by Elena Paige
“We trusted him. He was our friend,” said Toby, realizing he had lost his magical mentor.
“There isn’t much time before you need to deliver the hat,” said Strebor.
“But Mr. Kirby took the hat from us,” said Elouise.
Mr Kirby had ruined their plans all day long. Now he had the hat. Toby leaned forward and held his head.
“Don’t you dare faint again!” warned Thatch.
“I’m fine. Really. I’m all right. What do we need to do, Dad?”
“I will find Rufus and head for Aden’s room. We’ll do our best to stop him before he gets the hat. In the meantime, it’s up to you both to recover the hat from Alexander. You need to get to it first. We’ll talk more later, Toby, I promise. Right now we need to get that hat before Aden does.”
“But if he can change to look like anyone he wants to, then he might be someone we already know,” said Toby, scanning his mind for everyone he had met that day. The nice Jamaican lady, the candy store owner, Holly, Rufus, even Wesa. He could be anyone.
“He could be someone you know and trust, or he could be a stranger. There’s no way of knowing, but he will come for the hat. That’s all we’ve got to go on now. Come on, we need to get back,” said Strebor. He left his mask on the table.
“But aren’t you wanted for the explosions? You can’t come back with us,” said Toby.
“No one knows what Strebor looks like, remember? They only know me with the mask on. That’s how I’ve been able to keep an eye on you all day. I’m just a regular magician.”
“Clever!” said Thatch.
“Then why come here dressed as Strebor?” said Toby, curious why he was wearing his disguise.
“I was worried what you would think of me, for hiding from you all these years. I came as Strebor, so you wouldn’t recognize me. I was going to warn you about Aden but I didn’t plan to tell you who I was.” He looked Toby in the eyes as tears began to form. “But when I saw you face to face, I knew I had to.”
Toby hugged his dad to him. “I’m glad you did!”
“Can we get on with this now?” said Elouise, opening the back door.
They all ran across the street, back through Mrs. Inkwell’s secret convention entrance and into the foyer. Strebor hugged Toby goodbye and shook Thatch’s hand. “Thank you for looking after Toby. You’ve been a good friend to him all day.”
“He’s been a good friend too,” said Thatch .
Strebor grabbed hold of Toby’s hand. “Son. Be careful.” Tears filled Strebor’s eyes.
Toby felt his heart come to life. His father was alive. He wouldn’t let him down. He was about to face the biggest battle of his life. And for the first time ever, he had something to fight for. His family.
Elouise sealed the door behind them as they all ran through the shimmering black wall back into the convention. Tingles spread through Toby’s body as he sucked in his breath and stared at the surrounding wonders as though seeing them for the first time today.
The candles floating all about were letting off sprinkles of light, which showered down on the magicians below like soft glitter falling from the sky.
This was his world. He belonged here. He could believe it now. Feeling the magic coursing through his blood, he realized he still didn’t know what his own mage magic was. He’d forgotten to ask his dad. He looked around as hundreds of magicians circled the hall.
“I think we should go back to the attic,” said Thatch with a determined look on his face.
“We told Dad that we’d meet him in Kirby’s room. We need to get the Fiordi hat and our wands back!” said Toby.
“They may have the hat, but they don’t have us. They think that Billy, Jim, and Rod can activate the hat, but they can’t. Without us, the hat is useless. Our best chance is to hide.”
“Thatch has a point,” said Elouise, positioning herself behind Thatch in support.
“No way! I’m not running away and hiding anymore. I must find that hat before Aden does. ”
“Exactly why we need to hide. Without us, the hat is useless to him and to Kirby,” said Thatch.
Toby’s face contorted. “He has your dad, remember? Or doesn’t he matter to you anymore? The only way to get my grandpa back and your dad is to deliver the hat, whether we like it or not.”
“Okay, fine. We’ll get the hat back.”
Toby lurched into Thatch and hugged him. “Thank you! I mean it. We’re doing the right thing. I know we are.”
