BOOK 2, SHIFTING

MEGHAN AND COLIN JACOBY fell through an archway, thudding onto a cold stone floor. On one side of the archway, the silhouette of the Scratcher enclosing its wings around their Uncle Arnon’s body, faded, while on the twins’ side of the archway, they were met by suspicious stares from the Svoda Gypsies.

Colin, his back to the gypsies, glanced at the culprit that had caused him to fall through the pine tree. It was his book, the Magicante. Instinct told him to hide it under his sweater.

Why had his uncle done it? Of all the things to grab and throw at him; why his book?

Meghan sat on the icy stone floor, her face blank. Words would not formulate in her mind.

“Let me through, let me through!” a familiar voice called out in front of them.

Colin faced the gypsies, searching through glaring eyes as an out of breath Jae Mochrie appeared in a stone doorway about ten feet away; he held his arms against each side of the stone wall as if holding it up.

Meghan raised her head, becoming aware of the suspicious stares.

Jae darted across the room. “I don’t believe it. This is bad! This is really bad!” He shook his head, no idea what to do. “You’re not in any immediate danger,” he whispered to the two of them. 

Meghan bounced off the floor and jerked her confused head back and forth between Jae and the other gypsies. What did their friend mean? They were not in immediate danger pretty much screamed they were in a lot of danger. Right now though, her only concern was to get home. Although the panic squeezing her chest made it impossible to form a complete sentence.

“The Scratcher... wings... our uncle... go back.”

The crowd inhaled at the same moment. Murmurs spread like fire.

“Wings.”

“He’s dead for sure.”

“It would take a miracle.”

Meghan’s breath drew heavily as she tried to comprehend what was happening. They had been trying to help Jae get home. His father had shown up and gotten injured. She and Colin had helped get him into the pine tree, and then their uncle showed up and...

This isn’t happening. She repeated it over and over. We need to get home.

Colin heard her thoughts and trembled as the truth began to sink in. They’d gotten Jae home, safely, but he and Meghan had followed him, to his world. And the doorway home was closed.

His head shot up. “Jae, your dad and the other guy, are they...” he didn’t finish.

“The guy helping my dad is fine. Dad is hurt pretty bad, but he’ll be okay thanks to you two. Which makes what I have to tell you even harder.”

They already knew what Jae was going to say, but they didn’t want to hear it or believe it.

Meghan could not get enough air. Her lungs refused to suck in deep enough.

Colin attempted to keep his mind focused on the current moment, which was difficult as their desire to get back to Uncle Arnon was mounting.

Jae dropped his head, heaving a great breath, preparing for what he needed to say to them. “By now, your uncle is most likely,” Meghan cut him off.

“Don’t say that! Open it back up. I want to go home. Now!” Meghan jumped back through the archway.

Nothing happened.

She tried again.

Jae grabbed her and forced her to make eye contact with him.

A hand slipped into hers.

Colin’s.

“We can’t go back, can we?” he confirmed. His face tightened; he did not want to lose it, not here, in front of complete strangers.

Jae did not have the heart to answer and instead kicked the wall angrily. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Meghan sank to the floor, no longer able to stand. “Can’t go back,” she said, the meaning of those words sinking in.

The crowd buzzed. It was clear that something like this had never happened before and no one knew what to do. Jae leaned into Colin’s ear.

“Did anyone see you use magic?”

“Only the Scratchers and my uncle, I think,” answered Colin in a weak voice.

Jae nodded. “Keep that and your book secret. This doorway won’t open again for three years. That’s why I had to get home tonight. It only opens during the blue moon, which only happens...”

“Three years, every three years,” finished Colin, dazed.

Meghan heard him and rousted to her feet, instantly mindful of her stupidity. Why hadn’t she just listened to Jae and not come to his aid? He had warned them to stay away. They hadn’t listened. And now their uncle was...

Don’t say it. He can’t be. He just can’t be.

Colin’s hand squeezed tightly in hers.

Neither succeeded in blocking their thoughts from each other.

“We both followed Jae. It wasn’t just you,” he sent her.

The crowd quieted, parting down the middle, serving as a corridor for someone hurriedly approaching.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Jae muttered apologetically. He backed away from the twins. Uncertainty heavy in his gaze.

They waited breathlessly, unsure of what was to come next.

A woman’s voice reverberated through the stone room.

“Jae, you are safe.” She said it as though it was no surprise, and promptly moved on, her fierce gaze penetrating the twins.

It was Juliska Nandalia Blackwell, Banon (leader) of the Svoda Gypsies. They saw Jae do a slight head bow as she spoke to him. Meghan and Colin decided to follow Jae’s lead and performed a small bow. The Banon’s face softened, but remained stern. She did not speak right away.

“Excuse me, Banon Blackwell, if I may speak on their behalf,” said Jae, approaching the leader. 

