

“Bitch,” Bella hissed. She cast the spell. “I ...”

“Bella,” her father said, from behind her. “Stop!”

Bella ignored him. Normally, she was as obedient as every other girl in the village – it wasn’t as if her father was one of the less capable fathers, or willing to beat her whenever he was drunk or merely angry – but this was different. Clara deserved punishment; worse, she deserved public humiliation. She would learn why it was not a good idea to steal a witch’s boyfriend. Magic flared around the girl’s pleading form ...

“I’m sorry,” her father said.

There was a sudden flash of magic, too powerful for Bella to fight. Her limps suddenly felt very heavy, followed by a strange sensation that made her feel as if her body was changing and shrinking at the same time. And then she crashed down into darkness.

***
Jay scowled as he felt the twitch in the wards surrounding his home shocking him into wakefulness. It had been a long night – a witch had hexed five men into serving as her slaves long enough to rob a handful of shops – and he’d wanted nothing more than to go home and climb into bed. Naturally, he had been disturbed – he checked the clock – a mere four hours after he had gone to sleep.

He rolled out of bed and reached for his wand as the twitching intensified, then relaxed slightly as he realised that it wasn't actually an attack. Someone was standing on the porch, trying desperately to attract his attention. He slipped his wand back into his belt, then walked down the stairs towards the door, checking the wards as he went. Careful magicians, he’d learned, lasted longer than magicians who neglected basic safety precautions. Just because something looked harmless didn't mean that it was actually safe to touch.

The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man wearing a Hedge Wizard’s grimy robes. Jay blinked in surprise – Hedge Wizards rarely visited the city – and then recognised the tired-looking man. It had been years since he’d seen Furan and the years had not been kind to him, not since his wife had died. He’d gone back to a village and abandoned most of the community in favour of raising his daughter.

“Furan,” he said, standing aside to allow the older man entrance into his home. “Are you alright?”

“I’m sorry about the time,” Furan said. He was shaking with magical depletion. “I had to come as quickly as possible. I need your help.”

Jay scowled. Most people who came to him needed his help ... but it was impossible to resent Furan. Jay would not have mastered potions without his help, or developed the much-needed skill of empathy to tamper down his power. It was easier to work with mundanes – or even lesser magicians – if they didn't feel that one was lording himself over them.

“I’ll do my best,” he promised. He took another look at the older man, then waved his hand in the air and summoned brandy. “What happened?”

Furan sat down on the chair and scowled. “Bella,” he said. “She needs a proper tutor.”

“A proper tutor,” Jay repeated. “Why?”

Furan shook his head, slowly. “Bella ... takes after her mother in many ways,” he admitted, finally. “She has great power, greater than mine ... but she also has very poor control. I hoped that by teaching her potions and other forms of natural magic she would gain the control she needed. But ... I didn't have all the time I needed to devote myself to her studies.”

Jay listened, silently, as his old tutor continued. “I knew that she had a relationship with one of the village louts,” he said. “It wasn't a problem, as long as she was careful – and I taught her how to be careful. But he cheated on her with another girl ... and she walked right in on them.”

“Ouch,” Jay said. “You’d think he’d know better than to cheat on a witch.”

“He’s a pig now,” Furan said. He hesitated, then allowed his scowl to deepen. “I was unable to change him back – or release the other girl from her enchantment. Bella’s magic was driven by emotion. You know what that means.”

Jay nodded. Spells shaped in the heat of emotion often tended to be far harder to remove than spells cast though cold calculation. It was dangerous to throw such spells at a trained magician – the spells were rarely structured perfectly – but a pair of mundanes would be absolutely defenceless. And once the spells had gone to work, they would be extremely difficult to counter. Bella was perhaps the only person who could ... and she would have to genuinely want to remove the spells.

“I do,” he said. “What happened to the girl?”

“A variant on the Spell of Unthinking Obedience,” Furan said. “Right now, she obeys orders without hesitation – any orders.”

Jay shuddered. The Spell of Unthinking Obedience was considered borderline dark magic, particularly when cast on an unwilling victim. It made the victim follow whatever orders he or she was given, no matter what the orders were – or who gave them. He’d known dark wizards to cast the spell for their own amusement, or provide tailored versions of the spell for husbands who wanted their wives to be obedient or vice versa. Removing a standard spell was fairly easy, removing one cast in the heat of emotion was much harder. The poor girl’s life was ruined.

Being a pig won’t be too bad, he thought, sourly. But being everyone’s slave?

“Bella is just too powerful for me,” Furan admitted. His bitter tone showed how much that admission had cost him. “If her mother had lived ...”

“You should have sent her to the Academy,” Jay said, bluntly. “I understand why you didn't, but you should have.”

“Being involved in the world got her mother killed,” Furan said. “Do you think I wanted to send my daughter into such danger?”

“But she needs to learn to control herself,” Jay pointed out. “Right now, she doesn't seem to have mastered the basic lessons ...”

“No,” Furan said. “And I can no longer teach her.”

Jay scowled. A tutoring wizard needed to be more powerful than his student, if only to ensure that the natural student tendency towards defiance was firmly curbed. In Furan’s case, it was far too clear that if push came to shove, Bella would win. And she was his daughter. He’d hold back until it was far too late. The lessons she needed to learn would come hard, if at all. And she was already pushing the upper age limit for formal training in magic.

“I was hoping that you would take her on, at least for a few months,” Furan added. “You do qualify to be a tutor.”

Jay hesitated, thinking fast. The last thing he wanted was a student, not when there was too much else to do. On the other hand, having a student would provide an excellent excuse for avoiding functions at Court ... and besides, he owed Furan. The older man had saved him from himself.

“She would definitely be around other wizards,” he agreed. Growing up among mundanes wouldn't have done her any favours. Maybe she would have learned the empathy that had eluded Jay for so long, but she would also have been the most powerful of them all. How many of her playmates had suffered under her magic? “What sort of arrangement do you want?”

“The same as I had with you,” Furan said. “I’d be ceding parental authority to you, with the sole exception that you cannot arrange her marriage – if you dared try.”

Jay smirked. Mundane families might arrange marriages for their children, but it could be hazardous to arrange them for magical children. But it would provide a legal excuse for not opening discussions, if one of the magical families wanted to try to invite Bella to join them.

“I understand,” he said, flatly. “How does she get on with others?”

Furan considered. “She was a reasonably obedient daughter,” he said, finally. “And she did have friends in the village. I know she showed off some magic for her friends, but she never used it to hurt them. She did use it to save a friend’s life once, mainly by accident. That was when I knew just how much power she had inherited from her mother.”

Jay sighed in relief. Magic could turn a young child – male or female – into a terrifyingly powerful brat ... or a bully. It hadn’t been that long since a missing persons case had been resolved by discovering that all of the young girls who’d gone missing had been babysitting the same girl, who’d turned them all into dolls and hid them under her bed. Quite how her parents had failed to notice that the babysitters weren’t home when they returned was beyond Jay’s ability to grasp. But Bella seemed to have escaped that, thankfully.

“She saved a life,” he repeated. “How did she do that?”

“Her friend – Perrin – was gored by an angry bull,” Furan said. “They decided that it would be a fun idea to walk through the field where the bull was kept, despite the straw on his horns. The bull came after them and gored Perrin, almost killing her. Bella somehow managed to freeze the girl in a stasis spell until I could get there and save her life.”

Jay lifted an eyebrow. “How old was she at the time?”

“Seven,” Furan said. “And no, I didn't teach her the spell.”

“Impressive,” Jay said, softly. Furan had been wrong not to send his daughter to the Academy, no matter his fears. He was lucky that his daughter hadn't turned into a menace ... or the next Dark Lady. And now, after she’d been so badly betrayed, what would she become? “Very well. I will take her as my apprentice.”

Furan relaxed, enough for Jay to see just how worried he’d been.

“I’d like to see the girl now, if you please,” Jay said. “How did you bring her here?”

Furan reached into his bag. A moment later, he pulled out an elegant stone statue, barely larger than his hand. Jay felt the magic crackling around it and blinked in surprise as he realised that Furan had transfigured his own daughter. The spell was an odd one; if it had taken hold properly, Bella should be held in stasis, her thoughts and emotions frozen until the spell was released. But if it hadn't worked properly, Bella would be aware ... merely unable to move or cast spells. Most transfiguration spells prevented madness, but there were often unpleasant side effects.

