I pushed down my power until it squashed down to smoldering coals. Only the glow told me this was simply waiting until later to get enough fuel to come back. “Well, it’s good she’s happy now.” I let my head rest against the chair.
We have no money, my mother is stuck, my father’s only redemption is death. I had no answers. My worry continued to grow as I faced the full reality of what my brothers thought about every day.
I could only fix one thing at this point and resolved to ask Malcolm tomorrow if I could have weekdays off and get a job. I also wanted to check if we could maybe take Christmas off.
Malcolm became very still at the question. “Absolutely not! Do you realize how lenient I have been to allow you to go to school in the first place? I have nothing against the institution, but the hours I spend with you could mean your life. If I have to pick between a job that won’t even cover the utilities and the lives of all those that will be affected should you lose control, I will pick you every time. Remember what you did to Mark.” His musical voice came out a deep monotone.
At the mention of Mark’s name, I looked down in shame. He was a daily reminder of my error and had yet to fully recover. He looked like Mark and had similar mannerisms, but in truth, he was only a copy, a fine forgery of his former self.
Malcolm stood waiting for an answer. My mouth had gone dry, and all I could manage was a nod. “Good. Now picture doing that to your family, your friends, and keep going. I do not think you fully understand what the consequences of failure are. We cannot make mistakes—ever! You have yet to come fully into yourself and, with what little time I have to train you because you came into this life so late, I am trying to help you attain a modicum of control. Now, I think it best to show you what a traditional apprenticeship is like, if only to help you understand how generous I have been.”
“But,” I started, trying one last time to put my point before him. The rest of the words disappeared from my mouth when my eyes met his. The stance of his whole body had changed from one of a well-bred gentleman to that of a predator. I swallowed and, without meaning to, took a step back.
“You are no longer Kyra. In fact, you aren’t worthy of a title. But since I must call you something, I shall call you Little Bird. Speak only when spoken to. When, and if, you prove yourself controlled enough, I will think about letting you take back your place with the rest of us.”
His tone had become harsh, grating, worse than my uncle. I shivered and glanced around, wishing for the first time in a long time that my brothers were here.
“Stop looking around, Kyra. No one can help you. You are apprentice, my property, and I can do anything I like,” Malcolm snapped as he pointed behind himself.
Our lessons were grueling that day. “Behind me, Kyra, always behind me,” Malcolm snapped after I stepped closer to hear a command he had barked. I was relieved the children weren’t there, for I’m certain Malcolm would have terrified them.
He brought me to heel faster than I could bring my own power under control. I started to have a small inkling of how being treated like an animal for a year of apprenticeship might have shaped and molded my father into the man we knew. For a small moment, I even felt pity for him, but it disappeared when Malcolm left me little time to ponder anything. Command, react, respond, or be censured.
Malcolm released me after a long day with a nod. He left, his object lesson more than made. Shaking, eyes tight to prevent tears from escaping, I staggered out of the room and fell into bed before I gave way to the pain and exhaustion that racked my body. My mind was already fuzzy even before Malcolm had so coldly dismissed me. This is what life would have been like every day with my uncle. With a slight sob, I drifted off, grateful no one saw my humiliation.
In the same week, Malcolm’s friend came through town, something I discovered when Malcolm called to tell me I’d be observed at our next training session. I could not have been more surprised had he showed up with Bigfoot at the front door. Next to the well-kept Malcolm, the giant of a man looked more like a cave man who dropped through a hole in time and accidentally wandered into our shabby living room.
He stood taller than both of my brothers by at least four inches. My brothers being the biggest men I had ever seen made this a decent feat. On top of his looming height, he had copious amounts of hair. The hair had a wiry texture that caused it to poof out in all directions.
His beard, rather sizeable too, would have rivaled Santa’s for length and puffiness, had it been white. Maybe my initial assessment was wrong. Malcolm hadn’t brought home Bigfoot. He brought home Paul Bunyan. If I looked past him, would I see a big blue ox?
