Prelude to Magic: The Prequel to Moonlight and Illusions by Diane Wylie

Stephen walked blindly through the
deserted streets of Philadelphia, not caring where he went. He was
vaguely aware the weather had turned nasty at some point, but the
cold rain just blended with the tears on his face.
    He found himself staring out at a black expanse of
water stretching out to his left and right. The Schuylkill River. Throw the Companion Spirit into the liquid
blackness. The stone caused this grief. Plunging his hand into
his coat pocket, he pulled it out. The pleasant little face was a
mere shadow in the darkness. Running a finger over the surface, he
could feel the irregularities making up the design.
    Calvin was gone. Why couldn’t he listen when I
told him not to experiment with the powers of the stone? The
boy’s curiosity had killed him. Why didn’t it kill me
too?
    No answer came. Rain pattered on the leaves of the
trees lining the river bank. Water trickled down Stephen’s neck,
soaking his collar. Somewhere a dog barked, an impatient sort of
noise, set to the river’s music.
    The pad of his thumb repeatedly caressed the stone,
the source of real magic powers. Its secrets could be far greater
than mere levitation. Stephen was only beginning to tap its
resources. Suppose it held other powers? What good would it do to
throw the charm into the river now? It wouldn’t bring back his son
or make his wife forgive him. Only God could do those things and
Stephen was fairly certain God would not restore Calvin to life. He
might, however, help with Ruby.
    Stephen turned away from the river and walked back
in the direction he had come. The slightest hint of dawn could be
seen in the eastern sky.
    Black sorrow still blanketed his soul, but running
away was not the answer. Even if Ruby still rejected him, he would
not abandon her, his home, or his dreams. If he kept walking, he
might make it home before noon.
    He put the Companion Spirit back into
its velvet pouch. Cal’s sleight of hand to relieve him of the stone
had been impressive. They would have made an unbeatable team.
Sadly, this would never come to pass now. The idea made his throat
tighten and tears flowed again.
    Life took unforeseen turns when you least expected
them, but one could never give up.
    The rain stopped. A gentle breeze blew the clouds
apart. Faint rays of sun filtered through the trees to touch the
houses, streets, and lawns of Philadelphia.
    Things would never be the same.

Chapter Five
     
    Spring 1909
     
    It seemed only yesterday he sat in this very same
parlor keeping vigil over the body of his son. Now he had to do the
same thing for his brother. Stephen’s eyes burned. Michael was gone
at the age of sixty. His trusted older brother and best
friend…gone. How cruel life could be.
    Michael had been the one to keep the Elliott family
intact. If not for his brother’s steadying presence and calm
mediation, Ruby would have divorced him after Calvin’s death. The
loss of Calvin’s fiancée, whom they had come to love, only added to
the sadness. They had not seen Miss Sally Thornton since the day
they buried Cal. He had heard the young lady had married two years
later and now lived in Boston.
    Stephen’s parents, and Ruby’s too, had passed away
years before Cal’s accident. All he had left now were Ruby and his
magic show. It had been a struggle, even using the Companion Spirit ’s power, to keep the show fresh for so many
years. He often went on tour just to find new audiences.
    Where is Ruby?
    The room was silent now. Two tall candlesticks on
either side of the fine mahogany coffin gave off muted light.
Colorful spring flowers scented the air. All of Michael’s friends
and former customers left, but Stephen didn’t know how long they
had been gone. He had been caught up in memories, both good and
bad. It had been nothing short of miraculous when his learned older
brother had finally shown him, a carpenter turned magician, some
respect. As “The Illusionist” Stephen had gained notoriety, fame,
and financial stability,