She did not acknowledge Jae and slowly stretched out her thin, pale arm and stroked Meghan’s cheek. The Banon wore elbow length red silk gloves. Meghan’s breath hitched as her hand dropped; was this some kind of curse or spell she should be wary of?

The Banon’s gaze landed on Colin. “What are your names? You first.”

“C-Colin Jacoby, Ma’am.”

Her eyes narrowed in on him, distrust weighting her gaze, which swept to Meghan.

“And you?”

“Meghan Jacoby, Colin’s twin sister.”

“Speak,” the Banon ordered Jae, though her eyes never left the twins.

“Thank you, Banon Blackwell. I just want you to know if it hadn’t been for their assistance, my father would be dead. Saving my father got them stuck here.”

Her eyes drilled into Jae, and she interrogated further.

“And just how is it they were with you in the first place? Did they offer, or did you seek their help?”

Jae was noticeably losing his nerve.

“They came to me, and being on my own, I accepted,” he explained.

Juliska Blackwell whisked herself around to Jae.

“We will need to speak further, but I will allow you to go home to your family tonight.”

Jae knew this was his cue to depart, but the doubt in his eyes sent the twins’ already weak strength plummeting.

Impending doom, they both felt it.

The twins realized that the crowded stone room they’d arrived in, had emptied, except for Banon Blackwell. She paced, speaking coolly.

“You must realize that this situation is most uncommon and will not be easily accepted amongst my people. I have taught them, perhaps too well, not to trust outsiders. We cannot survive if our safety is compromised. And no matter how good your intentions or Jae’s, your uncle, if not dead, is likely being tortured and questioned about us.”

Meghan’s legs faltered. Colin, in only slightly stronger shape, leaned to steady her.

Juliska Blackwell reached her first. “I am sorry. But the truth is all I can speak. Nothing else has kept us alive for this long,” her voice grew kinder.

The thought of their uncle being dead was horrible enough, but being tortured for something he did not know about was more than either of the twins could bear.

The Banon released her steadying grip on Meghan and whisked around, motioning for two women, who stood near the entrance, to enter.

“Bring them! Nothing will be decided tonight. Tomorrow, the Viancourt will decide their fate.” She dashed away, her deep red jacket flapping in the still night air behind her.

Two women grabbed the twins, not unkindly, pulling them from the stone room out into the darkness. A crowd of at least a hundred shot distrustful glares at the duo, followed by unwelcoming voices.

“She will not let them stay!”

“No. No way, it’s not right.”

“Where then will they go?” another one asked. “They can’t go home.”

“Spies!” someone shouted viciously.

Two things were certain. One: they could not go home. And two: they were not welcome here. 

The twins came to an abrupt stop. They had no choice as their path was blocked.

“It’s him,” Colin’s thoughts stammered. Meghan stepped closer to her brother.

The man named Garner Sadorus, and his intense stare held no mercy. The twins had to tilt their heads to see his face. He still donned the spiked hair and boisterous overcoat. And up this close, his black tattoos almost appeared to move across his neck. Just a trick of the silvery shadows of the night. They hoped.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

The twins did not answer. They were not quite sure what he meant.

“Oh get out of the way, Garner,” spat the woman holding Colin’s arm. “You heard the Banon. This will be decided by the Viancourt, the entire Viancourt, not just you.” Her eyes flashed, reveling in the confrontation.

“And I, as a member of this esteemed Court, have the right-” he was cut off.

“Excuse me, Vian Sadorus, sir.” Jae came to their rescue again. “I will speak for them.”

Garner glared down at Jae with a penetrating scowl. “You? I hardly need to hear what a Mochrie has to say on these stranger’s behalves.”

The woman holding Colin looked like she might just strike Garner. He glowered and stalked away into the darkness.

Jae leaned in and whispered. “Wouldn’t be good to get on his bad side. Although, most believe that’s the only side he has.”

Neither twin could reply at that moment. Only nod in wide-eyed confusion.

The two escorts shook their heads at the confrontation and forged onward. Jae followed them a few steps before a forced goodbye left him in the shadows. With each step, they lost sight of each other. The murmurs of the crowd faded.

The two female escorts held lanterns to light their way; the twins had not even noticed where they had gotten them. There was no moon or stars, only black night. And yet silvery hues cast all around them.

They stopped at the entrance to a wagon. Similar to the one Jae had stayed in while at the campground. They stepped inside expecting it to be the same, but it wasn’t. It was still much larger on the inside than the outside, but a smaller version of the one parked in the campground. It didn’t have near as many rooms. Mainly one large room and a kitchen. Another door opposite the kitchen. A meeting room of sorts, perhaps.

Our new prison... both twins expected.

The twins waited near the entrance as the two women disappeared into the room opposite the kitchen. They were gone only a minute and came back with blankets.