Malcolm cleared his throat, reminding me I hadn’t invited them in. I shut my gaping mouth and opened the door a bit wider, waving them both in. Molly and Abby ran out of the back room, screaming, Conner close behind. When they saw Malcolm’s guest, Molly screeched to a stop. Abby barely stopped in time, but Conner did not, and all three went sprawling at his feet.
He picked up Conner and Abby with one hand and Molly with the other. They remained so fascinated that they didn’t even bother to cry about the topple and continued to stare in wonder. Conner even went so far as to poke his arm. At this, the man let out a deep booming laugh, and the kids started to giggle.
“Kyra, this is my friend Fischer, the one I mentioned earlier who might be able to help your family with their training,” Malcolm said, looking over at Fischer. He still dangled the little ones in the air, much to their great amusement.
“Hi, Fischer,” I said, still feeling dumb for having stared at him so long earlier. I think he smiled back, although the beard made it difficult to tell.
“Hello, Apprentice. Malcolm tells me you’re quite the challenge. I’m looking forward to watching you on The Fields someday.” He gently set Abby and Conner down and extended his hand. I smiled as his hand surrounded mine. It was so large, both of mine could have disappeared in his one. “Now, I’m told I might be able to use your washroom to freshen up a bit and make myself presentable before I start,” he said with a slight bow of his head.
Conner immediately grabbed Fischer’s free hand and started dragging him down the hall. It looked so silly, both Malcolm and I chuckled.
Just outside the bathroom, Fischer gently put Molly down, picked Conner up by his pants, set him outside the bathroom, and shut the door. The kids, still excited, settled down to a game directly outside the door so they could wait for him to come out.
I grinned. “So what’s this about a field?” I asked, raising an eyebrow in query.
“Yet again, I find a gaping hole in your father’s form of education. The Fields are where the greatest pipers go to compete. In truth, your father used to be a fine competitor in his day. You will not go there until you have first become a full piper, and second, completed your education,” he said, opening the door for Kelly, who was holding two bags of groceries.
Kelly gave Malcolm a nod of thanks and plodded into the kitchen. After he put the groceries away, he came back out. “So, I talked to Maggie, and we are having Christmas at the Jacobs’ house. They have invited you as well, Malcolm,” he added.
“Malcolm’s friend is here. He’s freshening up,” I said as I glanced in the direction of the bathroom, where the kids were still happily playing just outside. Kelly raised his eyebrows in question and I laughed. While everyone was in a good mood, I turned to Malcolm and asked, “So it’s only for Master Pipers?” I asked.
“No. There is a match for apprentices, but I feel it best you wait until you are ready to be a Master to compete. We should not reveal all your cards until you can defend them,” Malcolm said, looking at Kelly instead of myself. Kelly firmly nodded, and I knew it would be useless to argue now.
I might have wheedled Malcolm later, as he had witnessed my deer incident, but combine him and my brothers, and I would lose every time. With a single statement alluding to a vague event that might compromise my safety, Malcolm had set it up so even if he changed his mind la
ter, Kelly and McKennan would bring any plans I might devise to a sudden halt.
Fischer exited the bathroom an hour later a different man. His hair hung just past his ears, and his beard was trimmed and neatly rounded. He looked quite the gentleman, for a man his size. He had to step over the kids to leave the restroom and ambled over to Kelly to introduce himself. The kids trailed closely behind like ducklings following their mother. Kelly at least had the benefit of seeing the man cleaned up and didn’t gawk as the rest of us had.
“Now, Malcolm here has delicately put that your father sorely lacked in his training skills and he didn’t cover everything he should have with you and the little ones,” said Fischer as he looked Kelly up and down as if assessing him.
Kelly gave a nod of agreement but said no more. What good would saying more do, especially in front of the kids?
“I see,” Fischer said. “My problem lies in what Malcolm has proposed. It gets a little sticky, as I am not from the same clan and I’m not quite as daring on crossing tenuous alliances. What I can offer is a friendly hand as I pass through. I am sorry to say I cannot securely apprentice any of you. Not only for my sake, but your family’s clan could take you as a threat to themselves. Do you understand my predicament?”
