Firemancer Collection (Fated Saga Box Set Book 1)

by R. H. D'aigle

  “Is that what I think it is? Hard work does pay off!” Irving said, as if a point he had made a thousand times, was now proven true.

  “What is it?” asked Colin eagerly.

  Meghan opened hers. Inside was a letter written expressly to her.

  To Meghan Jacoby,

  You are cordially invited to the annual Up and Comer’s Christmas Dinner, as the invited guest of Banon Juliska Nandalia Blackwell.

  Formal attire required, 7pm on December the Twenty-First.

  Congratulations on this honor,

  Pantin, Hollee Troast

  “Such an honor,” breathed Sheila, dreamily. “Only youngsters Banon Blackwell feels are truly worthy are asked to attend each year,” she added.

  Ivan’s letter read the same. Colin wanted to be happy for Meghan, but hadn’t both he and Jae done better than she had on the school exams?

  Jae watched his father gloat over Ivan, who, if Meghan was being completely honest, appeared to be humbly embarrassed.

  Sheila snatched Meghan’s letter, gazing longingly at it, reminiscing.

  “These dinners used to be grand balls when we lived on the island. They have been put on for years, long before Banon Blackwell became our leader. How I dreamed of getting a knock at the door delivering my invitation, but it never came.”

  She sighed, longingly, caressing Meghan’s letter. After a minute, Irving “hm hm’d” Sheila, dragging her back into reality. She handed the letter back to Meghan.

  “Yours does not surprise me in the least, Ivan,” said Irving proudly. “I’ve never seen anyone work so hard.”

  “Thank you, sir,” replied Ivan.

  Irving looked at Meghan questioningly but said nothing.

  “Oh, I forgot!” burst out Sheila. “I received your exam grades last night. They’ve been sitting on the kitchen table all this time!”

  Irving shook his head at his forgetful wife.

  “You three all passed!” she went on. Mireya already knew she had not, and sat with a far off look in her eye, dreaming of receiving her own invitation. Irving pinched his daughter’s chin.

  “If you work hard enough, you could get your own letter in a few years.”

  She giggled in reply.

  “At least I’ll have something to go on about at the bank for a change,” Colin overheard him tell Sheila. “I can hear the jealousy now! Two letters in the same house! Has that ever happened before?” he asked the air.

  “Getting to meet Banon Blackwell in person is a great honor,” said Ivan, in his usual dry tone.

  “I’ve already met her, in person,” Meghan retorted back without thinking. The rest of the room went silent. Meghan realized too late what she had done.

  “When?” asked Sheila.

  To Colin’s knowledge, Juliska had visited her only once at the hospital. And he could scarcely count their first encounter, after arriving here, as a personal meeting.

  Meghan lied, or, decided not to tell the whole truth, as she saw it.

  “Banon Blackwell came to visit me when I was brought to the hospital; the day I found out I was a Firemancer. She offered me some advice.”

  “Well of course she would have,” realized Sheila, looking pleased. “Banon Blackwell herself is a Firemancer.”

  Ivan glanced untrustingly at Meghan, as if she were not telling the truth.

  Colin looked at her the same way; he knew when his sister was lying as he’d heard her do it a thousand times before.

  She is hiding something from me, still, even after what Uncle Eddy said, he thought, blocking it from her.

  The party broke up.

  Irving departed for work, Ivan followed soon after, and Jae slid into his cubbyhole of a room. The twins followed into the bedroom. Colin was not sure how Jae was feeling, but he was pissed!

  As Meghan entered the bedroom, she caught a glimpse of the wall behind Colin’s bed, now almost completely covered by Corny’s artwork.

  “I don’t think you should go!” Colin spat out before she could speak.

  “Why on earth not?” she asked.

  “I just…” he stalled, finally saying, “don’t think you should go.”

  “You’re jealous!” she guessed, thinking how pathetic.

  “Am not,” he shot back. “I seriously think there’s something wrong with Juliska. I don’t trust her. Sorry, Jae, I know you all look up to her.”

