by A. S. Oren
He smiles a bit and nods. I turn off the showerhead, and the water streams from the faucet. I put in the plunger to stop it from going down the drain. Next to the tub sits a basket of bubble bath mixtures Edgar makes. I pick up the lavender and chamomile one. This should help him relax.
Near the running water, I put in three drops. Bubbles grow and fill the tub, infusing the room with the scent of flowers. He stares at the bubbles, whilst still standing. “You can sit. Haven’t you ever had a bubble bath before?”
He shakes his head but crouches to sit down in the water. His eyes close. A grin spreads across my face. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
His brilliant green eyes open to stare at me, another small smile. He nods.
I move the water, causing the bubbles to drift toward him and cover him up. “I’ll go wait in the hall to give you some privacy.”
Before I can even fully stand back up, he reaches forward and takes my hand. “Da-don’t ga-go.”
My eyes widen. “You can talk?” I ease my hand out of his grasp and take a seat on the toilet.
His cheeks redden, and he nods.
I wipe off my wet hand on my jeans. “What’s your name?”
He swallows hard and closes his eyes. “Jer-Jericho Fa-Flinn.”
I nod. “That’s a cool name. How old are you?”
“Seven.” He smiles.
I place a hand on my chest and nod. “Me, too. Well, I just turned seven today.”
“Ha-Hap-Ha-” He closes his eyes and tighten his jaw. “Ha-Happy Bur-birthday.”
“Thank you. How did you get here? Edgar says he’s the only person in the world that can find it.”
He sinks down, his nose just above the water, and shrugs.
I slide to the edge of the toilet. “You don’t have to talk about it right now.”
“Avalon, I need to talk to you.” Edgar comes to stand in the doorway of the bathroom.
I stand. “I’ll just be in the hall. I promise.”
Going into the hall, I stare up at Edgar.
He takes a simple silver ring off one of his fingers and hands it to me. “I think I know who his mother is. She’s a witch named Margret. I knew her in my youth. I’m going to go to her house and see what this is all about. That ring is a way for you to contact me if something goes wrong. Just hold it and think. I’ll hear your thoughts just like I do when you’re in dragon form. I’m leaving you in charge.”
I nod. “Okay. I don’t think he’ll cause any problems.”
He sighs. “You’re too trusting. That can be a bad thing sometimes.”
“Go. Get his mom. I’m sure he misses her.”
He nods. “Don’t hesitate to contact me, for any reason. Do you understand me?”
“I know, Ed. I’ll make sure your house stays in one piece.”
Maverick and Paden come up the stairs as Edgar reaches out to ruffle my hair. Paden holds a stack of folded clothes in his hands. Edgar faces them. “I’m going to see if I can find out who this boy is. Avalon is in charge. Don’t destroy my house or fight with anyone. I will know.”
They both swallow hard. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. I’ll be back.” Edgar moves past them to the double doors of his bedroom. I’ve never seen inside it.
“Be safe!” calls Maverick.
I take the clothes from Paden. “Thanks for helping out.”
Paden shrugs. “He can’t walk around here naked.”
Maverick peeks around the corner into the bathroom. “So, do you think he’s an alien?”
I roll my eyes. “No. Are you five? Seriously.”
He huffs. “He could be an alien. You don’t know!”
“Stop being a dork.” I shove him in the shoulder. “I’m going to go take these to him. Then maybe we can eat our breakfast dinner. I bet he’s hungry. Can one of you get me a fresh towel, please?”
Paden nods. “I’ll get it.”
I go back into the bathroom. Jericho stares up at me, before his eyes gaze at a spot behind me. I look over my shoulder. Maverick stands at the door, watching Jericho. Paden comes in with a towel. “It’s okay. I promise they won’t hurt you. They’re very nice.”
I take the towel from Paden. “Here’s a towel to dry off with and some clothes that’ll fit you.” I place the clothes on the toilet seat. He stands from the water, and I hand him the towel before reaching down to remove the plunger from the drain.
“Paden, could you please go warm up the food?”
