DEAR MR. JACOBY,
I am thrilled to hear that you are recovering. First, let me apologize for this occurrence. The actions taken against you will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, we have not yet caught the perpetrator, but the Balaton continue their efforts. We will keep you posted as any new developments arise.
Now that you are awake, if there is any information you can provide us to assist our efforts, please speak to any Balaton or member of the Viancourt. Otherwise, I wish you a speedy recovery in time for the holiday.
Deeply sorry again,
Juliska Nandalia Blackwell.
COLIN CONTORTED HIS face in confusion. Juliska Blackwell’s words seemed genuine. Perhaps he had misjudged her, truly being jealous over the attention given his sister.
“Banon Blackwell will not rest until they have caught whoever did this,” insisted Irving Mochrie.
Meghan secretly knew that it was not likely to happen.
That evening, after returning home, Meghan found a package on her pillow. She took off the leaf attached.
“Meghan,” the leaf spoke in Juliska’s voice. “I had poor Hollee digging through trunk after trunk looking for this book. I was beginning to think I had left it behind somewhere. This is something a dear friend once gave me, and I wish to pass it on to you. I hope it helps, and as always, my door is always open.”
Meghan opened the package. The Firemancer’s Pocket Guide. Meghan spent the evening skimming through it, enthralled. With each page, she began to realize that being a Firemancer meant more than just having horrible or uncontrollable visions. She could learn to summon visions at her leisure, though there was no guarantee of what she’d see. Or she could show other people what she was seeing. She could even learn to control the element that allowed her to see: Fire. She sent a heartfelt letter to Juliska, thanking her.
A sense of contentment blanketed Meghan.
Yes, they still had many unanswered questions. Just who was this young man and his Catawitch? He called her Elisha. But what did they want with Colin’s book? And who the heck was the bird-human? Whoever this was, they’d saved her life. And on top of all this, they so desperately wanted to find out if Uncle Arnon was alive. Even with all this looming at the forefront of her mind, something told her she and Colin were exactly where they needed to be.
Over the next three days, Meghan studied the book, and sent continual updates to Uncle Eddy about Colin’s progress. At the end of the third day, Colin was released from the hospital. The Mochries arranged for a heated carriage to bring him home. Once home, they sat Colin in a cozy chair next to the fireplace, where he happily watched Meghan, Mireya, and Jae decorate the Christmas tree.
That evening, Sheila and Mireya stepped out to deliver some last minute Christmas gifts, leaving Meghan, Colin, and Jae alone, at last.
“I’ve been dying to hear what happened,” said Colin.
Jae concurred.
“I’ve been thinking about how to explain it all,” she said intently. “When it comes down to it, I don’t think you can fully understand what happened, without having been there.”
Her serious tone intrigued the boys.
“I’m going to try something,” she told them. Her eyes lit up and she motioned for the boys to join her close to the fireplace. “I did some research the last couple of days, while you were in the hospital, Colin. So far, to be perfectly honest, being a Firemancer has kind of sucked. I keep having visions I don’t want to see.”
Meghan left out the part that Jae was at the forefront of those visions.
“Anyway, I did some reading and discovered something that makes being a Firemancer pretty darn cool.”
Colin smirked. His sister, reading? He had a faint thought, wondering if he might still be in a coma.
She heard him and frowned. Then grinned and pinched him.
He winced. “Nope. Very awake.”
Jae laughed at them.
“Okay. Here goes,” whispered Meghan.
To Colin and Jae’s astonishment, she stuck her hand in the fire, swirling the flames.
“That is so wrong,” shuddered Jae.
“I know, right?” she answered him. “It doesn’t hurt at all, and yet I can’t get used to it either.” She continued swirling the flames until an image appeared.
The boys gasped. It was Meghan at the old mill, with Uncle Eddy. She transferred her memories into the fire, replaying it for the boys to see and hear. It took a great deal of focus to keep unwanted visions from surfacing, but she did it without them seeing anything but the memory she was showing them.
