Her legs and brain were jelly. She followed Nona back to the Mochrie house and stumbled indoors.
“There you are,” said Sheila. “I was hoping you would show soon. Not good to over do it just because you’re feeling better.”
Meghan almost laughed. I’ll try to remember that!
Sheila made a funny face and wrinkled her nose as Meghan walked passed her. Skunk rags. She didn’t have the energy to make up an excuse.
It was good to be home, even if it wasn’t truly home. She bathed, ate, and sat downstairs, dozing while waiting for either Ivan or Jae to come home. Hours passed, and neither returned home that night.
##
##
Colin’s darkness again turned into a dream world. This time, however, it was not the sunny playful dream it had been before. The girl with the silver hair was back, hiding behind a tree trunk, frightened. Colin walked around the tree trunk until he was face to face with her. He walked around the tree three times before he found her.
“I don’t have long,” she trembled. “They will discover I’ve gone.”
“What do you mean?” asked Colin, gravely concerned for his dream girl. She vanished, but he heard her voice. He walked around the tree trunk again, locating her.
“They knew,” she said frantically. “Somehow, the last time you found me. They knew.”
She vanished again, popping in behind him.
He whirled around.
“I need your help,” she whispered, disappearing again. Colin hurried around the tree trunk, hoping she would return. She did, and he grasped her hand, hoping it would keep her there.
“Who are you?” he asked her.
“Catrina,” she whispered in his ear. “And I need your help, Colin Jacoby, as much as you will need mine. You are the only one that can help me… ”
Instead of disappearing, this time, her body turned ghostly. His hand fell through hers.
“How can I help you?” Colin pleaded.
“Please, don’t forget about me,” she begged.
Viciously, her dark silhouette flew backwards into the nothingness, like someone pulling off a veil from Colin’s face. Colin reached for her but his dream changed. He did not feel so heavy or lost.
Air moved across his face.
“I’m waking up,” he realized.
##
##
A voice echoed in Meghan’s head, waking her. She was slumped over in a chair. The voice echoed again, this time discernibly. She bolted upright.
“Colin!”
“I’m awake! They’ve sent someone to tell you. Knew I’d get to you first, though.”
“You’re really awake?” she questioned, grabbing her coat.
“Yep, really awake.”
“Going to wake everyone, they’ve all been so worried. I’ll be there quick as I can… Big Bro.”
“Big bro,” he snorted.
“You are my big brother, technically speaking.”
“What the heck happened while I was out?” he questioned, not understanding this change in his sister.
“Short version, I got the book back! I’ll tell you about it later.” She bounded up the stairs, wanting to shout that Colin was awake, but first, sent a leaf to Uncle Eddy.
“Colin awake! Everything great! Will contact you soon.”
She entered the bedroom where Mireya still slept and woke her gently.
“What’s up?” she asked groggily.
“Colin’s awake!”
Mireya jumped up and down in her bed.
“Yes! Thank goodness that’s over. I’ll wake Mom and Dad.” Mireya ran downstairs to her parents’ room.
Meghan knocked lightly on Ivan’s door but there was no answer. She wondered where he had gone. She put it out of her mind, high tailing it down the stairs, just as a knock pounded on the front door. She answered it before anyone else had the chance, realizing it would be the messenger from the hospital.
Oliver Stamm delivered the message on behalf of his father, the doctor. She acted as though she was hearing the information for the first time and thanked him.
“What wonderful news,” said Sheila, emerging from her bedroom. “And right before Christmas.”
Meghan, Sheila and Mireya traipsed through the snow, making their progress slow. Half way there, they ran into Jae. He looked as though he had not slept, but had a smile on his face just the same.
“Dad and I were on our way home when we got news that Colin was awake. I was on my way to make sure you knew.”
“Yes, we found out a few minutes ago,” replied his mother, fixing his untidy hair. “Why didn’t you come home last night? I hope your father isn’t working you too hard,” she said as they walked.
“We worked late and fell asleep at the office. Sorry, we should have sent a message.” Jae held his mother’s arm, keeping her steady over an ice patch as they reached the hospital entrance.
Doctor Stamm’s tall silhouette leaned over Colin, along with Irving Mochrie, giving him a thorough exam. Meghan ran to her brother’s bed and hugged him until he could not breathe.
She ignored the fact that the doctor and Colin were mid conversation.
“My son Oliver tells me you are quite talented, Mr. Jacoby. I’m afraid my boy is always a bit distracted, loves to daydream too much.”
“From what I’ve seen of Oliver, he does a great job,” said Colin. The doctor smiled and left his side, giving him a clean bill of health. The doctor and Irving stepped outside of the room to speak.
“Don’t ever, ever, do that to me again,” Meghan demanded. Silently, she sent, “When I thought you were dead… it was like part of me died.”
Colin blushed, unused to this kind of attention from his sister.
“I promise to try and never get attacked again,” he sent back to her.
“How long will he have to stay?” Meghan asked Dr. Stamm when he came back into the room. The doctor mulled it over.
“Normally after such an ordeal, at least a week. But, seeing as Christmas is almost here, maybe a few days will suffice, as long as he promises to rest.”
“Thank you, doctor,” she said, relieved.
“This will be a blessed Christmas,” said a teary-eyed Sheila. Jae sat down for a minute and fell asleep almost instantly.
“Irving, you’re working the boy too hard,” Meghan overheard Sheila say.
“It’s best this way, Sheila. We’ll discuss it later.”
A messenger arrived, with a letter from Juliska Blackwell, addressed to Colin.
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 visions. She could learn to summon visions at her leisure, or show other people what she was seeing. She could even learn to control the element that allowed her to see: Fire.
Meghan sent a heartfelt letter to Juliska, thanking her. A sense of contentment blanketed Meghan. Yes, they still had many unanswered questions. In addition, they desperately wanted to find out if their uncle was alive. But something told her she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
Over the next three days, Meghan studied the book, and sent continual updates to Uncle Eddy. On 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 delivered 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.
To Colin and Jae’s astonishment, Meghan stuck her hand in the fire, swirling the flames.
“That is so wrong,” shuddered Jae.
Meghan 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.
She kept her focus, avoiding unwanted memories to appear, and keeping herself present and in the moment, to avoid any new visions from taking place.
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.
“Are you sure I’m not still in a coma?” asked Colin.
She pinched him hard.
“Yeah, definitely awake,” he winced. “It’s 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,” said 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!”
“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 joked.
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 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.
“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.
“Its 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 wooden 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.
“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. 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 stuttered his reply. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes you do, Ivan. There are things even you do not yet understand. It is all I will say.”
Ivan stood alone for a moment, before putting on a strained smile, rejoining Jae and Meghan.
“We should be getting back soon,” said Jae.
Ivan nodded in eager agreement.
“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?”
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.
“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. When I looked out of the window, I saw four 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.
Firemancer Collection (Fated Saga Box Set Book 1) Page 35