“You will have to stay in the wagon for the night, but it’s safe here,” the first woman said. She was a small stout woman and went to the fireplace, waving her hand over it. “Fire will keep you warm. Food, you can find in the kitchen. If you can bring yourselves to eat.” She cast them a warm smile and exited the wagon. 

The twins sank into a sofa next to the fire, overwhelmed. The other woman lagged behind, taking a seat across from the twins. She was a rugged looking woman with short, somewhat curled hair. Her voice was not what the twins expected. Colin’s thoughts said it best – a woman right out of an old black and white movie, over-dramatic and to the point, and he thought her face was pretty. She’d probably sounded the same when confronting the tall man, Garner, but they hadn’t really been listening too carefully. They were in shock.

“I’m positively ashamed for such harsh treatment, especially after you helped our Jae get home. I’m sure you’re picking up that the Svoda aren’t so trusting of strangers.”

“Jae warned us to be careful,” mustered out Meghan. She couldn’t think of anything else to say, and worse, if they said too much or the wrong thing, it was bound to cause trouble for themselves or Jae.

“Yes, he’s a good lad. Hope the court isn’t too hard on him. What do they expect from a young one?”

“Jae will have to go before a court?” questioned Colin. He felt oddly comfortable around the woman.

“'Fraid so. It’s the only way to get the whole picture, see. But don’t go frettin’ about that. Jae can handle himself fine. My name is Billie by the way, Billie Sadorus.”

“Sadorus? Are you related to the man named Garner?” asked Colin without thinking.

“He’s my brother, sure. Stink of a man!” she said, winking. “But my brother none the less.”

“Oh.” Colin swallowed hard. It didn’t seem possible they could be related. They didn’t even look much alike.

Billie stood to depart, letting out a sharp breath. “I realize it won’t be easy, but do try to get some rest, will you?” She proceeded to mutter to herself all the way out of the wagon. “What a way to treat two youngins. Shameful, that’s what it is. Downright shameful. Sometimes I don’t know what’s become of us all...”

The door shut and they heard a lock click into place.

They were alone.

Locked up and alone.

Neither twin spoke.

The desire eluded them.

Colin moved to the other couch. Sleep came in waves, and included nightmares of their uncle’s unknown fate. It was not until light began to filter into the wagon that they got up with the petrifying realization that the previous night had not been a terrible dream.

Colin was the first to speak. “What do they need to decide exactly, anyway?”

“I think, whether we can stay with them or not.”

“Why can’t we stay?” he whispered as if someone may be listening.

“They’re obviously not fond of outsiders, Col.”

“But what would they do with us?”

“Like I’m supposed to have some idea?” she snapped back. “Sorry,” she added a second later.

“I wish we knew how long we’re going to have to wait here.” 

Meghan let out an anguished huff. “I cannot accept that there is NO way to find out about Uncle Arnon. I think as soon as we get out of here, we need to find a way.”

“We don’t even know where here is. How are we going to find a way home?”

“I don’t know. But we have to! The Scratchers follow these guys, so there must be a way!” she said decidedly.

With nothing more to say, they attempted to eat. They found bread for toast in the kitchen; it was dry going down their throats no matter how much butter they spread on it.

After hours of waiting, and not knowing where they were, when anyone was coming for them, what happened to Jae, or what would be their fate, the lock clicked open on the wagon door. They sat down on a couch, trying not to appear too eager or worried, and did not look up until they heard the familiar voice of Jae Mochrie.

“Guys, it’s me. Sorry I couldn’t come sooner,” he apologized, slumping down on the couch opposite them. “They wouldn’t let me come until after I’d met with the Viancourt.”

“I hope it wasn’t too terrible, Jae.” Meghan frowned, concerned about their only friend in this unfamiliar world.

“It was like filing a report. They needed a list of anything I’d done that might have compromised our safety.”

The twins were horrified.

“Look, it’s not that bad. Really. If I were in serious trouble, I would not be allowed here.”

“What about us? Have they decided anything?” she asked cautiously.

“I’m not sure. I have to bring you to the court in thirty minutes though. They held a private meeting after I left.”

“How far do we have to go to get there?” asked Meghan.

“That’s hard to answer.”

“Where exactly are we?” asked Colin, hoping for a clearer picture.

“A place called Grimble.”

“Grimble? Where’s that?” Colin asked.

“It’s a bit hard to describe. Maybe I’ll get to show you around.” Jae attempted to sound positive, but he couldn’t hide all the uncertainty in his tone.

“How far away from home are we?” Meghan needed to know this. 

Jae let out a sigh. “It’s difficult to explain. When you go through a doorway, you’re in another place entirely. It’s not really a matter of how many miles away you are?”

None of this made sense to Meghan, but Colin had read many books about portals to other worlds.

“So it’s not a matter of how far,” he clarified, “but finding the right doorway to the right place.”

“More or less,” said Jae, catching on to their thoughts. “Unfortunately, from Grimble, there is no way back to Cobbscott. Not for three years at least.”