After seeing the bird-human and the Magicante bring Ivan back to life, the boys sat in the same awed reverence that Meghan had, a few days prior.
“Wow,” muttered Jae. “The bird is a shapeshifter. Unbelievable!”
“And the timing! One more second, and I would’ve been a goner, no question,” insisted Meghan. “I have no idea who that kid and his Catawitch are, but they are... scary. And good at magic.”
“Not as good as the bird-human,” noted Jae.
“I think it just surprised him, to be honest,” said Meghan. “Probably didn’t expect that any more than I did.”
“And Ivan?” Colin blew out a low whistle. “It’s just all so unbelievable. I mean, I’m finally getting used to the idea of magic existing, and now I don’t even know what to think.”
“I’ve known about magic my entire life,” said Jae, “But even I have never seen magic that can bring someone back from the dead.”
“Speaking about that,” interrupted Meghan. “You may have caught it, but I did not tell Ivan he died. I think until we figure out whether we can trust him or not, it’s just better that way.”
The boys agreed.
“I think it’s time for Uncle Eddy to tell us what’s going on,” Colin blurted out suddenly.
“No more stalling,” agreed his sister. “Let’s go tomorrow, we’ll sneak away.”
“I’m supposed to stay inside,” reminded Colin.
“We’ll go in one of those heated carriages. I’ll say it’s my Christmas present to you.”
“Speaking of Christmas, I’ve got some last minute shopping to finish,” said Jae, in a sudden urgent hurry to leave the room.
“I guess I’ve got a bit of holiday stuff to finish up, too,” sighed Meghan.
“I never had a chance to go shopping. I don’t have anything to give anyone,” Colin said sadly.
“I shopped for both of us, Big Bro,” she said. “I’ll bring them down and you can help me wrap, that way, you’ll see what we got everyone.”
“Okay,” he agreed, still somber.
“What?” she asked.
“I don’t have anything for you.”
“I already got my Christmas wish, Colin. You’re alive, and awake. Believe me, I don’t need anything else right now.”
“Who has done what with my sister?” Silently, he added, Give her a few weeks, she’ll be back to normal.
“I heard that,” she chided lightheartedly.
He shrugged it off. “For now, I’ll take what I can get.”
CHRISTMAS MORNING ARRIVED and a light snow fell, blanketing everything in a fresh coating of fluffy white. Sometime during the night, Ivan had finally returned. He nodded politely to Meghan, but did not speak of the events that had taken place.
A few hours before dinner, a carriage arrived. Meghan announced that as a gift to her brother she had arranged a carriage ride around the village. Luck was with them as Mireya was busy with her mother. However, luck ran out quickly as Ivan jumped up, snatching a coat.
“Is it all right?” he asked. His gaze said he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“Sure,” answered Meghan nervously. Once inside the carriage she asked, “How’s your head?”
“I gather it’s safe to talk,” he said, glancing at Jae.
“It’s safe,” confirmed Jae.
“I figured as much. I didn’t mean to tag along, but I wanted to ask a question
.”
“Shoot,” replied Meghan.
“What’s so great about that book that someone would attempt to kill Colin for it?”
“That’s actually why we’re going into Grimble,” she said, wishing she had not allowed him to ask his question so easily.
“Grimble?” he questioned.
“Yes,” she said.
Colin took over. “We’re going to visit a dead relative.”
“I knew you had to be visiting someone,” he nodded as if to congratulate himself on being correct.
“How did you end up at the mud huts, anyway?” asked Meghan. This was a question she had been dying to ask Ivan. He leaned back, smiling pompously.
“As I said before, I thought it was an outside job. Especially since you two were spending so much time in Grimble. Then, I got help with that hunch when I came across Nona. She nearly knocked me over one day trying to get out of the wagon. I assumed you would be with her, but she was alone.”
“She does that a lot, disappears for hours,” said Meghan.
Ivan continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I decided to follow her and she led me to the gully where the compound was located. I staked them out, in attempts to investigate whether they had anything to do with Colin’s attack. Which is what I was doing, when we, uh, crawled into each other.”