Maverick clears his throat. “Why didn’t you ask me?”
“Because you’ll burn down the house,” Paden and I say in unison.
“I only started a fire by accident once!”
Paden pats his brother on the back. “I don’t think Ed will like it if that happens again.”
Maverick’s lower lip juts out. “But I want to help.”
I turn to look at him. “Then you can get us the drinks. Edgar got some soda pop, right?”
Maverick nods and glances at Jericho, who has wrapped the towel around his body. “What kind of pop do you want, Dr. Pepper or grape?”
His cheeks flush and he shrugs. “I da-don’t ka-care.”
Maverick blinks at him and opens his mouth. I shove him in the shoulder again. “Don’t you dare finish that thought.” I just know he was going to ask about the stutter.
“Ow! Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Jeez.” He follows Paden out of the bathroom, his hand rubbing his shoulder.
“I’m going to go help set the table. Get dressed and come downstairs. The boys are warming up our breakfast dinner.”
He frowns at the words. “It’s ma-morning tha-though.”
“I know. It’s complicated. Now that the sun sets at four-thirty instead of eight, I don’t get to have dinner at a normal time. Since today is my birthday, they surprised me with dinner first.”
He steps out of the tub. “Why?”
I shake my head. I don’t want him to know about my curse yet. If he sticks around long enough, he’ll hear it. “Just ’cause.”
“O-okay.”
“I’ll see you downstairs.”
I leave and take the stairs two at a time. Paden is just putting the burger patties in the oven to warm up. I grab a few plates and forks. Edgar must’ve cleaned up the slime off the floor.
Paden sits down in the chair, waiting for time to pass. “This morning has been nothing but interesting, hasn’t it?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
Maverick walks in from outside, several cans of soda in his hands. “I got the pop. Hopefully he likes Dr. Pepper like the rest of us.” He sets a can down next to each plate. “Do you think he’s a Dragon shifter like us?”
I shrug and finish placing the forks down. I guess I should put away the cake now. “I don’t know. Edgar said his mom is a witch.”
Paden stands to check on the food. “There are those out there that are half. Like you.”
“Then why aren’t there more females born alive? I think there would’ve been more than just me by now.”
They both shrug. Maverick sits in his chair. “Ask Ed.”
I put the glass dome over the cake and carefully carry it over to the fridge as Jericho comes down the stairs. He’s wearing Paden’s Superman T-shirt and jeans. “Yay, they fit.” I smile at him.
Paden takes the hamburger and veggie patties out of the oven and places the platters in the centre of the table. Reopening the fridge, I take out the hamburger buns and condiments that Edgar prepared.
Maverick gets up from his chair and runs for the door. “I forgot to grab a bag of chips from the shed. Be right back!”
I set the food on the table. “So, we have regular beef burgers, and those are veggie burgers. I don’t eat meat.”
He nods, staring at it all.
Paden clears his throat. “We serve ourselves. Have whatever you want.”
Jericho glances at him with cautious eyes and takes a seat. At least he seems to have calmed down now.
Maverick comes back in. “Nobody panic! There was one bag of the ruffled kind left.”
I laugh. “I think you’d be the only one panicked. I don’t mind the regular.” I take the seat next to Jericho. “Dig in, everyone.”
Maverick opens the bag and sits across from us. We go through the motions of making our food. My eyes widen when Jericho takes one the veggie burgers. The boys are hardly ever willing to try my meatless food. He eats it without complaint.
He finishes his plate in record time. It’s like he’s never seen food before. “May I ha-have a-another one?”
I swing my legs back and forth. “Sure. These guys won’t touch the veggie option, unless I dare them, or Ed tells them to.”
Jericho smiles and takes another patty.
Maverick rolls his eyes at me and takes a bite of his burger. “How can you not like meat? It’s delicious.” Bits of said burger fly from his mouth.
I wrinkle my nose. “Maverick, manners. I don’t want to see your chewed food.”
Another roll of the eyes before he swallows the mouthful. “Spoil sport.”