“You’re absolutely sure?” questioned Meghan, losing hope. “Three years is such a long time.”

Jae shrugged, guilt ridden. “It is a long time. We’d better get going though. We don’t want to make the Viancourt wait.” The twins, though not eager to discover their fate, were desperate to get out of the wagon prison.

“It’s not far,” Jae told them as they followed a fog-covered path.

“Are we going into a town?” asked Meghan, struggling to see Jae.

“Yes and no,” he answered, confusing the twins. The fog cleared enough to see a group of gypsy wagons lined up in a circle. As they climbed up the stairs to one of them, the twins’ attention was taken away by a ghostly shadow two wagons over.

“C’mon, we gotta keep moving,” urged Jae, reclaiming their attention. “Once inside we have a ways to go.”

“A ways?” questioned Meghan.

“You’ll see,” said Jae, with a slight smirk. He opened the door and motioned for the twins to enter ahead of him. They expected to see the same thing they had in the other wagons, but this one was much different.

It was a small town. An actual town. It reminded the twins of the old fishing villages they often visited off the coast of Maine. A few gypsies hustled about, but mostly, it was deserted.

“What is this place?” asked Colin in a stunned voice.

Jae led them deeper into the town.

“This is Bedgewood Harbor,” he explained. “It’s a mini replica of our real home, in the Bedgewood Isles, which is actually off the coast of Northern Maine.”

“I’ve never heard of it,” said Colin.

“You wouldn’t. It’s hidden, by magic.”

“But your real home is in our world?” confirmed Colin.

“Yeah, it is,” answered Jae. He directed them down a cobblestone street.

What an odd thing, Colin’s thoughts wandered. Magic exists in our world. And I can do magic. I wonder why? He remembered how at the moment Uncle Arnon threw the Magicante at him, that his uncle hadn’t seemed surprised by his use of magic. It didn’t make any sense.

His sister didn’t hear his thoughts, she was too busy checking out the town. She nudged her brother when they passed by two older, proper looking ladies sitting outside of a small brick building. A sign dangled over them: The Jackal Lantern. They wore 1930’s style dresses and sipped from delicate looking teacups.

“Those are the Jackal sisters,” explained Jae. “They put out our local paper. And, whatever they’re drinking, it’s definitely not tea.” He chuckled, nodding to the sisters as the trio walked by. The sisters nodded back, politely.

Moments later, a drizzle started to fall, a damp coolness seeping into their skin, etching its way into their bones. Meghan and Colin shivered simultaneously. The weather matched their mood. Ominously cold and gloomy.

Jae shivered. “Our weather here is the same as on the real Bedgewood Isles. I’m not sure how it all works exactly. But it’s a small connection to home, I guess.”

They stopped in front of a sinister looking brick building. It was tall. Very tall. But not wide at all. And yet held a sturdiness about it. One that threatened, once you enter these walls, you might not come out again.

“I can’t go inside with you,” said Jae, holding open the door.

The twins stepped inside the building, gulping hard.

Before they shut the door, Jae explained where they needed to go.

“Take the winding stair up two levels,” he instructed. “Then take the staircase to your right and go down three levels.” His voice cracked at the end. “Good luck.” The look on his face said, I hope I see you again.

Colin wrinkled his brow. Up two levels and down three? Why not just go down one level to begin with? Meghan heard his thought but ignored it, dragging him inside.

One lone picture hung on an otherwise bare brick wall.

“Nethaniel Bedgewood, founder of the Svoda Gypsies,” read Meghan.

“I guess that explains why it’s called Bedgewood,” said Colin nervously.

They found the spiral stair with ease, and once up the two flights, they reached a hallway leading to the right. A few steps away another staircase headed downward. Upon arrival at the bottom, they came to an archway, with a hanging sign.

Viancourt in session, do not enter!

“Great! It says not to enter. Maybe we arrived too late,” Colin said. They decided to take a seat in what appeared to be a small waiting room. The fireplace was unlit and the twins shivered as they waited. The cold dampness had followed them inside.

They hoped to catch a glimpse of someone who could tell them whether they should enter or wait, but no one showed up. They waited silently, their minds still trying to comprehend all that had happened, when a crisp, but pleasant voice, came over a loudspeaker.

“New incoming message. Please listen carefully. In the case of Meghan and Colin Jacoby, a decision has been reached. Please enter through the archway within the next thirty seconds.” The pleasant woman’s voice came over the distant speaker again, counting down from thirty.

Meghan grabbed Colin and dashed for the archway. As they passed through, an iron barrier slammed down behind them. They stopped for a moment, holding their breath. There was no going back the way they came. Maybe they wouldn’t see Jae again after all.

They turned forward, looking down the corridor in front of them. Had they entered a different building? There was no more brick. The walls were built out of wooden planks, reminiscent of the hull of a ship.