“I didn't have any other choice,” Furan admitted. He looked oddly reluctant to continue. “Will you explain that to her?”

Jay bowed his head. The only way to beat a more powerful magician than oneself was to strike as hard and fast as possible ... something that became a disaster when the rogue magician was one’s daughter. Furan, in order to save the villagers, had risked destroying his relationship with his daughter completely. She wouldn't appreciate his decision.

I wouldn't have, if it had happened to me, he thought, sourly. He felt a twinge of affection, even admiration, for the old man. I might not have been able to make that decision.

“I will,” he promised. He took the statue and looked down at it. At sixteen, Bella already seemed to be on the edge of maturity ... and her face showed promise of true character. She might not be classically beautiful, but magicians looked for character rather than anything else. Beauty was so easy to produce using glamours. “And I won’t let you down.”

Furan stood up. “I have to go back home,” he said. “Please take care of her.”

Jay felt a twinge of pity. Furan had spent years in his village, building up a relationship with his neighbours ... a relationship that his daughter had just shattered. One slap was remembered longer than a thousand caresses, after all; the villagers would look at the pig-boy and the enslaved girl and wonder, despite themselves, who would be next. Would they try to insist that Furan left the village? The older man would find that heartbreaking?

“I will,” he promised. “And good luck.”

He put the statue on the table and walked back to the door with Furan. They shook hands, then Furan stepped out of the house. Jay sighed as he looked past his old tutor and saw the sun starting to rise in the distance. It was clear that he wasn't going to get any more sleep in the near future. He just hoped that the King wouldn't call on him before he had made preparations for Bella’s tuition.

Calling for the maid, he issued orders to have a guest room prepared for Bella and then walked back into his study. The statue was still on the table; he picked it up and studied it carefully, examining the magic that had created it. Bella wasn't quite out of it, he realised grimly. She would have some awareness of her surroundings and time passing. It was clear that she was not going to be happy when the spell finally wore off.

Shaking his head, he put the statue on the ground and cast the counter-spell. A moment later, it morphed back into the form of a young, blonde – and very angry - young woman.

[davidbrennan]

Chapter Two

How could her father do this to her?

Bella had struggled against the spell as it struck her, but it had been too powerful for her to stop before it took effect. Instead, she’d felt her mind fade in and out of awareness, leaving her unable to focus long enough to break the spell. Her sense of time had faded too – she couldn’t help thinking of the stories about people who had been trapped as statues or other inanimate objects for hundreds of years – and by the time the spell finally snapped, she had no idea when or where she was.

She spun around as her body returned to normal, but saw no sign of her father. Instead, a younger man – a decade older than her at most, she decided – was seated on a rather shabby looking sofa, studying her. His face held the same hard-edged character that her father possessed, although there was a faint glint of determination in his eyes that her father lacked ... and his lips had curved up into a rather sardonic smile. He wore a simple shirt and trousers, but they were well-made, suggesting that he was wealthy enough to buy clothes rather than have them made by his wife and daughters. If he had a wife and daughters.

Cold rage flared up in her mind as she remembered what had happened. “Where is my father?”

“He left you with me,” the man said. His voice was firm, utterly unrelenting. “You may call me Master Jay. For the moment, I am to be your tutor.”

Bella stared at him. “I don’t need a tutor!”

“I’m very much afraid that you do,” Master Jay said. “How much do you remember?”

“He ... he cheated on me,” Bella said. Rage and grief mixed together in her mind. How could Adam have cheated on her? “I ... I gave him myself and he still cheated on me!”

Master Jay quirked an eyebrow. “And after that?”

“I turned him into a pig,” Bella said, with heavy satisfaction. Adam wouldn't be cheating on her – or anyone else – any longer. “And Clara ...”

She stopped, unsure if the spell she’d aimed at Clara had actually worked. “What happened to me?”

Master Jay studied her for a long moment. “You are aware, of course, that not all magicians are created equal?”

Bella nodded, impatiently.

“Your mother was a powerful sorceress in her day,” Master Jay continued. “The story of how she met and married your father is one that isn't mine to share. It was quite a surprise to many, young lady. Your father, despite his many fine qualities, is not a very powerful magician. Indeed, were it not for a remarkable skill at potions, it is unlikely that he would remain a respected magician.”

“My father is a great man,” Bella snapped. How dare this ... upstart question her father? He’d saved Perrin’s life after the girl had almost been killed by the bull. “Don’t you dare sneer at him!”

Master Jay looked oddly relieved at her words, but pressed on anyway. “Your father’s magical well is actually quite small,” he said. “Yours, on the other hand, is overflowing with raw magic. You have the potential to become one of the greatest sorceresses of the age, if you receive proper training. Instead, your father saw fit to keep you in his village and deny you the training and discipline you needed.”

Bella scowled. “I don’t need training,” she grated, confused. Had her father crippled her instead of helping her to grow into her magic? “I ...”

“Your father was unable to remove the spells you cast,” Master Jay explained, patiently. “That is not a good thing.”

“Yes, it is,” Bella snapped. She didn't want Adam and Clara to be free of their enchantments. They had to learn a lesson. “He taught me ...”

“As you grow into your magic,” Master Jay interrupted, “you will have more problems with controlling yourself. You simply lack the discipline, right now, to handle more complex magic spells. Eventually, you will kill yourself – or you will be kidnapped by a more capable magician and used as a source of power. Your father, with the best will in the world, has created a very dangerous situation. If your mother was still alive, you would have received proper training. As it is, you will need to learn from me.”

He held up a hand before Bella could say a word. “Do you understand the importance of apprenticeship contracts?”

Bella hesitated. Several boys in the village had become apprentices; they’d hoped to learn how to be blacksmiths, butchers or even hunters. They moved into their master’s home and became, to all intents and purposes, adopted children. And once they had learned all they could, they set up their own businesses.

“Good,” Master Jay said, when she said that out loud. “In your case, you will be my apprentice for at least a year, while I teach you the basics of both magic and courtly etiquette. You will be expected to be obedient and to work hard, learning all that I can teach you. In exchange, you may be called upon to assist me with my work, although I don’t expect that to happen very often.”

Bella stared at him. “You expect me to be obedient? Like a good little wife?”

“Like a daughter,” Master Jay said. “You need to serve before you can lead.”

“I will not,” Bella snapped. She placed her hands on her hips as she pulled herself upright and glared at him. Magic danced through her mind as her anger grew into a raging tempest. “I will not be staying here.”

“You will be staying here for the next year, at least,” Master Jay said. He didn't seem intimidated by the sudden change in the magical field, although she was sure that he would be able to sense it. “Your father has placed you in my hands and I do not intend to fail at my duty.”

Bella shaped a spell in her mind and cast it. The spell should have frozen him in his tracks, long enough for her to get out the door and escape. She didn't know where she was, or where she would go, but she was sure that she could make her way back to her father. Instead, the magic shattered against his protections, protections she hadn't even realised were there.

“As you should have realised,” Master Jay said, a hint of anger in his tone, “you need a tutor with more power than yourself.”

He stood up and caught her arm. Bella tried to resist as she was pulled towards the sofa, but his grip seemed to be made of iron. Magic flickered around her, yet no matter how she tried it refused to focus into a spell. For the first time since she’d seen Perrin’s father yelling at her after her near-death experience, she found herself scared of someone else. Even her father, for all of his power, hadn't scared her.

“And trying to use magic on someone could get you killed,” Master Jay said, as he sat down and pulled her over his lap. “You need discipline to learn how to control yourself.”

Bella realised what was about to happen – she’d known that Perrin and some of her other friends from the village were regularly punished by their parents – but it was still a surprise when his hand came down on her bottom. Her skirt was just too thin to provide much protection and his hand felt like iron. She yelped in pain as he smacked her right cheek, then her left, moving between them in a rhythmic pattern that built up a painful fire in her rear end. Her father had never spanked her.

“You should consider yourself lucky,” Master Jay informed her, as he paused. “Most magical accidents result in far worse problems than a sore bottom. It may be extremely difficult to break the spells you cast on your two victims – and even if they were broken tomorrow, their lives would be forever changed.”

Bella relaxed, slightly. Her bottom hurt ... but surely the spanking was over.