“It’s my birthday, I can spoil if I want to.” I grin at him.
He puts his burger down and looks to Paden. “Presents!”
They both get up and run outside, forgetting their food. Not even a minute later they’re back, trying to force each other out of the way as they shove their gifts in my face.
“She opened yours first last year!” Paden shoves Maverick out of the way.
Maverick shoves back just as hard. “Yeah? Well, I’m older than you.”
I sigh. “Remember what Edgar said?”
They stop jostling but still hold out their gifts. I take Paden’s first this time. He grins at Maverick, who pouts.
I rip away the newspaper; a small white box greets me. I open it, and my eyes go wide. I pull out the necklace, a replica of Hermione’s Time Turner from the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. “I love it!” It goes around my neck in a second. I spin it. “This is awesome!” I stand and hug him. The small jolt brings relief to the pain that has eased its way back into my bones. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome, Lon.”
I sit back down, and Maverick hands me his present. “Open mine now.”
I rip away the paper. “Wolf’s Rain?” A white wolf stands out on the DVD cover. Edgar upgraded to DVD during Christmas last year.
“It’s set in the future, where wolves are thought to be extinct, but they can just shift into humans to hide. It just came out.” Maverick dances from foot to foot.
I grin. “Sounds like something I’ll like. We can watch it tonight, after.”
They both know what I’m talking about. My dragon form isn’t too big yet, so sometimes I change in the basement, and they watch movies and shows with me until we fall asleep. Every morning we wake up back in our own beds.
They both nod.
I turn back to Jericho. “If you’re up for it, you can join us.” Will he be here tonight? I don’t want him to see me change.
Edgar comes barrelling down the stairs. When did he get back? He comes right at us and lifts up the back of Jericho’s shirt before any of us can react. A raised mark mars his right shoulder blade. Where have I seen that before?
My fingers go to the ring again and twist it. What does it mean?
“Look into my eyes, boy.” He turns Jericho to face him and holds his chin still. Edgar’s eyes shift to his dragon form, my eyes widen as Jericho’s do the same.
Silence falls over the room before both of them gasp, and Edgar falls to one knee. He pulls Jericho into a hug. “I’m sorry.”
CHAPTER SIX
I stand from my chair. “Ed, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”
Edgar lets go of Jericho and shakes his head, tears push at the corners of his eyes. I’ve never seen him cry; I didn’t think it was possible.
He shakes his head. “Jericho will be comin’ to stay with us for as long as he wants.” He crumples a piece of paper in his fist and shoves it into the pocket of his jeans.
Maverick comes to stand next to me. “What happened to his Mom?”
Edgar glances at Jericho, who stares back up at him. He clears his throat. “She’s incapable of taking care of him.”
I frown. There has to be more to the matter than that. Why did he show up here covered in slime? How did he get here?
Paden frowns. “But I don’t understand.”
I nod.
Edgar tugs on his ponytail. “Don’t worry about it right now. It’s somethin’ that should be discussed at a later date. When you’re all older.” He places a hand on Jericho’s shoulder. “I can take those memories away, replace them with somethin’ happy. Do you want that?”
Jericho stares at the floor, twisting his fingers. “Will th-they be ga-gone fa-forever?”
“No. They’ll come back, when you’re ready for them, or when I die and my magic goes with me.”
Jericho presses his lips together before nodding. “Ta-take them. I don’t wa-want them.”
Edgar pats his shoulder. “Okay, son.”
With that, he sets to work. Clearing off one of the counters and placing a large pot on one of the burners. He crushes and chops herbs together. The kitchen fills with a sour scent. Maverick and Paden get up to open the windows and door. I watch him, analysing the process. If I want to make potions in the future, I need to know the steps. He pours liquid from multiple vials into the pot. Brown bubbles spill over the rim and sizzle on the flame beneath.
I move closer to the stove, but not so close I’ll be in the way. I can’t stand my curiosity anymore. “What are you making?”
“A memory broth. It will allow me to bury some memories and manipulate others.” He uncorks a vial of milky-white stuff and lets a drop fall into the pot.
