I turned to look back but the crack in the wall was but a dot. In the clouds above, a girls sleeping face suddenly appeared. It was Tina. Then I remembered… I was meant to save her… the thought felt foreign. Attached to human emotions I no longer had. Overriding guilt started somewhere where my stomach had been, then spread to my heart area. I felt guilty for leaving her, for she would never know the beauty of death.
The escalator began to jolt and stutter then slow. My thoughts began returning, my form changing. The silky translucent entity I currently was, began curdling. Turning gloopy and wet… I was becoming a ghost! Now I remembered why. The closer the escalator moved back to earth, the quicker my old thoughts returned, hardening in my mind in the same speed that my form took to turn into a ghost.
The book I had read about ghosts said that you become a ghost if you have a strong emotional anchor on Earth. Tina was my emotional anchor and… I had planned that, yes I did, I remembered now. The plan returned in full form into my ghostly mind. I felt kind of flimsy, half in this world, half in another.
The crack in the wall reopened wide beneath me. I stepped off and back into that room as the crack sealed with a snap. Malakai, who was pouring salt in a circle around the Book of Names, now looked round. My ghostly form emitted a blue glow in this dim cave. Then, he laughed a loud piercing cackle. It struck something inside me, hurting me as the blue glow dimmed a little. I concentrated, fighting the urge to float away though the walls and hide.
“You should have cursed me,” I said and Malakai stopped laughing. “I don’t know if it struck you but I wanted you to kill me.”
“And why would that be?” he put the salt down and faced me.
“Because, you forgot one thing. You put a Jarring Spell on your true name, but that doesn’t apply to… ghosts.” I smiled watching his face drop, then I pulled the channeller from my bodies’ limp wrist.
“NO! NO!” he cried. “How? WHERE DID YOU GET THAT!?” I just smiled. “No impossible, impossible…” he repeated.
“See for yourself,” I said, chucking it to him. He caught it and began waving his hands over it. The soft glow of his true name glowed on the surface of the metal and he gasped a long, rattling breath. “Now…” I said, floating forwards. “If you dare do anything other than what I say, I will use your true name.” I said gravely. “More so, I will broadcast it to all other ghosts.”
I remembered what I had read in one of the books: ghosts have a telepathic link to each other and somehow, I could tell all the other ghosts in the school Malakai’s true name. They would share it with the living and Malakai would be reduced to nothing. Suddenly, a bell rang high and true around the school.
Bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong… Twelve bongs. It was midnight! The Book of Names would be disappearing in twelve minutes! Golden light began accelerating around it.
“I want you to remove the curse from Tina!” I said urgently.
Malakai chuckled. “I see, valiant and loyal to the very, very end,” he said. “Well tough. I could kill her in a second.”
“Kill her and I will end you,” my voice rose. “Remove the curse you set on her and I won’t use your true name.” I bobbed up and down slowly, sensing his scrambled thoughts. I began to speak softly. “Believe me Malakai, I’ve seen what happens to a Wizard when their true name is used against them. I doubt you haven’t seen the same?” I nodded towards the Book of Names. “Not very nice is it? I could sacrifice a girl, if it meant saving the Seven Kingdom’s. I wonder what would happen to all those that despise you when they realise you were defeated by a boy?” His glowing blue eyes never strayed from me. “I would love to watch you shrivel up, leave you to wander the Magical Kingdoms, a small shadow of a man you used to be. Wouldn’t last very long, would you? This way you at least have the choice to do the right thing.”
“So many chances to kill you,” he muttered. “And against my better judgement. I knew you were different from them. Dangerous to me, you think differently. You cannot be controlled like them. I failed myself. I should have killed you.”
“You did,” I smirked.
“Your parents convinced me to leave you be,” he sighed deeply and carried on. “Perhaps they are traitors, very clever traitors…” He kept talking slowly, breathlessly. “Seventh sons are rare, very rare. I can control everyone, using this book, except seventh sons. Your true names are unknown…” Then his whole tone changed, suddenly he let out a cry: “PERCEIVUS!” He cried. Streaks of red and black smoke shot across the room at me.