“He cheated on me,” she protested. “I ...”

“Yes, he did,” Master Jay said. “And I understand you being angry at him. But your punishment was grossly disproportionate to the crime.”

She gasped as he lifted her skirt, exposing her panties. Apart from Adam, no one had seen her bare bottom since she had been a child – and even Adam’s fumbling had been quick, with both of them aware that they might be caught at any moment. Master Jay was cool, deliberate and unrelenting. Bella tried to struggle as her rear was exposed, only to discover that her position didn't allow her to do more than thrash about in the hopes of avoiding his blows. It seemed utterly futile.

He smoothed out her panties – the silken underwear she’d purchased from a trader who’d made his way through the village – and resumed his assault on her bottom. This time, it stung more than it had on her skirt, each blow making her cry out in pain. Bella struggled and kicked, but he was utterly immovable. The fire in her bottom was growing into a raging furnace.

And then she felt his fingers slip into the wristband of her panties. Before she could object, or say a word, he pulled them down to her knees, exposing her bare bottom to his gaze. Bella was torn between embarrassment and pain, realising that he could see almost everything she had. She clenched her legs together, only to discover that it was impossible to hold that pose when he resumed the spanking. All she could do was lie there and take it.

“You will learn discipline,” Master Jay informed her, each word underlined by a powerful spank. “If you misbehave in my house, you will be spanked. Do you understand me?”

It took Bella a moment to realise that the spanking had come to an end. “Yes,” she stammered. She tried to pull herself off his lap for the umpteenth time and was surprised when he let her go. “I’m sorry.”

“So you should be,” Master Jay said. He watched dispassionately as Bella clutched her bottom, her skirt falling down to conceal her womanhood. “And I am sorry too. But I will not hesitate to do it again, if necessary.”

Bella sniffed, reaching for her panties and pulling them into place. It hurt to have the soft fabric pressed against her burning cheeks, but she didn't want to simply kick them off and leave them in the study. She rubbed her buttocks gingerly, feeling the fire throbbing through them. It seemed impossible that a mere spanking could have hurt so badly. Surely he’d used magic to make it hurt worse.

And he’d spanked her. The thought overwhelmed her. She sank to her knees, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. He’d spanked her. And she was at his mercy. He could do whatever he liked to her and there was nothing she could do to stop it. A moment later, she felt strong arms enfolding her, clutching her tightly. It took her several seconds to realise that Master Jay was hugging her, giving her what comfort he could.

“You must be tired,” he said, diplomatically. “I have had a room prepared for you. You may sleep until lunchtime, whereupon we shall talk more.”

“Thank you,” Bella stammered. She was so confused. Part of her was angry at him for baring her bottom and spanking her like a child, part of her was grateful for his consideration. “Where is the room?”

“I’ll show you,” Master Jay said. He helped her to her feet, then led her towards the door and into the lobby. “If you walk up that staircase, your room is the one directly at the top.”

Bella nodded, let go of his hand and walked up the stairs. Her legs felt unsteady, but she barely noticed. She was too busy trying to massage the sting out of her rear.

***
Jay watched her go, wondering if she realised just how much she was showing as she rubbed her bottom. Her skirt was hiked up, revealing her panties ... and a very red bottom. He pushed the thought aside a moment later, angry at himself. Bella was Furan’s daughter and his apprentice, not a young witch he could try to court. And yet ... when she’d been over his lap, it had been difficult to avoid noticing that she was almost a full-grown woman. There was only ten years between them, hardly enough to bother anyone. Hell, there were aristocratic girls – barely entering their menses – who married elderly men.

This is why most apprentices start young, he reminded himself. By the time they grow into maturity, their master sees them as a son or daughter – not an object of interest.

He muttered a curse under his breath as Bella stepped into her room and closed the door, loudly enough to shake the house. She would have to be taught to show manners at all times, although maybe she could be excused after her first spanking. Jay still remembered the first time his father had taken off his belt and given him a very well-deserved thrashing. He hadn't been good for anything for hours afterwards. In hindsight, he couldn't help wondering why his father hadn't thrashed him again for his behaviour after the first thrashing.

Pushing that thought aside too, he closed his eyes and linked into the wards surrounding the house. Bella’s presence was welcome, of course, but he would have to monitor her use of magic ... just in case she did something stupid. Furan had definitely done his daughter no favours by keeping her away from the Academy. The sort of magic welling up inside her was likely to cause emotional storms and bad behaviour for several years to come. He looked down at his hand, still smarting after the spanking he’d delivered and scowled. And to think that he would have to put up with her for at least a year.

He stepped into the kitchen and nodded to the maid. Clover’s parents were a mystery; she’d been abandoned at the orphanage shortly after birth, with no clue as to who’d given birth to her or why they had abandoned their child. Judging from her mixture of pale skin and almond eyes, Jay suspected that there had been some forbidden love involved. But there was no way to know for sure.

“Master,” Clover said. “Is ... she going to be staying with us from now on?”

“For at least a year,” Jay confirmed. “Did you make preparations?”

“I made up the bed, gave her a mirror and provided some night clothes,” Clover said. “She won’t want me to provide her with daily clothing, sir.”

Jay blinked in surprise. “No clothes?”

“She will want to choose her own,” Clover said. “Do you intend to let her?”

Jay shrugged. Clover was, in theory, his slave; he’d purchased her contract from the orphanage and accepted her oaths of loyalty. But he paid her for her service and, if she saved money, she would be able to buy herself free in a few more years. Keeping an unsworn servant wasn’t safe, yet the alternative bothered him. Allowing Clover a certain amount of freedom compensated – and soothed his conscience.

“We shall see how she gets along on her first lessons,” he said. The standard garb for an apprentice magician was long white robes, but Bella was older than the average apprentice. It was easy to imagine some of the others making fun of her. “I want you to treat her as my daughter, but with the same restrictions as a guest. If she tries anything stupid – here or outside – I expect to know about it.”

“Of course, sir,” Clover said, with a bow. She hesitated as she straightened upright. “But a daughter will resent the maid spying on her.”

“It can’t be helped,” Jay said, reluctantly. Bella probably wouldn’t appreciate Clover keeping an eye on her, but there would be times and places Jay couldn't be with her. “She is utterly unprepared for the city. It will overwhelm her.”

He nodded to his maid and strode back to the study, closing the door behind him. There were other precautions he would have to take. Clover knew better than to look at his books – and couldn't have used them if she had – but Bella didn't ... and besides, she could use the spellbooks. They would have to be protected until she was ready to read them. But some of the other books were suitable for a new magician ... he shook his head as he pulled a handful off the bookshelves and placed them on the table, then cast a new set of wards over the remaining books. He would have to make it clear to her that trying to read those books without permission would result in another spanking.

And I’ll have to give it too, he thought. Magicians were always curious. Declare something off limits and hundreds of magicians would start trying to break in. He saw no reason for Bella to be any different.

Carefully, he sorted his potion ingredients – she’d be good at potions, given who’d taught her – then dug up a spare wand. It would suit her long enough to have one produced specially for her, once he took her out into the city. But that would have to wait until she’d learned some discipline. Right now, Traveston City would simply overwhelm her. There were more people in a giant apartment block than there had been in her entire village.

He looked up sharply as the wards twitched, then smiled as he realised that she had cast a very basic numbing spell. It was sloppy work, he couldn’t help noticing, but she had definite potential. Certainly, she couldn't have worked the spell at all without a natural gift for magic.

Perhaps serving as her tutor was going to be an interesting experience after all.

[davidbrennan]

Chapter Three

Bella waited until she was in her new room, with the door firmly closed, and then yanked down her skirt and panties so hard that the panties tore. She bit down a word she’d learned from Adam – there was no way to know if using such words would earn her another spanking – as she dropped the material on the ground. The panties had cost her a month’s worth of pocket money, such as it was. Now, they were suitable for nothing more than rags.

Gritting her teeth, she turned and inspected her bottom in the mirror. It felt as if it should be on fire – and indeed, there was a nasty red glow covering her whole posterior. There were even a handful of red marks on her thighs where he’d slapped her as she’d tried to escape his grip. They’d stung worse, somehow, than the slaps that had turned her bum into a painful mass. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she gingerly touched the redness, then slumped beside the bed, crying her eyes out. Her father had abandoned her to a monster who’d spanked her – for the first time in her life.