They stepped cautiously.

There was light ahead, sneaking through a few cracks in a wooden door. The door creaked open as they arrived in front of it. They entered a dimly lit room, standing in front of a semi-circle made up of nine wooden desks. There was a podium in front of the desks, which swiveled to face the front of the room, or the desks. Three of which were occupied. The twins assumed this was the Viancourt, as Garner Sadorus sat behind one desk, staring them down with a glower. To his right was an older looking woman, and to his left a middle-aged man. Neither paid them any attention.

Behind the row of desks was an elevated chair, currently empty.

The room was lit by hanging candle lanterns. There was a smaller desk off to the right-hand side of the room with a man hunched over it, scribbling notes. The twins wondered how he could see to write as dim as the candlelight was in the room.

After finally seeing the twins’ arrival, he jumped up and guided them to stand in front of the podium, in clear view of the desks. Once in this position, the two court members who’d been ignoring them looked up with sudden great interest. However, not one of the three gave any indication as to what kind of decision they had made.

The note taker stood at their side. “Please stand for Banon Juliska Nandalia Blackwell.” He made the announcement just as a door opened at the back of the room. The Svoda leader strode elegantly into the room, taking a seat in the elevated chair. She smoothed out her form fitting emerald green long-jacket and got comfortable in her seat.

“You have come to a unanimous decision in the matter of the Jacoby siblings?” asked the note taker of the court members. The three answered, “Yes” in unison.

The man returned to his desk and began scribbling a transcript of the meeting. The one female court member, an older, rough looking woman, whose nameplate read, Tanzea Chase, was the first to speak.

“I have been led to believe that you lived with your uncle. Is this correct?” Her voice was cold and the smell of mothballs emanated from her direction.

Colin was shaking too hard to speak, so Meghan started.

“Yes, that’s true, our Uncle, Arnon Jacoby... Ma’am.” Meghan tried to be courteous, but lifted her chin and answered with confidence.

Tanzea Chase cast a deliberate gaze at Juliska whose face remained even.

“What circumstances brought you to living with him?” the mothball woman continued.

“Our parents,” she gulped hard, “died when we were two years old.”

Another member of the court spoke, his nameplate read, Darius Hadrian. His face was stern and gave away no emotion.

“How is it that you decided to help our Jae Mochrie?” The twins were not sure how to answer this and Meghan trilled a silent reminder to Colin not to mention that Jae had told them about magic.

“We met Jae at the lake one day, back at Camp Cobbscott,” explained Colin timidly. “Then we asked him to hang out again the next day, and he told us that he would be leaving. We left it as, it’s been nice to meet you and all...”

Meghan sent him a mind nudge to get to the point.

He continued nervously.

“The night you were all leaving, my sister and I did something we now realize was a very bad idea.”

He took a deep breath and retold the story of the night Jae got stuck behind, and how they had found the fallen down pine tree hours before, and encountered the Scratchers.

As Colin explained, Meghan realized something: their current predicament was entirely her fault! It was due to her desire to go into the woods that began the series of events that brought them to this moment. Moreover, she was the reason her uncle was likely dead, or worse, being tortured; if he had somehow survived. Her knees wobbled and she grabbed the podium for support.

Meanwhile, Colin finished explaining their first encounter with the Scratchers.

The group talked amongst themselves.

“Their story corroborates his,” Tanzea’s rough voice said.

“Fascinating information. This could prove most useful, proof of a Scratchman,” said Darius Hadrian.

Garner just scowled and looked at them with a gaze that insinuated he’d never trust them, no matter what they decided as a Court, together.

Juliska Blackwell suddenly vaulted gracefully from her chair, facing the twins. The three members of the Viancourt went mute behind her.

“Enough questioning. We are sorry for putting you through this, and we are sorry for your uncle. It has been decided by this Court that you will be permitted to live amongst us. There is no alternative. There is no way to send you home.”

The Court clapped lightly behind her, although the twins noticed Garner Sadorus and Tanzea Chase hunched over, in rushed whispers. After a moment, they rose, believing the Banon had said her piece and would depart the chamber. However, she lingered.

“There are a few things you must understand,” she explained to the twins. “Though guests here, there will be certain events you may not be permitted to attend. Things meant only for the Svoda people. Things that must be kept secret.”

Both Meghan and Colin nodded that they understood. They were in an unfamiliar place, with no knowledge of how to get home, but at least they could stay. They knew Jae. It was better than not knowing anyone.

He will be so relieved, they both thought.

The Banon exited the room in the same graceful manner as she had entered. The Court followed behind her, but not before Garner got in one last scowl at the twins. He had been so anxious to question them yesterday, and today he had not asked them one single question. The twins didn’t know what to think about this.

The note taker remained hunched over his desk, scribbling away. After a minute, he noticed the two still standing there, awkwardly.