  “You don’t trust Juliska Blackwell?” Jae questioned, popping from behind his curtain. “Her judgment is a little strange I guess, but the invitations are hardly ever fair. Someone inevitably gets invited who doesn’t deserve it.” This statement, although made out of matter-of-factness by Jae, threw Meghan over the edge.

  “So you both think I don’t deserve this?” she demanded, shaking her invitation.

  Colin tried to explain better. “It’s not a matter of deserving, Meghan. It’s that I don’t think she likes me.” Nothing he said was coming out like he wanted it to.

  “That makes no sense, Colin.”

  “You know what, forget it. I don’t want to argue,” he said, already sorry he had brought it up.

  “You started it… Little Bro,” she said abrasively.

  “I hate it when you do that!” he thundered so forcefully that the walls shook.

  “Everything okay up there?” Sheila Mochrie’s voice rang up the stairs.

  “Fine Mom,” answered Jae, looking apprehensively at Colin. Mireya came running into the room as Colin stormed off. He decided he needed to visit Uncle Eddy. Meghan sighed, and chased after him.

  “Wait up, Colin,” she pleaded. “You should give Juliska a chance,” she insisted.

  “I’m not listening,” was all he replied, which infuriated her even more.

  “I was trying to be nice,” she yelled after him, folding her arms, looking as stubborn as ever.

  Jae darted past Meghan, catching up with Colin, handing him a coat. “Girls,” he said jokingly.

  Colin was not ready to laugh it off yet.

  “I don’t have a choice in sisters, but sometimes...” he shook his head. “She gets me SO MAD. And what’s worse, I fall for it every time.”

  “Why did she call you little brother?” Jae asked. “Aren’t you guy’s twins?”

  “She knows it’ll make me mad,” he answered, “And I am the older brother. I was born FIRST,” he yelled as if she could still hear him.

  Colin thought about what his uncle would say if he showed up without his sister, and told him they were fighting again; he would be more than disappointed. “I can’t believe Juliska didn’t invite you, Jae, after everything you’ve been through.”

  “Yeah, but I also got into trouble. She would never get away with inviting me after demoting me in class.”

  “I guess, but Meghan. Let’s be honest, she sucked.”

  “The Banon has taken quite the liking to her, it’s really not that bad, Colin. Maybe, just let her have this,” he said, attempting to be the voice of reason.

  “I don’t have a choice, do I?” he shrugged. Colin decided to hold off visiting his uncle, and instead they headed to The Waterhouse, a small café in the village. “Looks a bit like snow,” he said with a shiver.

  “It does,” agreed Jae. “Would be nice for Christmas.”

  “I wish I could see my Uncle Arnon,” professed Colin.

  “You must miss him a lot, huh.”

  “Yeah, but, you guys miss people all the time. How do you do it?” They entered the The Waterhouse and found a seat near the window.

  “Personally, I don’t remember living any other way,” Jae said. “It is hard though, for those that do remember.”

  Snow started falling. Colin noticed Ivan walking into a pub across the street called The Steel Gin, and impulsively burst out laughing.

  “What is it?” asked Jae, wondering if Colin had suddenly gone mad.

  “My sister’s face, when she realizes she is going to the Up and Comer’s Dinner with one Mr. Ivan Crane!”

 
Torrents of laughter replaced his bitter feelings.

  Later, as they walked home, Colin decided he had been stupid to get upset with Meghan; after all, a fancy affair was right up her alley.

  Moreover, with everything that had gone wrong, or could go wrong at any moment (like another run in with Darcy demanding the Magicante), he decided to let her have the dinner and apologize. He just hoped his gut feeling was wrong when it came to Juliska Blackwell.

  When they reached the Mochrie home, Meghan, Mireya and her mother were out shopping, Irving was at work, and neither of them could tell if Ivan was home yet or not. Colin did not recall seeing him leave The Steel Gin.

  “I think I’ll start some dinner, wanna help?” asked Jae.

  “Why not,” he said. “It can be our own little feast, to congratulate Meghan and Ivan,” they laughed, “on their trip together, to the Up and Comer’s Dinner.”

  They headed into the kitchen and to Colin’s displeasure, sitting on the table was another scribbled page from Corny.

  “Seven,” counted Jae.