But you did turn Adam into a pig and curse Clara, a voice said at the back of her head. What will happen to them now?

Bella shuddered at the thought. She hadn't thought at all ... which was no improvement, she had to admit, on assuming that her father could fix her mistakes. She’d certainly assumed as much, when Perrin had agreed to allow Bella to experiment on her, but those had been simple spells. The spells she’d thrown at her cheating boyfriend and the girl who’d stolen him had been far more complex. And yet ... it seemed impossible to believe that her father would be unable to help them. He’d always been the most capable wizard she knew.

He was the only wizard you knew, the voice said. And for all your magic, Master Jay still managed to spank you into submission.

The thought was humiliating. She had never needed to worry about men, or even dangerous beasts. No man in the village would dare touch her against her will, not when she could have used magic to humiliate him in front of his peers. She had walked through the forest wearing a short skirt and a shirt and she hadn't even been scratched. But it was clear now that she’d been deluding herself. There were other – stronger – wizards out there.

She touched her bottom, trying to convince herself that the throbbing was fading away. It wasn't. If Master Jay had spanked her so casually, what might another wizard do? Kill her? Rape her? Use her as a source of power? She needed to learn to defend herself. Master Jay was right. She had to study properly.

And Master Jay had been the first man she’d met who’d really challenged her.

That thought was even more humiliating. Adam had cheated on her, but he’d tried to hide it; she’d only found out through sheer bad luck. Master Jay, on the other hand, had treated her like a little girl ... and, at the same time, was offering to help her develop into a formidable sorceress. How could she not be drawn to him when she’d seen his protections simply deflecting all her spells? And he was quite handsome ...

She hesitated, then cast a numbing spell over her buttocks. Her father had warned her never to use the spell unless there was no other choice; it numbed the body so completely that it was quite possible to hurt oneself quite badly without realising until the spell drained away. Her buttocks seemed to vanish, along with the lower part of her chest. Even touching them felt weird, as if she were touching someone else.

Carefully, she stood upright and looked around the room. It was small, but fairly simple; illuminated by a single gas lamp hanging from the ceiling. She was surprised that Master Jay didn't use magic to light his house, although some magicians – she’d been told by her father – preferred not to waste magic unless there was no other choice. Besides, it sometimes scared the mundanes.

The bed was easily large enough for two people; soft, comfortable and very welcome. Behind it, there was a small wardrobe; she looked inside and saw a set of nightgowns, all surprisingly conservative. People in the village had generally slept naked. But maybe they behaved differently in the city. She stood on the bed and peered out of the window, catching sight of the castle in the distance – and a handful of smaller keeps surrounding it. It hadn't quite dawned on her that she was in the capital city of the realm until now.

Maybe I will see the King, she thought, as she sat down and pulled off her shirt. Master Jay had been right; she was tired and she needed to sleep. Pulling back the covers, she slipped into the bed and closed her eyes. Sleep overcame her a moment later.

It seemed like no time at all had passed before someone was shaking her. No one woke her in the morning, or at all; her father merely waited for her to arise and then started her lessons. Bella cast the freeze spell automatically, before her thoughts caught up with her and she remembered where she was. She opened her eyes and saw a young girl, no older than Bella herself, standing over her. The girl was frozen by Bella’s magic.

“I’m sorry,” Bella mumbled, as she pulled herself upright. A twinge of pain from her bottom reminded her that the numbing spell had worn off, although thankfully most of the pain had faded away. “Give me a moment.”

She had to think to cast the counter-spell, but eventually it worked properly. The girl started, clearly shocked – and terrified. Bella felt a flicker of guilt, remembering the first time she’d practiced that spell. Perrin had agreed to let her try, but she’d still been terrified after the spell had been released. It was a miracle, Bella knew, that she’d stayed friends with Bella after that little incident.

“The master wishes you to join him for lunch,” the maid said, in a shaky voice. “And you might want to put on some clothes.”

Bella flushed. “I don’t have anything else,” she admitted. Her father had clearly not taken the time to pack up a bag of clothing for her. “Do you have something I can wear?”

The maid reached into the wardrobe and produced one of the dressing gowns. “You might want to wear this,” she said. “It won’t be too uncomfortable for you.”

Bella felt her flush deepening as she twisted her head, inspecting her buttocks. The maid might not have heard the spanking, but she could certainly see the evidence. Her bottom was still red, even if it had largely faded. How long would it be before the redness was gone for good?

“Thank you,” she said, grudgingly. She hesitated, then asked a question. “Does Master Jay ever spank you?”

“Once or twice,” the maid admitted, with a blush of her own. “But normally I do as I am told.”

Bella nodded as she pulled the nightgown over her head and inspected herself in the mirror. The garment was completely shapeless, hiding both the swell of her breasts and the shape of her buttocks ... although she suspected that it would provide almost no protection if Master Jay decided that another spanking was in order. Gritting her teeth, she picked up the torn panties and put them on the bed, then allowed the maid to take the rest of her clothes to be washed. God knew what other clothes she'd be able to find.

The maid waited until Bella was finished, then led her down the stairs and into the dining room. It was a larger room than Master Jay’s study, dominated by a wooden table, a handful of comfortable chairs and a pair of windows that looked out over the garden. Master Jay himself was seated in one of the chairs; he stood up as Bella approached, then looked past her to the maid.

“Clover,” he said. “Leave us.”

Bella swore, inwardly. She had never thought to ask the girl’s name.

Master Jay waited until the maid was gone, then eyed Bella with a gimlet stare. “What were you thinking,” he asked coldly, “when you hexed my maid?”

“I panicked,” Bella admitted. Her hands, moving almost of their own free will, went to cover her bottom protectively. “It isn't common for anyone to wake me up.”

Master Jay lifted both eyebrows. “Really?”

“No,” Bella said, fighting the urge to take a step backwards – or to flee. “My father ... we had some animals in the forest that would sometimes try to sneak into our houses. He used to say that I should use the charm if I found anyone in my room.”

“May God help your future husband,” Master Jay muttered.

Bella blushed, brightly.

Master Jay seemed not to notice. “This house is heavily warded,” he said. “No one is permitted free access, apart from you, Clover and myself. Clover, by the by, is under specific loyalty and obedience oaths. I expect you not to take advantage of them.”

His eyes narrowed. “And you should realise,” he added, “that hexing maids cannot be tolerated.”

He pulled one of the chairs out, away from the table, then nodded to her. “Pull up your gown and then bend over and place your hands on the chair,” he ordered. Bella opened her mouth to argue, but he cut over her voice. “Now.”

Bella hesitated, then half-twisted away from him as she struggled to pull up her gown, exposing her bare bottom. It wasn't fair that she should be spanked again so soon, not when her bottom was still throbbing gently ... but the memory of the fear in Clover’s eyes pushed aside all argument. She bent over, pushing her legs as tightly together as she could, praying that he wouldn't order her to spread them. Instead, there was a long pause ...

She’d seen a boy in the village get whipped once, she recalled. He’d been bent over a table ... was Master Jay going to whip her? A moment later, she felt his hand smacking hard against her bottom. Yelping in pain, she sprung upright, pressing her hands against her bottom. It hurt worse than it had during her first spanking.

“Bend over,” Master Jay ordered. “Now.”

Tears in her eyes, Bella obeyed. The next set of slaps hurt worse, but somehow she forced herself to remain in position. Eventually, he pulled her gown back so it covered her buttocks and motioned for her to stand upright. Fighting back tears, Bella looked up at him. There was an oddly compassionate look on his face.

“It doesn't seem fair, I know,” he said, softly. “But you need to learn discipline before it is too late.”

He motioned to the table. Bella followed his gaze and saw bread, meat and a selection of cheeses. She felt a sudden pang of homesickness – it was what they would have eaten in the village – and then winced in pain as she sat on one of the chairs. Her buttocks just ached in pain.

“I don’t serve alcohol,” Master Jay said, as he poured her a glass of fruit juice. “Did your father explain how important that was?”

Bella nodded, wordlessly. It had been one of the few true restrictions her father had placed on her. She had been told, in no uncertain terms, never to touch a drop of the stuff ... and the dire threats her father had made to the villagers to ensure that they never even dreamed of offering his daughter some alcohol. And the homemade brews the villagers had produced had smelled awful. She had never been tempted to break that particular rule.