“STEVE MALCOLM!” I called. The red and black smoke Spell squirmed to the floor like a writhing snake.
Malakai stood arms aloft, frozen to the spot.
“I warned you,” I said as he backed away against the wall.
“I’LL KILL Tina. And your parents! Your entire family!”
“Go ahead, like I care… Death is not to be feared.”
He was panicking as the book began shining brighter and brighter. Golden strands leaping into the air. There was so little time left. I had to act fast.
“Steve Malcolm,” I said again and Malakai screamed. Out of nowhere invisible fists began barraging every square inch of him. His tall form bent double with the shock. “Steve Malcolm… Steve Malcolm!” I repeated over and over, burning fury exploding out of me. All the injustice, all the loneliness, all the unhappiness… all because of this man.
“STOP! NO! AHHHHHHHHHHH!” his cries echoed monstrously. Malakai’s tall black form began to shrink. His skull mask fading translucent. His black robes ripping and falling away as the invisible hands stopped. He was bent forwards, breathing heavily.
“Had enough? Have I… convinced you yet? Or do you want MORE?!”
“Please…” he managed. “Fine… you win… please… I will remove… the curse, if you let me… go…”
I folded my arms and smiled as his glowing blue eyes looked up. “I think you are mistaken,” I said. “I hold the power here.”
His head dropped deeper as he sobbed. His Magic and disguise that he used to cloak himself as ‘Malakai’ were fading. I could see a partly-bald head and a mousy, frightened face. He was just a man, his eyes small and black, blinking tears. His skeletal hands reverting to small, chubby, flesh ones. His tall torso shrinking to that almost less than mine. The golden strands from the book started leaping into the air. “Remove the curse NOW!” I called.
Malakai raised his hands into the air and recited something breathlessly. Gloopy black stuff began shooting into the room through the walls and into his outstretched hands. Malakai swayed on the spot as the curse left Tina completely. I knew because, well, I saw her. Through the walls of the school, which turned as see through and ghostly as me, my vision zoomed in on her in the Healer’s room, waking with a cough and splutter.
Malakai looked up at my smiling face and coughed up a lump of black mucus. “Who is the real winner?” he said. “You will still be dead and I will remain.”
Then… voices.
“Avis!? AVIS!? WHERE ARE YOU!?” Running footsteps echoed up the passage way. Malakai whimpered, looked back at the Book of Names, and prepared himself to flee.
“Goodbye Steve Malcolm…” I said.
Malakai began swirling. But not before invisible fists started battered him through the black column of smoke before, with a whoosh, he disappeared. The last thing I saw was a small, bald, crying face realising he’d lost.
My job was done. All of a sudden, my ghostly form began shedding it’s gloopy, ghostly wetness. I had done what I had come to do - Tina was ok.
The crack in the wall opened large and wide flooding in glorious white light. I moved weightlessly towards the golden escalator which welcomed me back like an old friend.
“AVIS! There you are!” cried Robin, who came skidding into the room followed by Partington and Ernie. Their eyes darting from me, to my body on the floor.
“Quickly Robin!” cried Partington. Robin checked his watch, yelped, t
hen ran over to the Book of Names pulling out my letter containing the instructions.
Ernie darted across to me. “Avis wait! Resist the lull of death… please!” But then Ernie gasped. His form began changing too.
“She’s alright now,” I said. “She was our emotional anchor. And now she’s better.”
Ernie was panicking. “She might not be, we don’t know… I haven’t seen her,” he lied.
Partington ran across to help Robin. The letters I had left them gave precise instructions on how to use the Book of Names to bring back the dead. I felt myself going weaker and weaker as my ghostly form shed, yet the golden escalator shined bright golden and inviting.
“AVIS! WAIT! YOU MUST!” called Ernie, but his voice sounded far away.
Robin began saying Spell after Spell, throwing this arms around. Partington lit candles and poured salt and drew chalk symbols on the floor, all at the same time. “Thirty seconds!” called Robin, who began to read furiously.