Thatch couldn’t resist smiling. “I failed to protect one friend today. I don’t want to lose another.”
“So I can still come?” said Elouise, putting her arms around their shoulders.
“As long as you’re not evil.” Toby grinned.
“You never know,” joked Thatch as they reached Mr. Kirby’s corner stall.
“So, what’s the plan? We have a plan, right?” said Elouise.
“You block Kirby’s powers and we get the wands and hat.” Toby thought his plan was brilliant.
Pushing Elouise past the curtain first, he wondered why all the television screens were now turned off. And where had all the magicians sitting at the stall earlier gone? He ducked behind the curtain with the same familiar feeling he’d had all day that something wasn’t quite right.
The room was empty. Toby ran to check the cupboard where Thatch had been stowed earlier, but it was empty.
He felt his face turn hot. He’d never felt so disappointed. “What now? I was sure they’d be in here. I doubt they would have left the hat behind.”
“He might have left the hat in here,” said Thatch, throwing statues, clothes, and magic tricks carelessly to the floor in his search.
“Highly unlikely,” said Elouise.
“But he did leave these!” Toby triumphantly pulled the three wands from the dirt. “He stuck them in a plant. That’s a weird place to put wands.”
Elouise held out her hand for one. Toby handed her a wand.
“These don’t feel like normal wands. Where did you get these from?” said Elouise.
“They’re super-powerful, real magic wands. Go ahead and think of something, then try it,” said Toby.
Elouise pointed her wand to the ground and said, “Abracadabra.”
Nothing happened. She handed the wand back to Toby.
“That’s odd. What did you think of as you said the word?”
“I was thinking of an ice cream sundae,” she replied.
Toby pointed the same wand Elouise had used and thought of an ice cream sundae. “Abracadabra!”
A giant-sized ice cream sundae appeared on the carpet.
“Seems our triplet friends must have tried using the wands, and when they didn’t work, abandoned them as rubbish!” said Thatch, opening his hand for Toby to hand him one of the three wands.
“I wonder why they only work for you. I’ve not ever heard of wands behaving that way before,” said Elouise.
“We might have a chance to get the hat back and defeat Kirby and Aden with these,” said Thatch.
Toby felt sick at the mention of Aden. How was it possible to defeat an enemy he didn’t even recognize ?
Thatch was still frantically searching the room for the hat. “Guys, come over here,” he said, patting the air.
“What are you doing?” Toby looked at Thatch as though he’d gone mad.
“There’s something here. I can feel it. I just can’t see it,” said Thatch.
Elouise reached out her hands. “He’s right. I can feel it too. It’s a person. I’m sure it is.”
Thatch pointed his wand at the empty space. “Abracadabra. Wesa! Oh my goodness!”
Wesa was tied up, partly covered by the clothes Thatch had been throwing around.
“They tied her up and left her here? That doesn’t make sense,” said Toby.
Thatch untied her and pulled the tape from her mouth. Her long black hair spread over the purple carpet. Toby was glad to see her back to her usual appearance.
&nb
sp; Wesa calmed herself down as she recalled all that had happened to her. “Rufus. He came. He made me invisible. Mr. Kirby was livid when the hat wouldn’t activate. He started yelling and cursing at Billy, Rod, and Jim. That’s when I felt a strange sensation all over. My body started to disappear. When they realized I had gone, they panicked. Then they took the hat and left.”
“How did Rufus make you invisible?” said Toby.
“That’s Rufus’s power. He can become invisible. It is possible to share your magic with people and objects around you,” said Elouise matter-of-factly.
Toby noticed Wesa’s shock at Elouise being with them. “Don’t stress. Elouise is on our side.” He smiled and forgot his troubles for a moment. He was so pleased they’d found Wesa.
“Kirby has the hat, but we think Aden has our parents,” said Thatch, picking up clothes off the floor and investigating them. Happy with what he found, he took off his overalls and put on a pair of black pants that fit him perfectly. “And since I’m a great magician, it’s time we go and rescue our parents. And your grandfather, Toby.”