“Alcohol lowers the inhabitations ... which can be worrying, particularly as a magician can be influenced by his or her magic,” Master Jay said. She couldn't tell if he wanted to make sure she knew or if he just liked the sound of his own voice. “You may find yourself tempted into doing something really stupid if you get drunk. Do not drink anything unless you know what it is.”

“Yes, sir,” Bella said, quietly. Her bottom was still throbbing and she figured a show of respect would win it time to recover properly. “I won’t drink.”

“Excellent,” Master Jay said. “Now ...”

He motioned for her to take some food and start eating as he spoke. “While you are in this house, you will comport yourself as befits a young sorceress in training,” he continued. “In particular, I expect you to be very careful when practicing magic – and never to use it on Clover or anyone else without their permission, unless you act in direct self-defence. I do not wish to discover that there is no dinner because you have turned my maid into a frog and then been unable to turn her back. Do you understand me?”

Bella nodded, once.

“My study is off-limits to you without my presence,” Master Jay said. “In addition, there are certain books in there that are beyond your comprehension at the moment. I expect you to leave those books firmly alone. You will have a study of your own, where I will place the books you can read. As you advance, more books will be added to your collection. In the event of someone giving you a book – books are considered good presents for magicians, as I’m sure you know – you are to show it to me at the earliest possible opportunity. If it is too advanced for you, I will put it aside and return it to you when you are ready to deal with it.

“In addition, my bedroom and Clover’s bedroom are off-limits to you at all times,” he added. “I do not expect to hear that you have been playing pranks on the maid – and if I do, you will be punished.”

He gave her a moment to let that sink in, then pushed onwards. “You may have free run of the house and garden, but you may not leave the walls – and wards – without myself or Clover,” he said. “It is not a safe city out there. Once you have found your bearings, I will relax that restriction. You’ll hate that – I did – but you will come to understand it.”

Bella scowled, but nodded.

“Assuming that I am not called away, we will spend the mornings practicing magic,” Master Jay said. “You will be summoned for breakfast, then we will proceed to the study. After lunch, you will be expected to study on your own. In the evenings, you will have some free time. There are several games Clover will play with you, if you ask. Later, I imagine that you will find friends in the city. You may be able to spend time with them instead, assuming that your studies are proceeding at an acceptable level.”

He pointed a long finger at her. “You don't realise this yet,” he added, “but you have a lot to learn. Right now, you’re vulnerable. Do not make the mistake of assuming otherwise.”

“I know,” Bella said. She was unable to keep a hint of resentment out of her voice. “You spanked me.”

“Precisely,” Master Jay said. He took a piece of bread, placed a slice of ham on top of it and bit into the meat with evident enjoyment. “I take no pleasure in punishing you, young lady, but you have to learn as quickly as possible.”

He leaned forward. “Is there anything that you require immediately?”

“More clothes,” Bella said, without hesitation. “And money.”

Master Jay smiled. “Your clothes are not suitable for your role as my apprentice,” he agreed. “We shall go clothes shopping tomorrow, once you have completed your first set of lessons. I trust” – his face reddened slightly – “that you can brew potions to deal with your monthly cycles?”

Only the certainty that she would receive a far harder spanking – perhaps with his belt - kept Bella from laughing at his expression. “My father taught me how to produce those potions,” she said, remembering how grateful Perrin and the other girls had been to receive them. Their cramps had faded away to nothingness after a quick sip. “I’d need the ingredients ...”

“If I don't have them, we will pick them up at the Apothecary,” Master Jay informed her bluntly. “I should warn you to always use contraceptive potions too, should you meet a ... friend.”

Bella’s face reddened until it was almost as bright as her bottom had been, mere hours ago.

“I think I’ve sworn off men,” she said, although she knew that it wasn't true. “They’re cheats.”

Master Jay smiled. “It depends on the man,” he said. “How long did it take him to get you attached to him?”

Bella shook her head, embarrassed.

“You should never give up too quickly with a man,” Master Jay warned her. He finished his meal and stood up. “I will put some books in your room for you to read. Tomorrow we start basic magical tests, so I know where you are right now. Then I can work out a proper educational plan.”

“Thank you,” Bella said, and meant it. Despite herself, she had to admit that she was looking forward to proper lessons. “Can’t we go shopping today?”

“I need to be elsewhere this afternoon,” Master Jay admitted. His voice hardened. “And I suggest that you don’t try to take advantage of my absence.”

Bella rubbed her bottom. She’d learned that lesson, all right. Mischief – or even trying to read the forbidden books – would have to wait, at least until her bottom had recovered. Being spanked twice in the same day was no fun at all.

[Often123]

Excellent! This should be a great series.

[davidbrennan]

Thank you! Suggestions welcome.

DB

[spoiledbrat18]

Ooh it was soooooo good, more please & hurry !

[davidbrennan]

Suggestions welcome <grin>

DB

[davidbrennan]

Chapter Four

Jay – when he’d been an apprentice himself – had learned the value of good timekeeping from his master. A magician could not afford to be late, or imprecise; being out of bed on time was merely the first step in learning the precise control necessary to survive one’s magic. He was therefore rather annoyed when breakfast came and went without Bella making an appearance.

“She’s still in bed,” Clover reported, as he finished drinking his morning coffee. “I asked her to wake up and she told me to go away.”

“At least she didn't hex you this time,” Jay muttered, standing up. His apprentice would just have to learn the hard way. He’d told her to go to bed early, but it was quite possible that she’d stayed up half the night reading. At least her father had taught her how to read. “You leave her bowl of porridge out for her. I’ll wake her up.”

He marched out of the dining room and up to Bella’s bedroom. The door was half-open, allowing him to step inside; she hadn't even bothered to add protective wards of her own. Not that they would have kept him out, of course, but it would have shown an awareness of her own vulnerability. But then, he had told her that she was safe within the house’s own wards. Maybe she’d just decided that she didn’t need the wards to protect herself.

Bella lay on her back, her eyes closed. Jay found his breath taken away as her stared at her; asleep, she was stunningly beautiful. The blanket had fallen down to her waist, exposing her high firm breasts; for a long moment, he simply stared at her nipples standing out against her pale skin. Living in the countryside had left her healthier than the average girl in the city; there were genuine muscles in her arms, rather than the paper-thin arms possessed by the fashionable girls. Her blonde hair fanned out around her like a crown.

He swallowed and pushed the sudden wave of lust aside. There was work to be done. Bella let out a yelp of shock as he caught her arm and pulled her upright, then practically hauled her out of bed. She didn't try to hex him, surprisingly. Had she already learned that lesson or was she too dazed to try to cast a spell?

“You are twenty-seven minutes late for breakfast,” he informed her, as he pulled her over towards the sole chair in the room. She’d been reading, he realised; there were two books lying on top of the wooden chair. He used magic to move them over to the bed and then sat down on the chair. “I told you that I will not tolerate slackness.”

She was wearing her panties, he realised, as he pulled her over his lap. He probably should be grateful, he decided; if she had been completely naked, he might have been unable to control himself. Bella was just perfect. Her long legs were firm and muscular, her back was almost completely unmarked by the ravages of living in the countryside ... but then, she had been a magician’s daughter. Most of her friends would have been up at the crack of dawn, starting their daily chores. It was rare for a countrywoman to live longer than fifty years.

He tugged down her panties and stared down for a long moment at her bare bottom. The marks he’d left yesterday had already faded away, proving – as if he needed more proof – that she had strong magic. Magicians healed quickly from physical injuries; it was curses and hexes that left them in serious trouble. He took a moment to admire the perfection of her bottom as she clenched her buttocks, trying to stop him seeing her most private place, then brought his hand down in a hard spank.

Bella cried out, unclenching her buttocks. Jay ignored her cries as he spanked her again and again, watching with dull admiration as red marks spread across her bottom. He lectured her between spanks, informing her of the dangers of poor timekeeping and demanding to know why she hadn't mastered the art of waking up whenever she wanted already. A potions master would definitely have had that skill.

She turned to glare at him. “Because I didn't want to get up?”

