Dresden Files/SWTOR 2 (Patreon)

In hindsight, perhaps inviting an apparent Sith Lord into my home wasn’t exactly the best idea. But this was way beyond anything I’d ever heard of, so I needed to consult Bob, the closest thing I had to a magical encyclopedia. A Spirit of Logic and Reason bound to a skull, a few hundred years old, and about as sex-crazed as a hormone addled teen.

“Wake up, Bob,” I snapped as I all but raced down the stairs to my lab where Bob was kept. “I need your help on making an amulet or something like it.”

“What is it this time, Harry?” Bob asked tiredly, the lights in his skull’s eye sockets flickering like he was blinking away sleep. “Did you at least bring some new romance novels?”

“I need to make an amulet or talisman to block or suppress specific memories. I had someone swing by the office and trust me, it’s a big enough deal that I’m tempted to do this for free.”

Bob’s gaze focused on me, and I got the impression that he was raising an eyebrow at me. I’ve never had any luck in figuring out how he managed to convey emotions and expressions despite being a skull, but he did it.

“The perpetually broke Harry Dresden, doing work for free? Didn’t most of the money from the Sells case go to your rent and repair bills?”

“I’m offering favors,” the voice of the apparent Sith said from behind me as he slid down the ladder.

Immediately, Bob became laser focused on him. He didn’t say anything, as I lit candles and an old oil lantern to provide some light. Even without them, his eyes practically glowed in the dark, like twin molten orbs that burned with a potent inner power. As there was more light, and his alien features became more easily seen, I could see the growing curiosity within Bob.

“Harry, who is this and what exactly is going on?” Bob asked, his curiosity slowly shifting to concern.

I couldn’t blame Bob, I could only think of two types of entities that could pull a person from one part of the country to the other, through time, while either altering or replacing their body with that of a Sith Lord. It was so far outside the wheelhouse of one that I dismissed them as a possibility, the other…

“Call me George Zahn,” my guest said, and I resisted the urge to chuckle. I could be amused over references later, for now I needed to make sure that the man with all the memories of a Sith Lord stayed stable.

“Long story, short version is that he’s got something a bit like possession going on. The memories of what amounts to a very powerful warlock without the warlock’s spirit,” I explained to Bob as I cleared off my work bench.

“You don’t ask for anything normal, do you Harry?” Bob snarked, before turning his attention to George. “How long ago did this pseudo-possession happen?”

“About five to six hours, not including any time I might have been asleep. Most of that time has been spent firmly thinking about anything else. On a side note,” he turned to me, the hint of a smirk on his face. “I highly recommend you keep Bob from ever experiencing the internet if that request for romance novels was anything to go by.”

“The what?” Bob asked. Technology didn’t really work reliably around magic. Nothing invented later than the forties in any case, so while I’d heard of the internet I wasn’t exactly familiar with it. Bob got out even less than I did, so I wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t heard of it.

“I’ll tell you later, if you can whip up something to keep me from reliving the memories of a monstrous psycho everytime I look in the mirror. But I’ll give you this for some motivation, there is a song titled ‘The Internet is For Porn’.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose as Bob’s gaze whirled to me, “Harry, what are we waiting for, we have a charm to make. Do you have a base? A talisman, a broach, a ring?”

“Here,” George said while working one of his gloves off, before removing a ring and offering it to me. It was simple, about the size of a college graduation ring, but instead of a gem and ornate etchings, it was a plain iron band with a hexagonal design.

“That’ll suffice,” Bob said, practically vibrating in excitement. “Now, do exactly what I say…”

The entire process took a little over two hours, the entire time George was standing off to the side with his eyes closed and appeared to be meditating. My guess was that he was trying to keep the memories of his body at bay, because given some of the stuff I’d read I could only imagine what those memories contained. As the enchantment sank into the metal (which I’d realized wasn’t iron or steel, but something else), I felt George’s eyes open and the hopeful anticipation practically radiated out of him.

“That’s it? Is it ready?” he asked, the anticipation, need, and desire plain in his voice.

“Indeed, put it on and…” was as far as Bob got before the ring flew from the table and onto George’s finger.

After a moment, he sagged in relief, “Thank you. I still have no idea what I’m going to do about my face or finances, but I owe you big time for this.”

“I might be able to help Harry put together a similar item with a glamor spell, but first, what exactly is this ‘internet’ you mentioned, and how is it for porn?” Bob asked.

Fortunately for me, there was a knock on my front door as George started talking with an amused smirk. Making my way upstairs, I closed the trapdoor that led to the basement lab and returned the rug over it. The person at my door knocked again as I made my way over.

“Coming!” I hollered as I reached the door and opened it. Immediately my mood sank as I saw who it was.

“Harry Dresden, we need to talk about your visitor,” Warden Donald Morgan all but growled with a sour look on his face, one hand inside his trenchcoat.

Hell's bells...