“So you’re not staying?” Conner asked plaintively. How had he fallen in love with Fischer that fast? Did taking time to turn him upside down constitute love?
“I can only stay for a little bit, tiny piper,” he replied.
Conner wrapped his little arms around Fischer’s large leg and held tightly.
Fischer sighed, “I’ve heard you have a good hand with the flute.”
Conner slowly released Fischer’s big leg and flushed bright red at the praise. It was going to be a sad day when the big piper left.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Piper Pest Control
“NOW THAT WE’VE GOT THAT SORTED out, why don’t you and I go for a field trip?” asked Malcolm. He extended his arm to escort me to his car. I felt weird slipping my arm through his, sort of grown up and lady-like. Parked before me was yet another new vehicle that made me wonder where he was getting his rotating supply. He opened the door for me before I could reach for the handle.
My mentor’s sort of cool.
We drove for two hours. Every time I tried to speak Malcolm shot me a be patient look and we drove in silence. After the fifth or sixth time, I just looked out the window and sulked.
Maybe not so cool after all.
We arrived in a town so small, I forgot the name of it a moment after I saw it posted on its flowery welcome sign. It might as well have said Now entering Nowhere’s-Ville. He parked in front of a quaint mom and pop shop. “I want you to get Christmas presents for your family,” he said, handing me a single dollar bill.
I looked at it, and then back at him, wondering if he had lost his mind. At best, all I could get was a pack of gum.
“Now go on. I don’t have all day,” he said as he waved to my door. I pulled my jacket closer to me and stepped out into the cold.
Once inside the store, I scanned a couple of aisles before settling on a package of cookies. I took them back to the car, feeling like an idiot. As I started to get in, Malcolm shook his head.
“Take it back and try it again,” he said.
“But, there isn’t much else for a dollar,” I said, not understanding how I could do any better. Then it struck me. “You want me to steal. You want me to use my abilities to steal something?” I said, my voice steadily rising with fear and confusion.
“Hush, are you trying to attract attention? Get in the car,” he said. He grabbed my wrist, and yanked me in. I hit my head against the top of the car as I fell inside and sat there rubbing it as he clenched and unclenched his hand.
“Now, I want you to stop and think it through. Stop acting like a silly little girl—you are a piper. Don’t forget it. If you can think of nothing better than stealing then I have not taught you as well as I hoped,” he finished calmly.
“Then what are you saying?” I asked. “Even if I got the cashier to hand me stuff using my piper ability, it is still stealing in my book.” He shrugged and pointed toward the store.
I felt like a creepy shoplifter going back into the store when I purposely knew I had no money. So if I didn’t want to steal, and stealing wasn’t the only option, what did he expect me to do? An idea hit me and, with a jagged sigh of relief, I hurried to the front of the store before I chickened out.
“Hi, I’m sorry to bother you as I can see you’re busy, but I was wondering if I could speak to your manager,” I asked the cashier, thankful that she wasn’t looking down at my foot as I nervously tapped it on the ground.
“Sure,” she replied in a tone so bland, it conveyed she could care less what I wanted. I became worried she might not actually call him up. She picked up the phone beside her register, “You have a customer waiting to see you.”
A few minutes later, an older gentleman hobbled up in a striped shirt, bow tie, and khaki pants. “So what can I do for my favorite customer?” he asked, a grin spreading across his crinkled face. It mirrored the amusement in his eyes.
I stared at him, thrown off by him calling me his favorite customer. “So sorry to bother you, sir,” I started, smoothing down my hair to look more professional. My nerves were singing with the promise of action and I had to push it down until the tingling sensation subsided.
I flashed a smile, hoping he didn’t take the brief pause as a sign of my incompetence. “I work for Piper’s Pest Control Service. I’m here with my, um, trainer, Malcolm and I was wondering if, for a reduced fee—seeing as I’m new and all—you might be interested in our services. If you are happy with my work, we could discuss a future contract.”