Jay scowled at her, then reached out and summoned the hairbrush from the dressing table to his hand. Clover was being sneaky, he realised as the brush fell into his hand; she’d given Bella the brush Jay had used to discipline Clover, back when she had first started to work for him. Bella’s eyes went wide as she saw the brush, just before he brought it down on her buttocks. The yell she made as he struck her was far louder than when he’d used his hand.

“Twenty-seven minutes,” he said, keeping his voice calm. “One!”

He counted out loud as he smacked her with the brush, her bottom turning from red to purple. Midway through the spanking, Bella stopped fighting and just collapsed over his lap, concentrating on meditative disciplines. Jay felt a flash of pride at her skill, even if it would make it harder to punish her in future. Her meditation would speed up the heeling process considerably.

“Twenty-seven,” he finished, tossing the brush onto the bed. “Do you understand the value of timekeeping now?”

“Yes,” Bella stammered. Her face was awash with tears. “I won’t be late again.”

“Good,” Jay said. He helped her to her feet, then guided her over to the corner. Her panties had been kicked off and were lying on the other side of the room, so he left her completely naked. “Place your hands on your head.”

Bella obeyed, her entire body shaking.

“Stay there for ten minutes,” Jay ordered, casting a hex to stick her feet to the ground. “When that spell wears off, dress normally and then come down for breakfast. I advise you not to be late again.”

He stepped backwards and admired his handiwork. Her bottom was bright red, shading towards purple; the marks of the brush were clearly visible on her lower buttocks, where she would have to sit. Even with healing spells, she was going to be in for a couple of uncomfortable days. Her long blonde hair, hanging down her back, seemed to point to the redness ... Jay took one final look, then walked out the door, closing it behind him. She could have a little privacy for her first corner time.

Shaking his head, he walked into his own quarters and removed his robes. He had to change his underclothes.

You’re being an idiot, he told himself. Bella doesn't need you lusting after her.
***
Bella actually had done corner time as a child, when her father had been annoyed with her, but it hadn't happened very often and not at all since she’d come into her magic. It had honestly never occurred to her that her father might have been worried about what might happen if he punished her, not until she’d caught herself lashing out at Master Jay when he spanked her the first time. In hindsight, perhaps she should have wondered more about why the other girls received much harsher punishments from their parents.

She tried to concentrate her mind enough to banish the hex sticking her feet to the floor, but it was almost impossible to focus. Her bottom hurt worse than it hard yesterday; it was painful enough that she was surprised that it hadn't caught fire. Standing in the corner made her feel like a child, standing in the corner after a spanking was humiliating. She fought back the urge to cry, somehow, as she took one of her hands off her head. It was a surprise, she told herself, that he hadn't forced her to keep her hands on her head too.

Her bottom felt hot enough to fry an eggs, she decided, as she carefully touched the skin with one hand. Indeed, he’d walloped her hard enough to almost break the skin. It was difficult to twist her body with her feet stuck to the floor, but she did manage to look at her side and see ugly red marks covering her buttocks. It just wasn't fair!

She hadn't had to wake up early at home, unless she was brewing a particularly complex potion. Her father had never forced her to stick to a regular schedule; somehow, she had missed the fact that Perrin and the other girls had to get up at the crack of dawn and go to bed when the light failed. They didn't have magic to light their houses – their hovels, she saw now. Even the house she’d shared with her father had been unimpressive compared to Master Jay’s home. But now she had to get up early.

Spending the night reading was clearly a mistake, she thought. But the book had been fascinating, talking about the way the kingdom was actually run. Who would have thought that the Grand Families actually called the shots? She had certainly never known anything about it in the village. There, the villagers worshipped their King, but paid as little tax as they could get away with. Perrin’s father had certainly complained enough about tax collectors to convince her that turning them all into frogs was being too kind.

She jerked as the sticking hex faded away, allowing her to move from the corner. Quickly, she turned and stared into the mirror, flinching back as she recognised herself. Her face was blotchy, tears stained her skin. Moving into the bathroom, she washed herself thoroughly and then donned one of the robes the maid had placed in her room. It wasn't quite a perfect fit, but at least it didn't cling to her skin. Her panties were simply too tight to be worn against her aching buttocks ...

He’d seen her naked. The thought seemed to flash through her mind. He’d seen her naked, completely naked. Bare breasts, bare buttocks ... the way she’d been thrashing around, he’d probably seen her vagina too. No one had seen her naked since she was a very small child ... but Master Jay had. She touched her bottom, wincing slightly at the feel of it, as she thought hard. He was handsome and powerful and she did find him attractive ...

... And he’d just spanked her butt until it was as red as blood.

She pushed the thought aside as she moved the books to the table, then walked through the door and headed down the stairs. Clover was standing there, holding a bag of ... something; the maid gave her a look that mixed amusement with sympathy. Bella scowled at her, but fought back the temptation to do anything else. The last thing she wanted was yet another spanking. Master Jay was sitting inside the dining room, sipping from a cup of coffee.

“The bowl on the table is for you,” he said, shortly. “Clover will bring you coffee.”

Bella scowled as she tried to sit down. Even against the soft cushion, her buttocks still hurt badly. The urge to squirm was almost overpowering. She took the lid off the bowl and felt her scowl deepen as she recognised the oatmeal porridge inside. It wasn't something she liked eating, not when she preferred eggs, bread and fruit. But it was clear, from the unforgiving glint in Master Jay’s eyes, that argument would merely result in a sore bottom. Or even a sorer bottom.

“Should you awaken on time tomorrow, you may order what you please,” Master Jay informed her. “Provided that Clover can make it, of course. If not, I’m afraid that you will have to endure the porridge while sitting uncomfortably.”

Bella blinked in surprise. Had he read her mind?

“I was an apprentice too, once upon a time,” Master Jay said, dryly. “And I didn't like the porridge either.”

It wasn't bad, Bella had to admit, merely bland to the point of tastelessness. She'd already discovered that Clover was a good cook. The maid had cooked them a spicy stew last night, before Bella had gone to bed. She chewed her way through the bowl, concentrating on her disciplines. Inch by inch, the throbbing in her buttocks slowly faded away to a dull aching that barely impinged on her mind.

Clover placed a cup of hot dark liquid in front of Bella and she took a sip ... and then almost choked at the taste. She looked up at Master Jay, afraid that she was about to receive another spanking, and saw him smiling in droll amusement. His smirk only widened as she glared at him, forgetting where she was. The taste was appalling.

“Coffee,” he explained. “It never tastes very nice the first time.”

This was coffee? Bella had heard her father talking about it, but she’d never actually tasted the drink. If all it did was help someone last longer without sleep ... well, there were a dozen potions that did just that, without the foul taste. But then, her father had told her never to try to make potions that didn't taste bad. The danger of addition was far too high.

Master Jay seemed to read her mind again. “There isn't anything magical in it at all,” he explained, dryly. “If you happen to drink too much of it, there will be no unexpected or unpredictable side effects. Most magicians drink at least one cup in the morning, but they add milk or sugar to improve the taste.”

Bella looked over at the jug of milk, then poured some into her cup, followed by two spoonfuls of sugar. Master Jay was right; it did make the taste more palatable. Adding sugar or anything else to potions was asking for trouble, but with coffee ... the only danger was making it too sweet to drink properly.

“You can experiment a little later,” Master Jay informed her. He stood up and Bella rose with him, her buttocks twitching as she moved. “Come with me.”

She’d expected to go into the study, but instead he led her up a different flight of stairs and into a large empty room. The walls were decorated with magical sigils, each one helping to focus the wards and protect the room. She sensed the wards the moment she stepped fully into the room, wards more powerful than the ones she sensed surrounding the house.

“This is a testing chamber,” Master Jay said. He sat down, cross-legged, and drew his wand. “You are aware, of course, of the difference between sorcery and wizardry?”

Bella shook her head, wordlessly.

“Your father left you alarmingly ignorant,” Master Jay said darkly. “To summarise; sorcery is emotion-driven magic, while wizardry is reason-driven magic. To use a simple analogy, sorcery is jumping to the right conclusion while wizardry is carefully working one’s way towards the conclusion.”

“Like solving an equation,” Bella reasoned. She wasn't entirely ignorant. “You might get the answer right the first time, through luck, but if you knew what you were doing you would always get the right answer.”