“Oh, sorry, forgot. This way to get out,” he headed them off to another door. As he pushed them through the door, he advised, “Go down a flight of stairs and then up two levels, and then down a flight. Find yourselves right back where you started.”

He slammed the door behind them.

##

THEY COULD NOT GET out of the building fast enough. A crowd of around twenty waited just outside, breathlessly, with Jae in front. They hadn’t expected an audience. Some glared. Some smiled weakly.

Colin swallowed hard, losing his voice.

Meghan answered the group’s silent question. “They said we can stay.”

Jae was instantly relieved.

The glaring gypsies stormed off, muttering to each other. This clearly was not the decision they had expected, or wanted. A few others shot them kind smiles, but left hurriedly as well.

“Well, now that part’s over...” Jae sighed. “I wanted to introduce you to my family. This is my mother, Sheila, and my sister, Mireya.”

“Oh, nice to meet you,” the twins replied, though half-heartedly.

Sheila was a frail looking woman, with short, thin hair. She wore a knee length skirt and apron, with tall tan boots. Mireya was a miniature image of her mother, and hung off her arm nervously.

“This situation is dreadful,” Sheila spoke softly. “I must admit I am glad to be able to thank you in person, for everything you’ve done for my family. Helping my son return home, and saving my husband from a fate worse than death. I’m deeply sorry about your uncle. Arnon Jacoby, was it?”

“Yes, it is Arnon,” Meghan corrected.

Sheila’s left eye lifted in a look that claimed, Poor dear. In total denial. There’s no way their uncle could be alive. Nevertheless, she did not vocalize this.

“It’s odd,” Shelia did say, “his name sounds familiar. I suppose that can’t be correct though, can it?” She smiled kindly at the twins, unable to shake off the familiarity of the name.

“No. I don’t imagine it is,” replied Meghan.

Jae’s mother shook it off as bad memory and told them, “While here, you are welcome to stay with us. It is the least, and the most, I can offer.” She abruptly took hold of Mireya’s hand and sped her frail frame down the walkway. She shouted back, “Make sure you’re home early tonight, Jae.”

“Yeah, I will, Mom.” After she was out of sight, Jae said, “Why don’t I show you around a little, help you get settled in.”

Before they could begin, the trio noticed someone standing in the shadows of a nearby building. It was Billie Sadorus. Seeing that the crowd had dispersed she strutted over, muttering her satisfaction that the court had made the only right decision.

“That took long enough! Don’t see why they couldn’t have done that last night. Keeping two youngins locked up like common criminals. A shame! That’s what it is, a shame,” her voice was raspy as it spoke the same mutterings the twins had heard the evening before.

“Hi, Billie,” said Jae in an excited voice, after her tirade ended.

“Glad to have you back, boy. Why don’t you, and our new guests, come over for a bite?”

“I can show you around later, you’ll love Billie’s place,” insisted Jae.

The twins were overwhelmed and not in the mood for visiting, but did not feel they had a choice. They tiredly agreed and followed Billie down a street called Scrooby, which ended abruptly at a boat-shaped brown shingled cottage; crooked turrets protruded from the sides of the home.

Billie held the front door open for them. “Make yourselves at home. Jae, you can show them around. I’ll go get us a bite.”

They followed Jae inside.

“Cool house, huh,” he said.

Why is it that every building they stepped into was like stepping onto a boat, or ship? It was a strange home, with tiny rooms and walkways. The wall planks a bit dark. But to breathe it in took away any discomfort. It was like breathing in the ocean. Breathing in the open sea. It soothed them all instantly, taking away the feeling of being in a cramped space.

“Where are all her belongings?” asked Meghan, noticing how empty the house was as they made their way through.

“Our homes here are replicas. All our real belongings are still on our island, other than what we could bring with us.”

Jae brought them to what appeared to be a living room. It was the largest room they’d seen in the place. There was a fireplace, some sparse, simple furniture, and a few travel trunks stuffed with papers and books, a lot of which were strewn about on the floor.

“Ah, I see you’ve found my papers. Sorry ‘bout that. I was filing some work. Can’t locate the file I’m looking for,” said Billie with a terse head shake. She arrived carrying a tray of steaming cocoa, and the most delicious chocolate chip cookies the twins had ever smelled.

She set the tray down on one of the closed trunks and offered each of them a mug and a cookie. “Nothing like a little sugar to ease the day.” She winked at the twins.

Colin took a swig and licked his lips. “What do you do for work, Billie?” he asked.

“A little o’ this, little o’ that. Mostly I keep track of historical information. I like to collect things. Keep a record of our journey. If you ever have questions about Svoda history, in these papers lie your answers. I keep hoping one of these days my sad excuse for a brother will...” the rest of her words strung out in an incoherent mumble.

“Garner Sadorus, your brother. I don’t think he likes us,” said Colin, forgetting it might offend their host.

Meghan shot him a glare.

Billie responded as if speaking to the air.

