The Mage's Ring

Chapter 4

The three of them suddenly appeared back at the basement of Blaire's shop, a waft of wind coming with them. Stigley looked up from the couch.

"That was faster than I expected."

William looked at Eric, whose collar was in his grasp. "Ms. Blaire was on a warpath. Not much to slow her, it seems." His grip loosened as Eric pulled away, yanking himself free and realizing that he was not in the same place. He looked around the room, turning around in a circle.

"What the fuck..? What the fuck, where are we?" He began to ask in a panic

"In my basement." Blaire pushed the young man back into an old leather chair. "You stole from me, now you're all mine." She kicked her foot onto the arm of the chair, blocking his way up as she glared at him, just waiting for an excuse to hit him. Her long black ponytail moved over her shoulders as she leaned in closer, almost coming nose to nose with the thief.

"You know what I do to people who steal from me, boy?" She smirked, earning a mutter from Eric from where seemed to be under his breath.

"What, too scared to talk?" She gripped his face hard in one hand and lifted his head, seeing he wasn't scared, but defiant. He, too, had an annoyed glare in his eyes.

"I said, you lied first..! We made a deal, you lied. I took the ring, instead of the box. And stop calling me kid!"

Blaire raised her hand to slap him and stopped as Mr. Stigly took a step forward.

"A deal, you say? Ms. Blaire, just what kind of deal was struck?" He inquired, also catching the attention of the blonde Magi standing to the side.

She looked at the two men staring at her, finally releasing Eric's face by flicking her wrist, his head snapping to the side. "What does it matter? He still stole regardless!"

"It matters if a deal was broken." Will stated.

Blaire blinked in confusion. "I told him if he surprised me he could have the box. He didn't surprise me! I didn't lie!"

"Wait, this was the deal from this morning, yes?" Mr. Stigly recalled, he had only just appeared as Blaire was kicking Eric out of the shop. "If, indeed, you struck a deal, then there is an easy way to settle this."

The old man smirked. Eric looked back and, again, realizing he truly wasn't in that alley anymore. "Wait, did you guys drug me..!? How did you get me here!? I was just jumped in an alley, Jesus that actually happens!? It's just like a crime show, what the fu-"

"Stop talking. We didn't drug you, didn't need to. You saw what happened." Stigley replied, moving closer to the leather chair.

"Yeah, I blinked, and I was here." He said, still trying to make sense of everything.

"Exactly, a blink spell. Or, as some people call it, a teleportation spell." Stigly elaborated. "And now, we will use an identification spell, to see who truly owns this ring. If the ring believes a deal was struck, and if indeed Ms. Blaire was surprised, then the ring will find its owner."

Blaire shot a glare as hot as glowing rebar at Stigly, who simply smiled softly at her. "Fair is fair, and to each deal, a cost." Stigly's gaze then fell back unto Eric, who was still a bit manic.

After taking in a slow breath, she gave Eric a sarcastic smile. "One moment, please." With an eye roll, she grabbed Stigley's arm and dragged him to the side.

"What the actual fuck are you doing? You two were freaking out an hour ago about finding his thing and now you're considering letting a thief take it? Are you nuts!?" Blaire hissed, her voice a slight whisper.