I hoped they failed. I wanted to go. I put one foot on the escalator.
“TEN SECONDS!” The Book of Names began to float in mid air. Robin and Partington stepping back as the pages began flapping violently.
“Avis…” said a new voice, one I hadn’t heard in a long time. I turned and saw…
“Tina?” She was looking at me, eyes swimming with tears. “Stay…”
It was too late.
Golden fire erupted across the room as wind and light blew my head back. Then, everything went dark.
***
I woke with a face full of dirt, coughing and spluttering. I didn’t move for ages. Slowly, I felt all the aches and pains return like annoying old friends. I sat up really slowly and looked around. For a minute my vision was foggy. The lectern was rocking, the Book of Names gone. Plumes of dust was falling slowly back to ground.
I didn’t understand… I was supposed to be dead. It should have been impossible for Robin to bring me back, because my name isn’t in the Book of Names. That Spell to bring back the dead using the Book was meant for someone else. So how was I sitting here, back in my body?
Partington was slumped against the wall watching me. “There’s cutting it fine, and then there’s that…” then he stopped. He saw something else out of the corner of his eyes, his head turned slowly and looked at something, or someone, in the passageway entrance.
If I hadn’t seen him with my own two eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. Ernie was sat blinking and inspecting his hands. His own flesh hands.
Partington looked like he was going to have a panic attack. Tina looked from Ernie to me, unsure of what she was seeing as Robin sat rubbing the dirt out of his eyes. The crack in the wall was gone and a huge part of me wished I’d stepped onto that escalator earlier.
Ernie looked up. “Avis,” he said. “You did it! I can’t believe you did it!”
Partington’s eyes were huge, trying to take in every morsel of Ernie’s body. “Ernest?” he said. “You’re… here… alive?”
They both stood gingerly and for a long moment Partington just stared at his son. Maybe trying to work out of Ernie was real, or part of some dream caused by a bump to the head. Eventually he decided on the former and pulled him into a rib cracking hug.
“I can’t believe it,” Partington cried as Tina joined them. I wasn’t sure if they were laughing or crying - both, I think. Robin caught my eye and grinned.
“But how? Why? Who?” said Partington. “Thought we’d… lost you forever…”
Ernie looked over Partington’s shoulder at me and Robin. “It was Avis,” he said. “Avis could see me, while you two couldn’t. They both worked it all out.”
Partington and Tina turned to face me and Robin, their eyes swimming with tears. “Oh boys, you clever, clever, brave boys!” cried Partington hysterically, coming to hug us both, long tears forming streaks in the dirt on his face. “How did you ever?! Malakai? And Ernie… the Book of Names!” he didn’t know what to say first.
“Avis?” said Tina looking confused. “But… your a seventh son? How did you… get back?” she looked at Robin.
“Well actually,” said Robin. “He is in the Book of Names.”
“What?” I said. “But, I can’t be… I’m the seventh son in my family. Even Malakai said so.”
Robin rubbed his glasses. “If that’s true, how do you think I brought you back to life? I saw it… it appeared just as the book was disappearing. But I’ve forgotten it now.” Robin blinked looking around, as if the answer may be on the walls. “How strange…”
“Well you will forget it,” said Tina matter of factly. “The Book of Names won’t let you remember them! And this is interesting, the Book wanted you to bring Avis back.” Her eyes were swimming with adoration.
“Perhaps…” said Ernie. “Or, it could have something to do with Avis knowing and saying Malakai’s true name?”
Partington cleared his throat. “Could be. Let’s keep this conversation for a later time. Let’s get out of here.”
As I stood, I heard my joints and bones click. My body felt a hundred years old. “Take it slow Avis…” said Tina. “Your going to ache for a while, that body has died, it needs time to recuperate.”
“Whereas mine,” said Ernie. “Is brand new. I feel great!” he gave a twirl.
Tina hugged Robin, then me. “I can’t believe you did it,” she mouthed as we began moving slowly back through the passageway.