“Not a full day here and already they see how atrocious my brother has become.”

“I don’t know if I’d say atrocious,” said Colin, trying to make up for his mistake. “But definitely scary.”

“Exactly! He’s lost touch with reality, that man! I don’t understand what’s gotten into Garner these last few years. He’s changed. Listen to me babbling on about my sibling issues. Eat up, drink up, and tell me about yourselves.”

To Meghan’s surprise her brother started.

“We were raised by our uncle and we just turned thirteen.” Meghan thoughts strayed to Kanda Macawi, the Jendayas (especially Sebastien), and how at this precise moment they could be mourning their uncle’s death, and wondering what had happened to them.

Was there a search party out looking for them? Would Sebastien even remember her in three years’ time? She set down her mug and cookie, unable to eat.

Billie smiled compassionately. “It’s a real shame I’ll say again, you two being stuck here. Must have plenty of people worried about ya back home. If I knew of any way to even get a message to them, I’d sure help ya out.”

“Thanks, Billie,” said Meghan. She reminded her of Kanda just a little. A rougher, brasher version. Still, regardless, it felt like Billie would be a good friend in this new world.

Their host sat cross-legged on the floor, shuffling through some folders when a photograph of a woman slipped out. Billie’s rugged eyes saddened, and even though it was a black and white picture, it was easy to see that the woman’s natural features were pale, her smile addictive. A tattoo crawled over her left shoulder and up her neck.

Jae sighed. “It’s been a long time, Billie? Hasn’t it?”

“Yes. Such a long time.” Billie slipped the picture back into the folder. She cleared her throat. “No worries now. We all have loved ones we haven’t seen in a long time.”

Meghan was about to ask what she meant when Jae interrupted.

“I hate to run, Billie, but I should show these two around and get them settled in.”

“Sure, sure, a ‘course. Thanks for coming and don’t be strangers. Stop in any time you like. If you weren’t staying with the Mochries, I’d have invited you both to stay with me. If it gets too crowded, well not to impose on your family’s generosity, Jae. But my door’s always open.”

“Thanks, Billie,” returned Jae.

She nodded and went back to searching through her folders. As the trio departed, the twins noticed her slide out the photo of the pale, tattooed woman. It looked as though it broke her heart to see it and she cast her gaze to the floor, clutching the photo to her heart. As pained as they already were over their uncle, this depressed them even more. There was a lot they didn’t understand about this place. Why hadn’t Billie seen this woman in so long? Who was she? Had she died? Somehow, the twins didn’t pick up the vibe that the woman was deceased.

Jae led them out of Billie’s house and back into Bedgewood.

“I like Billie,” blurted Colin, unexpectedly.

Meghan raised her brow, impressed. Her brother had met someone and not shied away from her. She could sense the confidence he felt over Billie.

This is good, she thought, blocking him from hearing. She liked the idea of Colin having another ally here, besides her or Jae.

“She is great,” agreed Jae. “Couldn’t be more opposite from her brother.”

“I can’t believe they’re even from the same family,” retorted Meghan.

“I don’t remember, ‘cause this was years ago, but Billie insists that Garner wasn’t always mean. Says he’s changed since we started traveling again.”

“So you haven’t always?” asked Meghan.

“No. Like I said before, we actually come from the same world you live in.”

“That’s right,” remembered Colin. “Off the Northern Maine coast.”

“Yeah. But we haven’t been home in a long time.”

“How long?” asked Meghan.

“Almost thirteen years ago.”

“So until thirteen years ago, you lived off the coast of Maine,” she clarified. “Who could’ve guessed we have been camping every summer just a few hours away from a magical island?”

Jae chuckled. “It is odd. When you think about it like that, I guess.”

As anxious as the twins were about the unknown fate of their uncle, and their new life with the gypsies, it was becoming obvious that the Svoda had some serious problems of their own. And they were now stuck in the middle of it.

Meghan shook off her apprehensions. “In all the confusion today, Jae, we didn’t ask how your father is doing. Shouldn’t you be with him, rather than showing us around?”

“Yeah, we can wait,” agreed Colin.

“No, it’s fine. My dad is getting better. I saw him this morning. He might even come home tomorrow. It’ll still take a while for him to fully heal.”

“What about that huge gash across his chest?” asked Colin.

“We do things a little differently here when it comes to healing.”

“Oh, right. Magic,” said Colin.

“Not all injuries are so easily healed with magic. This time we were lucky!” insisted Jae. They arrived back in the village center and Jae pointed out where they had come in. It was an odd sight to behold, an ornate wooden door framed by two trees. Jae pointed out the shops; most were closed and not in business. They left the main village and trudged closer to the Mochrie home. Just out of town, he pointed out an old brick building, far off the road.

“That’s our school.”

“I hadn’t even thought about school,” mumbled Colin.