“What? It’s not true. I won’t believe that Aden has anything to do with this. He explained everything to us,” said Wesa.
“He’s tricked us all day long and we fell for it,” said Thatch.
“But he gave us the hat. Why would he do that if he wanted it all along? He could have made us activate it there and then?” said Wesa.
“True. I’m not sure. But he’s a shapeshifter,” said Toby tightening his grip on his wand. “Think about it. He knew about the hat. He hates Kirby. He went out of the room when the wasp came in to tell us about the hat. He changed you to look like someone completely different. He’s the villain!”
“That’s ridiculous. It isn’t possible,” said Wesa, defending him.
“There’s only one way to find out. We need to face him. Everything Toby said could be true,” said Thatch.
“Isn’t it best you stay out of the way and let Strebor and Rufus deal with Aden? He’s dangerous,” said Elouise.
“Strebor?” said Wesa taking a step back.
“Long story, we’ll tell you about it on the way,” said Thatch .
“We have to hurry. Elouise, you stay here in case Kirby returns and stop his powers. The three of us have to do this,” said Toby, holding his wand tightly to his chest. “And no matter what, we can’t activate the hat. Promise me!”
Thatch and Wesa nodded their heads. Toby knew they were all thinking the same thing. Would they be able to rescue the ones they loved without activating the hat?
The time had come to face their enemy. And the odds were stacked against them.
23
The Fiordi Hat
Armed with their wands, they felt they had a chance. True, the hat was in the wrong hands, but they would resist activating it so long as they had the wands for protection.
Aden’s stall looked abandoned. The passersby gave it no notice, and Stacy was nowhere to be seen. Even the table, which was earlier filled with wares, was now empty.
“Are you sure about this?” said Wesa.
“We have no choice,” said Toby.
“We can do this if we stick together!” Thatch pointed his wand straight ahead.
They moved past the golden curtain, unsure what they would find on the other side. Aden was sitting cross-legged on the couch. The room was even messier than before.
“Welcome, my dear friends. Take a load off.” He pointed to the couch opposite him.
“We know you have them!” said Toby, trying to speak over his beating heart.
“Have who?” Aden held the small wooden box he had hidden the Fiordi hat in earlier. He was stroking it like it held secrets inside.
“Thatch and Wesa’s parents. Grandpa. We never told you what was taken, but you knew about them,” said Toby.
The three children stood defiantly in front of him, wands pointed toward their friend and mentor.
“Oh, that doesn’t matter now. I have marvelous news. I have the hat. I took it from Kirby myself. Don’t you think it’s about time we activate it?” He flicked his hands, creating a swirl of wind that sent them all reeling backward into the couch. Then he picked up a purple hat from the floor and spun it in his hands. “Yes, here is the hat once again!”
“You were the black panther. You were the wasp. All the messages you sent us. It was you all along. It had to be!” said Toby, trying to snatch the hat.
“I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. It was me that found the hat for you in the first place, remember?” said Aden, still smiling as though he had not a care in the world.
“Then give me the hat,” said Toby.
“Here, take it.”
Toby took the hat and flung it to Wesa. “Do it. Do it now!”
“Go on,” urged Thatch.
Aden continued to sit on the couch, unperturbed. He twirled his tiny key and cradled the small box on his lap.
Wesa’s hand flared with fire. Toby could feel the heat even from where he was standing. She pointed it to her other hand, which held the hat. The hat lit up, flames spitting from it. But instead of burning to ashes, the hat seemed to be drinking up the fire. It remained unharmed .
Aden laughed heartily. “You can’t destroy the hat. If you could, it would have been destroyed long ago.”
He stood up and placed the box and key on his chair. Walking up to Wesa, he snatched the hat back. “Now what do you say? Shall we activate the Fiordi hat?”
Toby wasted no time. He grabbed the box and key from Aden’s chair. Fumbling to get the key into the lock, he turned it and opened the box. He pointed his wand toward the box and whispered, “Abracadabra.” Strange shapes started to emerge from the box.