Master Jay gave her a brilliant smile. “Precisely,” he said. “The problem with sorcery, however, is that the spells cast using it are sloppy and wasteful, even if they can be right buggers to undo. You drained your magical well quite badly merely to cast two spells, which is partly why your father was able to transfigure you and bring you here. Worse, a underpowered wizard can still use his greater knowledge and experience against you. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re vulnerable.”

Bella felt a flash of pride, then sobered. “How do I learn to use wizardry?”

“Carefully,” Master Jay said. His face darkened. “Ideally, you would have gone to the Academy as soon as your magic came out, so you learned before you picked up too many bad habits. As it is, you’re going to have to start right from the beginning – and unlearn quite a few bad habits.”

He held up a hand. “This won’t be easy,” he added, softly. “But I will be there to help you through it.”

His wand moved. A sheet of paper appeared in Bella’s hand.

“Cast that spell,” he ordered. “Carefully. Do it piece by piece.”

Bella scowled. The spell was one of the simplest she knew. It created a glowing light that provided illumination and lasted for several hours. Her father had taught her how to do it years ago. She concentrated and cast the spell.

“No,” Master Jay said. There was a reproving tone to his voice, but an underlying note of understanding. “You’re jumping right to the end. Cast the spell properly.”

Bella flushed, then realised what he meant. She'd shaped the spell with her mind, rather than using the magic words on the paper. It was like trying to walk again ... carefully, piece by piece, she cast the spell. This time, the ball of light was blindingly bright ... and hot enough to send her scurrying backwards.

“Too much power,” Master Jay said, as he cancelled the light. “You’re forcing more power into the spell than it needs, which is wasteful. Try again.”

Bella gritted her teeth and ran through the whole process again. This time, the spell behaved itself. She’d never quite realised how her magic – which she’d never fully comprehended – had powered spells, not until now. It took concentration to tap only a tiny amount of her power and use it.

“Not bad,” Master Jay said, after the sixth perfect light globe. “Not bad at all.”

“Thank you,” Bella said, flushing. For a day that had started with an incredibly painful spanking, it wasn't turning out so bad. “What now?”

Master Jay gave her a toothy grin. “Why, we keep practicing, of course,” he said. “You have to learn how to do this without thinking about it.”

Bella blinked. “But isn't that sorcery?”

“You see the problem,” Master Jay said. “You have to train yourself to use wizardry first.”

[davidbrennan]

Chapter Five

Bella had never been quite so tired in her life when Master Jay finally called a break for lunch. Learning how to control her magic properly was exhausting, a problem made worse – Master Jay pointed out – by the fact that her magical well had grown along with her. A child-mage could learn the basics and then keep developing along with their magic, but she had a great deal to unlearn. As it was, she had to struggle to avoid overpowering her spells. The results tended to range from failed spells to random flashes of magic.

Master Jay had proven to be a surprisingly patient tutor, talking her through spell after spell and making her repeat the exercises until she’d mastered the act. She’d expected to find herself bent over his lap again more than once, but instead he just pointed out what she’d done wrong and helped her to do it properly. Somewhere along the line, the dull ache in her buttocks had faded away, leaving her feeling tired and content. It was a surprise to realise that it was only lunchtime. Part of her wanted to go back to bed.

“After lunch, we will go shopping,” he reminded her, as they stepped into the dining room. “You can make a list of what you want to buy while we eat.”

Bella nodded, relieved that he hadn't forgotten. Her father had certainly never bothered to shop for her, beyond ordering clothes from the local seamstress; she’d had to buy anything special from travelling traders. She couldn't help wondering what might be available in the city for a young woman, even if she didn't have much money. More panties ... and what else?

Clover placed a chicken dish in front of her and she ate it absently, mentally compiling her list. She was surprised to look down at the plate and discover that it was empty; she honestly didn't recall eating anything. But the food did make her feel better; by the time she stood up, she felt more energetic than she had in days. Master Jay motioned for her to follow him into a storeroom and nodded at the collection of jars and boxes.

“If you need anything,” he said gruffly, “make a note of it and we will purchase it.”

Bella resisted the urge to tease him - her father had been just as reluctant to talk about feminine issues – and inspected the shelves. There were quite a few ingredients that she'd never seen before – Basilisk Scales, Dragon Blood, Minotaur Mucus – along with most of the common herbs and animal components used for potions. She mentally ran through the list of requirements for menstrual potions, noted a couple of missing ingredients and made a note of them both. The contraceptive potion should be easy enough to make without buying anything new.

“Got it,” she said, finally. “When are we going?”

“Now,” Master Jay said. He looked her up and down, then nodded shortly. “This city isn't safe, Bella. I expect you to remain with me at all times, unless you tell me where you are going first. If you are alone, don't talk to anyone. Do you understand me?”

Bella nodded, feeling a twinge of nervousness. How bad could it be?

She understood the moment they stepped out of the gate. The streets were crammed with people. There were more people on the street outside Master Jay’s house than there had been in the entire village back home. And they were strange! Many were dressed in styles that shocked or horrified her, others had different skin colours or even weirdly-shaped eyes. And there were hundreds of magicians amongst them. A handful nodded or bowed low to Master Jay, who nodded back. Bella was suddenly very aware of curious – and not entirely friendly – glances directed at her.

Master Jay took her hand, as if she was a child, and led her down the street. Bella was too overwhelmed to protest; the entire city seemed to be teeming with life, as if it were an anthill with hundreds of thousands of ants. Everywhere she looked, she saw something new and strange; a magician swallowing fireballs, a four-legged man inching down the street like a spider, men and women dressed in finery and others dressed in nothing more than metallic panties and bras. The sound of the city was a dull roar of chatter, blurred together to the point where she could only pick out one word in a hundred. She found herself almost pushing against Master Jay, as if she were definitely a child.

“It does that to everyone from the countryside,” Master Jay said. He didn't seem angry or amused at her behaviour. “You move from a village that has a hundred people at most and discover that a city has far more people.”

Bella nodded. A line of children – all girls – were crossing the road, escorted by a pair of tough-looking middle-aged women. Behind them, here was a similar line of boys. They were trying to march like the soldiers who had passed through the village once, although they weren't big enough to pull it off properly. Bella allowed herself a brief smile, remembering the scandal the soldiers had left in their wake. One of the village girls had fallen pregnant and another had run off with her soldier, only to return a week later.

She was so dazed that it was a surprise when they stopped outside a large stone building. Master Jay pressed his hand against the door, which opened a moment later to reveal a giant room crammed with clothes ... robes, to be specific. There were robes intended for powerful sorcerers, robes intended for students ... and every category of magician that had been listed in the books Master Jay had given her to read. An elderly woman appeared from among the stacks and grinned at them, revealing that she had lost half of her teeth. There was something about her face that made Bella cringe back, a hint of something utterly inhuman.

“Good day to you, Master,” the woman said, in a scratchy high-pitched voice. “And is this your new apprentice?”

“Indeed she is,” Master Jay said. If the woman bothered him, he didn't show it. “She needs a full set of apprentice robes – two sets, to be precise.”

“So I see,” the woman cackled. She gave Bella a long considering look. “Stand forward, my dear.”

Bella hesitated. A gentle push from Master Jay forced her forward. The woman pulled out a measuring tape and pushed it against Bella’s body, muttering to herself. Bella winced as the woman touched Bella’s buttocks – the dull ache hadn’t quite faded – and then blushed as the woman laughed. She knew what had happened, all right.

“Shouldn't be doing much more growing, my dear,” the woman said, finally. “I can place extendable charms on the robes ...”

“No charms,” Master Jay said, flatly. “Just cloth.”

The woman nodded in agreement. “I’ll have something worked up at once,” she said, with a droll grin. “Ah; Mistress Toadstool and Dana have finished their work.”

Bella looked up as the clothes parted to reveal a girl about the same age as herself, followed by an elderly woman. The name fitted, Bella couldn't help thinking; she moved rather like a toad. But Bella could sense the powerful magic surrounding her and kept such thoughts to herself. The Right of Insult would allow Mistress Toadstool to punish Bella as she saw fit, even if she was someone else’s apprentice.

“Mistress,” Master Jay said.

“Master,” Mistress Toadstool said. “I must talk with you.”

She took Master Jay’s arm and led him several metres away, casting a privacy ward into the air. Bella stared after them, unsure of what to say or do; she was surprised when someone caught her arm and pulled her around. Mistress Toadstool’s apprentice was grinning at her.