The twinkle in his eye dimmed ever so slightly. Probably because I was selling something and not buying. He paused, stroking his chin with his thumb, seeming to contemplate it. “And your insecticide is approved for use in a commercial grocery store?” he asked.
I nodded so fast, I worried I looked too eager. “A hundred percent all natural, sir,” I added when he still seemed a little hesitant.
“And how much is your reduced rate?” he asked. I had him asking questions. That was good. Don’t blow it now. My power jumped in anticipation, and I had to close my eyes to push it back. This was all me.
I deliberated how much I should quote him. If I said too low, then he might think there was something off. If I asked too high, well, it was too high.
“Thirty dollars, sir.” I flashed my widest smile.
“Okay, I don’t see any harm in trying. I’m assuming your trainer will double-check your work?” he said, holding out his hand.
As we shook on it, my power broke free. It slid down my arm into my hand. There it pooled in my palm, wrapped around our clasped hands, and sealed the deal. A sweet, peaceful warmth flooded through me, making me feel confident, empowered.
I could tell as we released that he must have felt something, for he kept looking at his hand with a lopsided grin. I wondered if it made him, like me, feel more confident in my abilities, or if he was still lost in the warm, honeyed sensation that had enveloped us.
Oh well, a deal’s a deal. I smiled and went to the back to get my “stuff.” I needed to remember to ask Malcolm what would happen to a piper if we didn’t keep our end of the bargain.
In a quiet back room, I started singing, pushing a desire to be free of any number of pest and vermin. It felt wonderful, almost breathtaking, to let my power flow in connection with an actual deal.
That was until the skittering bugs started pouring through the cracks and dropped down from the vent cover like a trickling waterfall. The sound of chitin dragging across the floor in force made me shiver.
They scurried from the inner walls as fast as they could to escape the room, bumbling around in an attempt to find an exit. Behind them followed the tiniest mice, their small claws clicking again the linoleum. They were not the cute little mice I had s
een in pet stores, all white and cuddly. No, these mice had matted fur and beady eyes that cowered in the dark. They reminded me of a book I had once read on how the plague spread.
I resisted the urge to scream and release my power to the max to rid me of their presence faster. Who knows what else it could rid me of, possibly who else? I focused harder, making the push more specific.
“Use the inside of the walls; follow them to the back alley.” I swallowed, Don’t freak out over the bugs crawling over my boots.
“Vanish from sight. Be gone.” I pushed the creepy, mindless drones out the back and sent them packing. I could feel my power begging to go further. Why not extend the song to the neighboring properties. But my deal did not cover that and it would be harder to control my power. I started to understand how deals, in a way, helped us rein in the power.
When I felt every miscreant creature gone, I let out my breath. How long was I holding it? This had to be the cleanest store ever. I left the back room and circled the property one more time. The storeowner seemed quite pleased upon inspection.
As he counted out the money, I told him I had plans to use it in the store for Christmas presents for my siblings. He smiled and told me he’d set it up with Millie. “Thank you again, here is our cell number in case you have any referrals or decide to set up an ongoing contract.”
I would have to offer my services to the neighbors soon. I had just sent all of the store’s bugs running into their properties. Oops. It’s amazing what people don’t realize live in their walls. I promised myself that when I got home, I would clean our apartment building, too. I’d also have to ask Malcolm if he knew how long what I had done would stick. Hopefully, the bugs would stay away long enough to keep the storekeeper happy with my services.
I picked out and carried my treasures to the front, fishing in my pocket for change just in case it went a little over what I expected. Millie rang me up, glancing toward the back of the store through the whole interaction.
When the manager came up, I sucked in a deep breath trying to remind my lungs how to breathe again. He waved a grocery boy over, pushing a cart with several bags in it. I blushed and looked down, unable to meet his eyes. It was one thing to make a deal, but I didn’t take kindly to charity. I already struggled with the Jacobs family helping us.
A Piper's Song: The Pied Piper Tales Page 11