Minor Characters (Magebound Series)

RAYNE KERRIN is the son of a third generation shopkeeper. He's lived in the coastal village of Traxen his entire life and took over running the general store after his father died. His mother died from pneumonia when he was seven, for which he blames the local mage. He met Belaeden, an off-world warrior exiled from his own planet, when he was fifteen and it was lust at first sight. Bel was ten years older than Rayne and his complete opposite--quiet, reserved, a homophobic loner--but Rayne refused to give up. It took him only a few weeks to win Bel's heart, but more than fifteen years to wear down the boundaries imposed on Bel by his culture. To date, Bel still refuses to marry Rayne because of the social restrictions of a world he can never return to.1

Rayne is thirty-five at the beginning of the series, the most friendly and talkative person Lark has ever met, and they quickly become fast friends. He's shorter than average, kind of stocky, with messy, curly blonde hair and pale eyes the color of fresh honey. He's good friends with Calae, a local farmer's wife, and with Syd, a tailor and ex-boyfriend of Rayne's, but he can't stand Vaelen, a lewd, horny fisherman who can't seem to keep his hands out of other people's pants. He's loyal and generous, helping Lark out of a couple of scrapes, but holds a terrible grudge against Lord Sactaren, and distrusts all lords and mages in general.2

Rayne appears in Books 2, 3, 4, and 53

You can find the first 3 chapters of Rayne's own story on FictionPress: Looks Like Rayne4

From Spellwrought, Book 2:5

Behind him Belaeden clears his throat. "Oh, yeah, we need some things." He chuckles and shakes his head. "I could talk all day and not even notice. Let's see, can I have a bottle of the strawberry-vanilla massage oil, a jar of the blue lubricating gel--that's good stuff, by the way--keeps things sliding along for hours. You should hear Bel--" Belaeden clears his throat again, louder this time, his face flushed with embarrassment. I don't see what there is to be embarrassed about, though. Like I couldn't guess what they were going to do with it.6

"Anything else?" I ask.7

"You got any charms to get rid of rats?" Rayne asks. "They keep chewing holes in the sacks of corn and spilling it everywhere--we could use poison, but the innkeeper next door has a cat--not that it's any good at catch the rats, or they wouldn't keep getting into the corn--"8

"I can check," I say, when he pauses to take a breath.9

* * * 10

LUCIFER was born on a forgotten planet more than three hundred years before the series starts. Beginning as nothing more than a gangly blood bay colt living wild in the lowland hills, he was captured by a vampire scientist who performed experiments on him, and eventually converted him into a vampire. Lucifer escaped his laboratory prison, and, scared and confused, he hid in caves and dark forests by day, and preyed upon cattle, sheep and occasionally humans by night. As a result of the experiments, his intelligence was slightly more than that of a normal horse, but he still couldn't understand what had happened to him, why other horses feared him, why the sun now burned him. Over time, his intelligence and awareness grew. Now, he seeks to find his creator and kill him.11

Lucifer is a petite stallion, barely fifteen hands high, his glossy coat the color of blood, with soot black nose and stockings, and an ebony mane and tail. He got his name after finding his way to Earth in the early 1990's. His closest friend was Andreas, a telepathic vampire assassin and the first human he was ever able to communicate with, who helped him escape from Earth after he was captured by the leader of a secret vampire organization. He's been in love once, with a werehorse named Chantal. She died after being mortally wounded by a pack of werewolves and he blames himself for not being there to protect her, and for not being able to save her. He currently serves Lord Sactaren, repaying the mage for putting spells on him that allow him to walk in the sun and eat normal food, though his thirst for blood remains.12

He has forged a reluctant friendship with Lark, though he initially wanted nothing to do with the young man after he learned that Lark could feel his emotions and hear his thoughts whenever Lark was touching him. He has saved Lark's life a couple of times and often lets Lark ride him when Lark must accompany Lord Sactaren on business.13

Lucifer appears in all five books.14

You can find a short story featuring Lucifer here: The Devil's Hunt15

From Magebreak, Book 516

"Dakarius, Kalziel, stop him," Soren barks, and I hear the two great wolves snarl, their claws screeching across the flagstones. With a squeal, Lucifer rears up, yanking the reins out of Sactaren's hand, and then leaps forward, knocking me aside as he barrels into the two huge wolves. Sactaren is at my side in an instant, pulling me to my feet and out of the way.17

Kalziel leaps up, snapping at Lucifer's throat, and he rears, lashing out with his front legs, one hoof striking her a glancing blow and knocking her to the stones. Dakarius crouches, waiting until Lucifer lunges after Kalziel, and then he leaps up onto the stallion's back, his claws ripping into the sleek, red hide, his fangs sinking into the back of Lucifer's neck. Lucifer squeals in pain and rage, his blood splattering across the flagstones as he rears and bucks, trying to throw the big wolf off.18

Over the snarling and screaming, I hear Soren laugh. "So much for your vampire horse, Naeven," she shouts.19

* * *20

LORD JAN BESTETH is the product of a contractual union, and as such, never met his biological father. He was raised by his mothers on a small sheep ranch fifty miles north of Greater Kormunae, Ashael's capitol city. On a trip to the city to sell their wool blankets and surplus yarn when he was twelve, Jan met a mage who recognized the boy's innate magical talent and offered to take him on as an apprentice. Jan traveled and studied until he was twenty-six, at which time he was recognized by the Mage's Council and given the title of the Green Mage of the Kalaerian Hills, where his mothers still lived and where he called home.21

After his mothers died, Jan found himself alone and lonely, so he sold the ranch and traveled across the galaxy, where he met a very young Lord Sactaren. They became good friends and eventually lovers, and almost got married before their plans to overthrow the corrupt Mage's Council were discovered. In order to stop the rebellion without causing further dissention, Jan and Sactaren were tricked into thinking that the other had betrayed them, and at the start of the series the bad blood remains between them.22

Jan is now the Green Mage of the Rynnawood, an unusual sentient forest located not far from Traxen village. Being an earth mage, his job is to care for the forest and the creatures living within it. He is of average height, slender and willowy, with skin as pale as fresh milk. His eyes are the spring green of new grass and his hair is the silvery green of moonlight. He reluctantly calls upon Lord Sactaren from time to time, which is how he meets Lark. Knowing Sactaren as well as he does, he recognizes how possessive Sactaren is of Lark and sets out to get revenge on Sactaren by hurting Lark. Once he gets to know Lark, however, he likes him too much to hurt him, though he never passes up the chance to cause problems. Currently, he is courting Vaelen and may be falling in love with the lewd, horny fisherman.23

Jan appears in all five books.24

You can find a smutty short story featuring Jan here: Shall We Dance?25

From Magebreak, Book 526

"Here's the stone," I say, stepping out from behind the counter and holding out my hand.27

[Jan] Besteth steps closer. "Interesting," he says, and reaches toward me. I jerk my hand back. "Relax, Lark. I just want to look at it." Hesitantly, I hold my hand back out and he lifts the stone from my palm, his fingers cool and silky against my skin. "Very interesting," he says and I raise my eyebrows as the stone turns from crystal clear to ash gray.28

"You--you're a--a--"29

"A Were? No." He gives me back the stone. "Hounds just react to me like I am, a gift from my old friend. I've been shot three times because of him. But I got him back," he adds with a smirk.30

"Plague?" I say.31

"Oh, you know about that?" he says. "Some of my better work, I must say. I had wanted to give him the real thing, but spreading highly contagious diseases is frowned upon by the Council."