“Is that something I’ll learn how to do?”
He stirs the liquid, sending a cloud of brown steam into the air. I cover my nose, my eyes water. “If you desire to. It takes decades to master, and is not somethin’ to toy with or take lightly.”
With a flick of his hand a cupboard opens and four wooden bowls float down onto the counter in front of him. A small burst of air flicks back my hair. I smile. I love it when he uses his air magic.
Using a deep ladle, he scoops the liquid from the pot into each of the wooden bowls. “Go sit at the table, please, all of you.”
I take my seat. Our plates of food still clutter the table. Edgar turns to look at us. He waves his hands more. The fridge opens, and the food carries on the air to sit on one of the shelves before it closes again. The dirty plates go into the sink. I’ve never seen the sink have any dirty dishes in it ever.
Maverick claps his hands. “So cool!”
The wooden bowls float into the air again and come to land in front of us all. Air spins around all of them until steam no longer billows up from the broth.
Paden pulls his bowl closer to him and stares into the foggy-brown broth. “Why do we have to drink it? I thought you were fixing his memories.”
Edgar nods. “I am, but if you have different memories of how he got here and accidently say somethin’, it would unravel the magic in his mind. I will just be manipulatin’ the memories of today, nothin’ else. However, I cannot manipulate your minds unless you’ve consented to it. It’s up to you. However, you must then never speak of the true events of this day.”
I don’t think I would be able to not slip and talk about it. It’s probably best to have him make me remember today differently. “I understand. I’ll remember today differently.”
Maverick nods. “Me too. I would slip.”
Edgar comes to stand in front of Jericho, but stares at Paden. “What do you want to do?”
Paden stares at the broth longer, then pushes it away from himself. “I want to keep my memories the way they are. I won’t talk about today. Just make sure to add in Avalon’s gifts today, so I can talk about those.”
I grasp at the Time Turner around m
y neck. “Yeah.”
Edgar nods. “That’s a very mature decision, Paden. I hope you made the right one. Once the magic is undone, I can’t redo it and Jericho will suffer if he’s not ready to deal with them.”
Paden frowns, but shakes his head. “I don’t want to have my memories changed.”
Edgar kneels in front of Jericho, their eyes level with each other. “Are you positive you want this?”
Jericho nods. “Yes, s-sir.”
Edgar hands Jericho his bowl. “Okay. Drink all of this. Hold your breath, it will help you not taste it as much. You can’t spit it out.”
Jericho takes a deep breath and chugs the broth. His eyes scrunch shut and he gags as he gulps the last drop. I swallow hard. Hopefully it’s not worse than my pain relief tea.
Edgar holds Jericho’s face still with a hand. Just like before his eyes shift to their dragon form. “Jilinth thirku sva sia geou” His voice resonates throughout the room.
My eyes narrow. Is he speaking dragon ? The ancient language of our ancestors? I saw it in one of his books, but haven’t had the patience to learn it yet.
Silence falls as they stare into each others’ eyes. Time ticks by. How long have we been sitting here? I twist the ring on my finger.
Jericho gasps and his eyes close. Edgar catches him before he can fall forward onto the floor. He sits him back against the chair.
“He’ll be okay. His mind just needs to catch up with all I just did to it. You two won’t take as long.”
He stands and looks to Maverick and I. “Who wants to go next?”
I raise my hand. “I will.”
He swallows hard, but nods while coming to kneel in front of me. “Are you certain this is something you want?”
I nod. “I don’t want to accidentally cause Jericho pain.”
He hands the broth to me. “Okay. Drink all of it. Just like you do your pain relief tea.”
I suck in a breath and hold it as I guzzle the broth. It’s not hot, but it burns my throat. My stomach clenches. I don’t dare spit any of it out. A tear tracks down the side of my face as I place the bowl back on the table. Edgar takes a hold of my chin. His blue eyes shift and a heaviness clouds my mind. “Jilinth thirku sva sia geou.” His voice echoes in the room and in my mind.