“You stupid boy! Determined to ruin everything today, aren’t you?” Aden’s calm demeanor fell away. Toby felt himself pushed backward onto the couch next to Thatch.
“You will activate the hat one way or another,” said Aden, taking hurried breaths.
Toby, his eyes still fixated on the box, watched as, one by one, first Alexander Kirby appeared all tied up, then Billy, Jim, and Rod.
Bewildered, he was relieved to finally see Grandpa exiting the tiny box. Next came a tired-looking man in overalls, followed by a woman dressed in a long shimmering cape and purple hat. Thatch’s and Wesa’s parents, he guessed.
Thatch and Wesa ran toward their parents, hugging them despite their hands being tied and their mouths taped shut.
Toby ran toward Grandpa, pulling the tape from his mouth. He knew the danger wasn’t over yet. He would hug Grandpa later, when he knew they were all safe. Right now he had to get that hat from Aden.
“Grandpa, I need your help,” he whispered. “I need to know what my magic is. Do I have any?”
“Yes. You can’t—” As Grandpa was about to say his next word, he was flung across the room. He hit his head on the back wall and looked disoriented. He lay on the floor holding his head and moaning.
Toby felt his rage rise to new levels. “Why, you—!” he ran headfirst toward Aden. “It was you that had them all along! You who pretended to be our friend. You who gave us the hat!”
Aden didn’t put up a fight. He allowed Toby to hit him. Toby felt good as his fists pounded Aden. No one tried to stop him. Finally, he looked down at Aden, all disheveled, and demanded, “Let them all go. Let us all go right now!”
Aden readjusted his cloak and hat and wiped the blood that trickled down his lip. “Of course I will, my boy. As soon as you activate the hat.”
“Now!” said Thatch, moving away from his dad and toward Aden. Toby and Wesa followed suit. They pointed their wands at Aden as they prepared for the magic word. Toby felt indestructible with this wand in his hand, despite still not knowing what his magical ability was.
“We will take the hat, and everyone from this room, and we won’t activate it. Do you understand? You can give it to us nicely or we can take it from you. What’s it going to be?” Toby stood tall an
d proud. Inside, he was still terrified.
“I trusted you! You helped us, but it was all a lie,” said Wesa as she sniffled her tears back.
“Why? Why did you do it?” said Thatch.
Aden sighed. “My plan was a simple one. I kidnapped your parents and your grandfather so that you had no choice but to bring me the hat. But when you came to me yourselves, well, that changed everything.
“I decided it was easier to have you choose to bring the hat to life. But Kirby was the thorn in my side. When you three lost the hat to him, I had to take matters into my own hands.” He sat back on the couch, holding the purple hat casually, not seeming to care that he had the three wands pointed toward him.
Toby glanced back at Mr. Kirby. He was inching his way toward the curtain. Was he going to make a run for it? The curtain moved aside and in raced Elouise, knocking him over in her path.
“Ah, you young people are so predictable!” said Aden. He stood up quickly and grabbed Elouise before anyone could stop him. He threw the purple hat on the floor at Thatch’s feet and held a sharp knife to her throat. “Activate the hat or she dies,” he said calmly.
“No. Don’t do it!” called Elouise.
“Drop the wands or you’ll regret it,” yelled Aden, his hand now starting to shake.
Toby glanced backward. He could see Alexander Kirby inching along the carpet like a worm trying to escape.
He knew they had no choice. Toby, Thatch and Wesa dropped the wands. As they hit the ground, they turned back into swords.
“Fascinating!” Aden picked one up while still holding Elouise around the neck. “Do you want me to kill your friend? Pick up the hat and activate it. NOW!”
Wesa picked up the hat and looked back at her mother, who was still tied up, gagged and shaking with distress.
“Touch the hat. Together!” ordered Aden. He slid the knife along Elouise’s neck to show he was serious.
She screamed.
“No. Don’t hurt her!” cried Thatch .
Thatch took hold of one side of the hat while Wesa held the other side. “We have no choice,” he said to Toby.