“Ivan,” she began, putting aside her pride. “I never thanked you properly for helping me.”
“I was there on my own accord.” His response was not the friendly response she hoped for, but it was better than his usual tone.
“I want to thank you too, Ivan,” added Colin. “Without your help my sister might not be here today, at least, that’s what she tells me.”
Meghan shot daggers at him.
“I can’t say as I was much help. I think she had some luck on her side that day, too,” he said, glancing at the book sticking out of Colin’s jacket.
The look on Ivan’s face said, You’re not going to tell me what’s so special about that book, are you?
The carriage reached the edge of the town where the wagon door would take them out to Grimble, and Meghan asked the driver to return two hours later. No sooner than they had gotten into Grimble and out of sight of the wagons, Timothy appeared.
“Hey guys, Merry Christmas.”
They returned the greeting and followed him to the old mill where Uncle Eddy greeted them.
“Merry Christmas everyone, Meghan, Colin, Jae, and, someone new.”
“Uncle Eddy, this is Ivan Crane, he helped me get the book back, maybe saved my life,” she admitted, dutifully. Colin glanced at her sideways about to make fun, but stopped himself.
“I can’t thank you enough then, Ivan Crane.”
“Glad to be of service, sir.” He eyed Uncle Eddy curiously.
“Sit, sit,” Eddy insisted. “Not much time, not much time.”
Timothy kept Ivan and Jae busy, allowing Meghan to relay details of the ghost compound ordeal. Jae explained to Ivan that that Eddy was the twins’ dead uncle.
After finishing, Eddy exclaimed, “Now you understand why it is vital to keep that book safe.”
“Uncle Eddy, why am I supposed to have this book?” Colin dared to ask, hoping for an answer.
“The book understands what it needs, ask it sometime. You never know what it might tell you.”
“Ask it? I never thought of that,” said Colin.
Ivan and Jae grew weary of Timothy and joined the conversation with Uncle Eddy, who after a few minutes pulled Ivan aside. Meghan assumed he wanted to thank Ivan privately, for his help and left them alone.
“Ivan, I don’t have much time, so I will be blunt. I can tell you recognize me. You would have been a small child, but you remember me. I beg you to keep my secret and please, what you are planning... I implore you, don’t do it!” His ghostly face pleaded.
Ivan stammered out his reply. “I... I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do, Ivan. I won’t treat you like an idiot, because you’re not. But there are things even you do not yet understand. It is all I will say. All I can say. Just please reconsider. And by all means, be careful. You’re playing with fire. A fire that does not like to play.”
Ivan had no reply.
Eddy left him to his thoughts.
After a few minutes, he put on a strained smile and rejoined the rest of them.
“We should be getting back soon,” said Jae.
Ivan nodded in eager agreement. “The carriage will be returning to pick us up soon.”
“Just a bit longer,” implored Meghan. She laughed, seeing Timothy swirl around Colin’s head playfully.
“Timothy,” Colin said, curiously. “If you don’t mind talking about it, how did you die?” He felt bad asking, but wanted to know how a non-magical ghost came to be in Grimble.
Timothy’s eyes widened and he whisked closer to Colin.
“It was terrifying, actually. I died in a fire.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” replied Colin. “That is terrifying.”
“I lived in an orphanage,” explained Timothy. “One rainy night I was lying awake in my bed, and I heard voices outside, so I tiptoed to the window. We got into a lot of trouble if we got caught out of bed. But I did it anyway. When I looked out of the window, I saw three people standing in the shadows, holding something in a blanket, and then poof, they vanished. I ran back to my bed and hid under the covers. After a while, I snuck back to the window, but there was nothing there.
“Then, out of nowhere, there was something. A man, at least I think it was a man. His face looked caved in and a bit yellow. I watched him point something at the orphanage and a few minutes later a fire started. It burned everything. I remember helping kids get out, and then I got stuck in a room. The smoke was so thick I couldn’t see. The next thing I knew, I was dead.”