I felt strange. I was so glad Tina was ok, Ernie too, and well, my genius plan had worked. But my heart yearned to be on that escalator. As we left the room I saw Ernie look longingly over his shoulder at the place where the crack in the wall was. He felt it too, I just knew it.
“Where do you think the Book went next?” I said stumbling behind, my voice croaky.
“Wherever it’s gone,” said Robin. “Let us hope it won’t be found for a long time, not by Malakai, not by anyone.”
“You have freed countless Wizards from curses and spells, you do realise that.”
“You’re gonna be famous,” said Tina.
“Hmm…” I said. “I’m not sure about that.” I felt awful, don’t get me wrong, my chest ached, my legs hurt, my head thumped, but, I was so glad it was finished. Malakai, the man who had been a shadow over my family since I could always remember, had been reduced to nothing more than a mere mortal. He’d got away, but I’d completed what I set out to do - and now, she was walking right beside me, a little weak, but we were all fine, just fine.
You see, I knew that I could not challenge Malakai in Magical skill, but I did know his true name, largely by accident. Yet I couldn’t say it. After reading about ghosts, I learnt something that most Wizards don’t pay attention to — spells don’t apply to ghosts in the same way. The only way I could say his true name and weaken him, was if I was a ghost. I didn’t want to completely end him, because then Tina would remain cursed. I gave Robin the instructions, telling him to open them just before midnight so he wouldn’t tell everyone and spoil my plan. I’d found a book that gave direct instructions on how to bring back the dead using a true name. What I wasn’t expecting was to be brought back myself.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ernie’s Story
I kept waking up in a sweat but seeing Tina’s green lit face staring at me in the bed opposite. “Shhh…” she’d say, soothingly. “It’s ok.”
When dawn stretched in through the tall windows, the Healer came around the beds with hot drinks and food on a floating sheet of green light. I sat up slowly and ate, under stern orders from the Healer, a bowl of gloopy green stuff. As I swallowed, I felt it going all the way down, pulsing pure energy to the ends of my fingers and toes. The Healer smiled. I felt much better already.
Partington, sat opposite, propped himself up in bed then said he wanted to know everything. Ernie in the bed next to his dad, was inspecting his legs and prodding his knee caps. I sighed, not sure where to start. Robin, in the bed to my left, finished the green stuff, handing the Healer
his bowl and then put his glasses on smiling round cheerily.
So I told them everything. With the green light pulsing through me it felt cathartic to relive recent events and telling my captive audience all that I had done. After I finished, and after much gasps and intake of breaths we all sat back for a brief moment of silence. Partington, the oldest out of us all, was simply bursting with questions.
“Well…” I said, answering his third in a row. “People only come back as ghosts if they have an emotional anchor to earth.”
“I see…” said Partington enthralled, sitting before me like some disciple in prayer before his master.
“But, I couldn’t have done any of what I did without Tina, or Ernie, or Robin, or you Partington. Don’t you see, I just finished the job. It was Ernie’s quest first, then Tina’s, then mine… I basically followed their notes.”
“And the key?” said Partington. “To the door, was from Ernest?”
“Yes, from the past,” I said.
Ernie cleared his throat. “Just before I went, I made a copy, in case I failed. I put a Destiny Charm on it.”
“My god,” said Partington clapping a hand to his mouth.
“What’s a Destiny Charm?” said Tina.
“It’s errr…” said Robin, cleaning his glasses with his shirt again. “Well, a flipping hard charm that leaves Magic the guardian of an item. Then, it follows the Seven Flows of Magical Destiny, through coincidence and serendipity, and then it appears to the right person in the right place at the right time.”
I blinked impressed, how did Robin know that?
Partington turned to Ernie with a pained expression. “Oh Ernie… you went after Malakai because of… Mother?” Ernie nodded, looking down at his feet.
I admitted my concerns that Malakai was still at large, mostly to fill the uncomfortable silence that had befallen. His threat of coming back to finish the job now preying on my mind.
Avis Blackthorn: Is Not an Evil Wizard! Page 19