  “They don’t make any sense. Look at this,” said Colin. The page was covered in black ink, with what looked like letters, but in no logical order.

  “His mind is pretty screwed up,” said Jae. “Poor guy, probably trying to tell you he likes you or something.” Colin set it aside.

  By the time they were finished cooking, the table was overloaded with food, and just in time. All at once everyone began arriving home. Jae and Colin heard Sheila in the hallway.

  “So late, better get dinner ready,” she buzzed. When she came into the kitchen, she screamed in delight and astonishment.

  Mireya lunged into the kitchen.

  “What’s wrong?” She saw the prepared table and giggled.

  “What a treat!” exclaimed Sheila. She kissed Jae on the head and patted Colin on the shoulder. “I have such blessings,” she said. “This looks lovely, boys.”

  They also discovered that Ivan had beaten them home and had been upstairs the entire time. Colin wondered how he could be so quiet. They hadn’t heard him moving at all.

  Meghan sat opposite Colin but refused to look at him. Mr. Mochrie walked in moments later and joined the table. Jae and Colin gave a shared toast, congratulating Meghan and Ivan. Meghan cheered up a little after realizing that the dinner was her brother’s way of saying he was sorry. Near the end of the meal, Irving Mochrie cleared his throat and congratulated the twins and Jae, on passing their school exams.

  “I should have mentioned it this morning, but in the chaos of the invitations, I did not. I apologize. It is important to understand that passing is something to be extremely proud of.” Irving glanced at Sheila.

  Colin had a sneaking suspicion she had told him to do it. Regardless, Colin was glad to see Jae looking happier.

  “Oh, by the way,” said Ivan. “Another message arrived this afternoon.”

  “Busy day. What about, Ivan?” asked Irving.

  “Apparently, on the evening of the dinner, Banon Blackwell is sending a carriage to fetch Meghan, and, uh… myself,” he said with sour hesitation.

  “A ride to boot, you’re just moving on up, you two,” admired Sheila.

  Colin couldn’t get jealous at this news; the look on his sister’s face, as the reality set in, made up for all her anger towards him that day.

  I am going with Ivan Crane! I will have to ride all the way to Juliska’s with Ivan Crane. Meghan turned stone cold. She caught a hint in her mind of Colin laughing.

  “I’m never talking to you again!” she exploded, abruptly leaving the table, running upstairs. The first one to speak, to everyone’s surprise, was Ivan.

  “She’s hard to understand, your sister,” he said to Colin.

  “Yes, she is,” Colin agreed, inwardly laughing over the irony of Ivan’s statement.

  ##

  ##

  Colin went to Grimble the next day. Safe or not, he needed to talk to Uncle Eddy. He explained the Up and Comer’s Dinner, and ranted about how unfair it was for Meghan to be invited, and how he was sure Juliska couldn’t be trusted. After finishing, Colin took a deep breath, as he had spoken without taking one.

  “That was a mouthful,” said Uncle Eddy. “What’s really upsetting you, Colin? I’m sure it’s not the dinner party.”

  “No, it’s not the dinner party,” he admitted shyly. “I wish Meghan would listen to me. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, Uncle Eddy, I just don’t trust Juliska Blackwell. I have seen her with Meghan, treating her all nice and special. Meghan always falls for that kind of thing. Juliska looks at me though, as if I am some kind of annoyance.

  “And… When is it my turn?” his rant continued. “She always gets everything! I’m older and smarter than her, only a few minutes, but older. She always calls me her little brother,” he mocked. “And look at me! I am little! My little sister is taller than I am.”

  “I see,” said his uncle. Colin felt relief for finally saying what he had been thinking. At the same time feeling humiliated for admitting it.

  “Come, sit, Colin,” motioned his uncle.

  Colin obliged.

  “Don’t ever,” commanded Eddy, “let anyone, including your sister, make you believe that you are any less of a person because you might be smaller than them! Let me ask you something, Colin. How do you feel after you use magic?”

  “Great,” he answered truthfully. “Powerful, like I could do anything.”

  “What’s stopping you from feeling that way all the time?”

  His uncle had a point, but still…

  “I can’t do magic all the time, Uncle Eddy.”