Colin thought that was the end of the sad story, but Timothy continued.
“After I died, I decided to hang around for a few days. I guess I wasn’t ready to move on yet. The headmistress of the orphanage was heartbroken. I remember her crying for three children lost in the fire.
“On the third night, a woman showed up, sobbing. I can still hear her voice, ‘I was coming for you.’ She sat for hours staring at the rubble, realizing whatever or whoever she was looking for was gone. I don’t know if she ever found who she was looking for, or if they were one of the unfortunate ones that died the same night I did.”
“I really hope you get to move on soon, Timothy,” said Colin. “This is not a good place for you.”
“It’s not so bad. It will be a lot more boring once you’re all gone. But I’ll go on helping the new arrivals,” he smiled. Timothy became his happy, playful self in no time.
Colin called Meghan over and explained what he had just heard.
“Poor Timothy,” she replied, at the same time thinking something about Timothy’s story sounded familiar. She could not place why.
“I don’t mean to be a party pooper,” interrupted Jae. “But we really do have to get going. Mom’ll be furious if we’re late for Christmas dinner.”
“Yes,” agreed Ivan, eager to leave.
“Yes,” said Uncle Eddy as well. “It is time for us all to go.”
The twins hoped it did not mean what they feared.
“Now? Are you sure? We still have almost a week before we leave Grimble,” reminded Colin.
“I’m sorry, but it is time. Come, I believe I have two more pieces of that candy in my pocket and I would love nothing more than one last hug.”
Meghan fought off tears. Colin couldn’t hold it back, a tear dripped down his cheek. Out of politeness, Jae and Ivan walked away, allowing the twins some privacy. Eddy popped the candy in his mouth revealing a living uncle. They hugged him together as hard as they could.
“Okay now, I’ve only got a minute,” he knelt in front of Colin. “You are as tall as your actions. Keep the book safe, and I am so very proud of you.”
He turned to
Meghan.
“I couldn’t be prouder than I am right now, seeing what you have already accomplished. Above all else,” he said to them both, “never break your bond.”
They hugged him one last time and stepped back as the ghostly uncle returned.
“It’s time,” Eddy said, extending his hand to Timothy. “Are you coming?” he asked lightheartedly.
“Really and truly?” Timothy replied, his ghostly eyes widening.
“Really and truly,” replied their uncle.
“I can’t believe it! I’m finally going home,” he shouted, readily grasping Eddy’s hand. “I can feel it now. Pulling me home. I guess my business is finally finished.”
The twins could not help but smile. And wonder. Timothy had told them the story of how he died; was that what he’d been here all this time to do? Was this story important to them? It didn’t matter right now, but they’d keep it in their memory banks just in case.
“You better take good care of our uncle, Timothy,” ordered Meghan, through her sniffles.
“You bet I will,” he said. They floated higher and higher into the gray sky.
Jae came over and waved alongside Meghan and Colin. They heard the echo of Uncle Eddy’s voice, one last time.
“Remember that you always have each other.”
What they did not hear, however, was this:
“You did a good job, Tim, keeping yourself in that cell, pretending you couldn’t get out.”
“She fell for it just like you said she would, and she used magic all on her own, just like you hoped.”
“Yes, Tim, she did. I only hope I did enough.”
“They have a rough road ahead, don’t they Mr. Gillivray?”
The ghost who had called himself the twins’ uncle sighed, taking one last glance below.
“Yes, Tim,” he answered. “A road even I wouldn’t want to travel.”
THE FOURSOME SLOWLY made their way back to the carriage. Once inside, Nona licked Meghan’s face, then snuggled up between her and Colin, licking Colin’s salty, tear covered hand. It was hard to stay sad for long. The streets of the Svoda village were lined with twinkling lights, and the Mochrie house was full of good cheer. Ivan and Jae entered the house, leaving Colin and Meghan outside.
Fated Fantasy Adventure Page 43