“I’m Dana,” she said, holding out a hand. Her skin was so dark that Bella had difficulty looking at her, but her smile was genuinely friendly. “Who are you?”

“Bella,” Bella said, taking Dana’s hand and shaking it. “Are you a new apprentice too?”

“Sadly, yes,” Dana said. “It was my sister’s fault.”

Bella blinked. “How come?”

“She came into her magic early and used it on me,” Dana admitted. She looked as if she would have flushed, if her skin had allowed it. “I must have spent more time as a frog, or a cat, or even an inanimate object than I spent as a human, at least until my father realised that she was stunting my magical development. And I didn't even come into my magic until four months ago. Mistress Toadstool took me on when no one else would take me.”

She paused. “How did you get apprenticed to Master Jay?”

“My father knew him, somehow,” Bella said, making a mental note to ask Master Jay for the full story. “I’ve only been his apprentice for a day or two.”

“Lots to learn then,” Dana said. She smiled and Bella felt her heart warming. Perrin might be hundreds of miles away, but at least she'd found a new friend. “Mistress Toadstool is strict, but fair.”

“I suppose that Master Jay is too,” Bella said. “But I’ve only known him for two days.”

“Your robes,” the clothing woman said. She pushed a packet into Bella’s arms. “Tell your master that will cost him ten gold.”

Bella’s shock must have shown on her face, for Dana laughed. “That’s not uncommon,” she said, softly. “Where were you born?”

“I grew up in Shady Tree,” Bella said, unwilling to admit that she didn't know where she was born. “It’s a small village ...”

“I grew up in the city,” Dana said. “I’ve never heard of Shady Tree.”

“You wouldn't,” Master Jay said. Both girls jumped as he walked up behind them. “Bella, Mistress Toadstool and I have to see about something. If we escort the pair of you to a different shopping complex, where you can find more standard wear, will you stay there?”

“Of course,” Bella said. Dana echoed her a second later. “How long will you be?”

“I wish I knew,” Master Jay said. He took the robes from her and dropped them into his pouch, then passed her a small purse. “Don't forget to haggle before you pay.”

Bella nodded as he led the way outside. The crowds seemed to have grown even worse, even though the sky had darkened with the promise of rain. Master Jay led them into a much larger building, which seemed to be made up of dozens of smaller shops, then waved them both goodbye. Bella barely had time to respond before Dana pulled her onwards, into the first shop. Unlike the robes shop, it was nothing more than piles of clothing, everything from dresses to underwear. Bella found herself staring around her as she saw finer panties than the traders had brought to the village, then gaping at the prices. They had to be joking.

“Check your purse,” Dana advised. “See how much he gave you.”

Bella did as Dana suggested ... and felt her mouth drop open as she realised there were fifty gold coins inside. She couldn't spend all of it, could she? But she looked at the prices again and cursed under her breath. It seemed that outfitting herself completely would cost fifty gold, if not more. Some of the fancier garments cost more than anyone from Shady Tree would see in a year.

“Take your time,” Dana advised. She grinned as she led Bella into another store. “And don’t buy short dresses.”

Bella blinked in surprise. “Why not?”

“It's too easy to lift them for a thrashing,” Dana said, with a total lack of discretion. “If you wear something heavier, they sometimes don’t bother to spank you until later.”

“Oh,” Bella said, remembering the short skirt she’d worn when she’d been taken to Master Jay’s, the skirt he’d lifted for her first spanking. “Does Mistress Toadstool spank you too?”

“Every time I make a mistake,” Dana admitted. She shrugged. “I never make the same mistake twice.”

An hour passed slowly as the two girls searched for clothes. Dana chatted most of the time, telling Bella what it was like to grow up with magical siblings. It didn't seem fun, from what she said; the story about how she’d spent two days as her sister’s bra was horrific. Bella had never thought that she could feel sorry for Adam, not after he’d cheated on her, but Dana’s story illustrated just how defenceless common people could be against magic. Or even someone who hadn't yet come into her magic.

“Dad went ballistic after that,” Dana admitted. “Sally was thrashed to within an inch of her life, then told that she was never to use magic on me again. But it was already too late for me to go to the Academy.”

She pointed out a handful of others as they made their way through the giant complex. “Jade, over there, is a skilled animalist,” she said, pointing to a green-haired girl a year or two older than Bella. “Don’t piss her off unless you want to spend the next week in a kennel. Peri” – she nodded to a younger girl – “doesn't have any magic of her own, but she has a remarkable talent for taking advantage of magical artefacts and tricks. And she has two cousins who are both powerful witches. Don’t pick on her.”

Bella blinked in surprise. “Does that happen a lot?”

“When a magical family produces a child who isn't magic ... yes, it happens,” Dana admitted. “I was so scared that I would go the same way. The day I cast my first spell was the happiest day of my life.”

She looked down at the small pile of clothing they’d amassed. “Thirty-seven gold,” she said, finally. “Let’s go see how badly they try to overcharge you.”

Bella had to smile as they walked up to the counter. The girl seated there couldn't be much older than her, but there was a look in the girl’s eyes that suggested that she was terrified of the two magic girls. Even so, when she totted up the price it came to fifty-nine gold. Dana laughed in her face, then proposed a much lower price. Bella watched in amazement as they haggled backwards and forwards, finally settling on a price of thirty gold.

“Come on,” Dana said, once she’d paid. “Let’s go get something to drink.”

“We can't leave the store,” Bella reminded her. “Where ...?”

Dana grinned. “You really are from far away, aren't you? Come with me.”

She led Bella up a flight of stairs and into a small cafe. There were dozens of people sitting there, drinking or eating small meals ... Bella shook her head in disbelief. There had been nothing like it in the village, but then the villagers hadn't really needed it. The city-folk, on the other hand ... what did they all do?

“I discovered that I don’t like coffee,” Bella said, as a waiter approached their table. “What should I order?”

“I’ll order,” Dana said. She looked up at the waiter as he bowed low. “We’ll have two mugs of chocolate, with cream and sugar.”

The waiter nodded and walked off. He returned, two minutes later, with two giant steaming mugs and a small plate of biscuits. Bella took a sniff of her mug and smiled; it smelt very chocolaty. It had been a rare treat in the village; here, it seemed, it was very common. Dana leaned forward and started to ask her questions, some of them very probing. Bella had to admit, reluctantly, that she knew almost nothing about her mother.

“But she was more powerful than your father,” Dana mused, when she had finished. “That’s odd, to say the least. Normally, witches marry wizards with equal or greater power. It helps the magic to breed true.”

“I don’t know,” Bella admitted. She didn't really want to talk about her mother. “My father never really spoke about her.”

Dana frowned. “You’d think someone would have asked,” she said. “Or did your father discourage casual friendships?”

“He rarely spoke to anyone in our house,” Bella said. He hadn't complained when she’d invited Perrin over to stay, but he had kept his distance. “I don't think he even attended meetings with the village elders.”

“Because he could overrule them if necessary,” Dana said. She smiled at Bella’s look. “Don’t you know? A wizard is the social superior of everyone below a high aristocrat.”

Bella opened her mouth to reply, just as she felt a tug at her purse. She looked around to see a short man yanking it away from her and running towards the stairs. Without hesitation, she shot an impediment jinx after him and sent him crashing to the floor. She stood up and walked over to him, reinforcing the jinx until he was completely immobile. Why had he thought he could steal her purse ...?

“Stop,” a stiff voice ordered. Bella turned to see a pair of men wearing black robes. “You are not allowed to cast spells in here ...”

“He stole my purse,” Bella protested, as she picked it up from the floor. “He ...”

The men glared at her. “Put your hands behind your back, now,” one of them ordered. He looked over at Dana, who seemed unaccountably nervous. “You too. Now!”

Bella hesitated. The man waved a hand at her; her hands jerked around behind her back and slammed together. She struggled, but the sticking hex holding them together was far more powerful than the one Master Jay had used on her earlier. Dana, she realised suddenly, was in the same boat. But what was going on?

“Sit down,” the man ordered.

Angrily, Bella obeyed. She was far too aware of everyone staring at them, but she pushed the thought out of her mind. They would just have to wait for Master Jay.

But she didn't even know what she’d done wrong!

[Often123]

This tory is shaping up well, David. Now we're hooked.