  “It’s not the magic that makes you powerful, Colin, it’s here,” he pointed to his head. “And it’s here,” he pointed at his heart. “Back in Cobbscott, when you used magic to protect your friends and sister, that was your head and your heart, Colin. Courageous, unafraid, and quick thinking. Be that person.”

  Colin mulled it over. Even with magic on his side, he was not sure he could portray that kind of confidence all of the time. When Colin was ready to depart, he noticed Timothy was missing.

  “Ah, yes. Timothy. Haven’t seen him in a few days. Not too worried though, he always shows up after awhile,” Uncle Eddy said light-heartedly.

  Colin decided not to worry, but found the walk home was lonelier than he had expected.

  Chapter Five

  The day of the Up and Comer’s Dinner arrived. Meghan and Colin had not spoken since the big explosion over a week prior. Colin decided he would try that afternoon, before she left for the dinner, hoping she would be in a good mood. The words just would not come out when he tried.

  He, along with Jae, did all they could to resist making fun of her sour face as the carriage arrived, and Ivan offered, begrudgingly, to help her in. Nona jumped in, tagging along. As they watched the carriage pull away, Colin bundled up and told Jae he was going for a walk. He was not jealous, but an ominous feeling nagged at the back of his mind. It did not help that his sleep the previous night had been disrupted, as he had been accosted again by Corny, delivering two more pages of the same nonsensical scribbling.

  Colin wandered in no particular direction, and before long he stood on the wharf, allowing the restless ocean mists to spray his face. It was brutally cold, but the smell of the ocean reminded him of home. He wondered about Uncle Arnon, Kanda Macawi, and the Jendayas.

  Summer was long over and Sebastien’s school year was half over. What were they all doing right at that moment? Was Uncle Arnon still alive? What did Kanda know about the Svoda? Had she known that the twins and Uncle Arnon were descended from a magical bloodline? These questions remained unanswered as he let the frigid spray of the ocean bite his face; somehow, it prevented his thoughts from overwhelming him.

  As the carriage pulled away, Meghan stuck her head out of the window and waved; she noticed Colin walking toward the wharf and muttered, “Jealous.”

  “What?” asked Ivan, from inside the
carriage.

  “Nothing,” she replied, bringing her head back inside. It was surprisingly warm. A small fireplace stood in the center of the carriage. Smoke billowed through the top. Meghan and Ivan sat in awkward silence listening to the clip clop of the horse’s feet against the slushy cobblestone. Nona curled up in Meghan’s warmed lap. Finally, Meghan decided she would not have her evening start off badly and attempted to make conversation.

  “So, Ivan,” she said, catching him off guard. “What exactly do you do here? What’s your job?”

  “I do my share,” he answered.

  “Right,” she said sarcastically.

  “You asked,” he replied hotly.

  “So you’re insinuating that I don’t?”

  “I’m not insinuating anything. You are not from our world. It’s possible you may belong here now, but you have a lot to learn, Meghan Jacoby.”

  “I see. I’m not good enough for your world, is what you mean to say?”

  “As far as I see it, you don’t fit in here. Those who don’t fit in don’t make it!”

  “I’m trying my best!” she argued. “I can’t help it if I look out of place.”

  “See, that’s it right there. You thought I was talking about your… clothes. The problem is, Meghan Jacoby, that you don’t take notice of what’s going on around you. If you can’t smarten up, then…” he did not finish and looked out of the window.

  “Then what?” she launched back, completely insulted. “You don’t know me, Ivan Crane. You spend all your time hiding! Do you even comprehend what it means to be nice?”

  It was the last straw for Ivan. He poked his head outside the carriage and asked the driver to stop.

  “I will save you the trouble of having to arrive with me,” he said crossly, jumping out.

  “Is this your game, Ivan? Go from hardly speaking to me, directly to saying I am a stupid girl without a care in the world? Drama boy,” she said half-jokingly, not believing he would choose to walk in the bitter wind.

  Meghan wished she had stuck with her original plan and kept quiet. The snow was falling harder, there was at least four inches already layering the ground. She asked the driver to stop, sucked in deeply, and then climbed out.