“Will we have to go? We can’t exactly be in classes that teach magic,” said Meghan. She hoped perhaps this one thing could go right, and she would not have to attend school.

“Guess we’ll see,” said Jae, not knowing the answer.

On the twins’ next inhale the smell of the ocean overwhelmed their nostrils. They were close to the water here. Something they both enjoyed. The cobblestone road they strolled down merged into one made of packed down dirt. A cluster of shingled cottages, all colored in dark browns and yellows popped into view. Green stiff shrubs lined the streets, breaking only for small, gated entrances. They passed a side street to their right.

“That’s our closest ocean access,” Jae noted. As he said it, another strong whiff of ocean wafted by, reminding them of their many trips to the Maine coast. They stopped in front of an iron gate, which Jae swung open.

“This is our home while we’re here in Grimble, and now, I guess it’s your home away from home, too.”

He opened the front door and showed them in. The inside of the cottage was not what the twins expected. It was normal sized, unlike the wagons. It was cozy and warm, and a haven from the fog and drizzle still falling outside.

Sheila, and Jae’s sister Mireya, were in the kitchen cooking over an old-fashioned wood stove; it was about four feet long and made of iron, with copper pots hanging overhead. Across from the stove was a stone fireplace; a large pot simmered over the fire. Dried herbs and fruit hung from the ceiling. A wooden table and chairs filled the middle of the kitchen, with a small sofa covered with a plaid pattern shoved against the wall. The twins thought for a moment they had stepped back in time.

“Good, you’re back,” began Sheila. “Dinner will be a bit yet. How did you two like our little village?”

“It’s very nice,” answered Meghan sleepily.

“Anything new on Dad?” asked Jae.

“Nothing new,” Sheila replied. “Show our guests where they will sleep. Oh, and there are some packages upstairs for you two, things you’ll need while you’re here.”

“People sent them,” added Mireya. “They assumed you would need clothes and stuff.” Her voice was young and giggly.

“Clothes?” Meghan perked up.

Jae and Mireya took them up a wooden spiral staircase. The rest of the cottage had the same old-fashioned feel as the kitchen. There was nothing remotely modern about the place. The twins imagined this is what the coastal cottages looked like before the invention of such things as electricity or indoor plumbing.

At the top of the stairs was a short hallway, with two doors on the backside, and one to their immediate left.

“The one directly across from us, that is where we sleep,” said Mireya, in her playful voice.

Meghan glanced at the door, wondering if she had heard correctly. “Where we sleep?”

“Yes, we all share a room here.”

Meghan and Colin were used to sharing a room, but the thought of two extra people was a little daunting.

Jae opened the door to the left. “This is the bath-room.” Inside was a large porcelain tub a few feet from the fireplace, with a bronze pump attached. There was a matching pump latched to a deep sink on the wall.

Wow. Pumping water by hand. It’s like the campgrounds... Colin caught her thought and smirked in agreement.

“How do I run hot water?” asked Meghan.

“That’s what the fireplace is for,” twittered Mireya, twirling her way out of the room.

“Don’t worry,” said Jae. “We have ways of heating up water, fast.”

Another question popped into Colin’s mind.

“If this is the bath-room, where is the toilet?”

“Not inside. This is for bathing only.” Jae walked to the end of the hallway and nodded to a small window. The twins peered through the window to a rectangular shack in the backyard.

“Outhouse,” Jae said, adding smugly, “Just beware.”

“Beware of what?” asked Colin, not sure he could handle any more bad news.

“Spiders, real big ugly ones. But they’re perfectly harmless,” he insisted. “They’re like statues. You’ll rarely ever catch one moving.”

“In the outhouse?” verified Meghan.

Jae nodded yes.

Both twins secretly took bets on how long they could hold it, before facing the outhouse spiders. And what if they had to pee in the middle of the night? They’d really have to get dressed and go outside? They guessed it wasn’t any worse than when their uncle’s travel trailer toilet broke down, and they were all stuck using campground facilities. It still wasn’t fun. And the campgrounds didn’t have large spiders guarding the toilets...

Next, Jae showed them into the shared bedroom. Once inside, the twins knew it would not be as bad as they had pictured. Lining the side and back walls were four small curtained rooms. They were surprisingly similar to the rooms the twins were used to: a bunk bed, with a chair and table underneath, a small dresser beside the bed, and about three feet of space between the bed and the curtain.

“It’s small,” said Mireya, “but comfy.” She closed her curtain, hiding behind it. A number of packages covered in brown paper lined the twins’ beds.

“Actually, it’s not bad at all, huh Sis,” said Colin, trying to think positively about yet another reminder of home, and their uncle.

“Yeah,” she answered, hoping she could handle this many roommates. “Should I open these?” asked Meghan, looking at her packages.

Mireya’s curtain flew open. “Oh, yes,” she exclaimed excitedly. “I can’t wait to see what people brought. Even Banon Blackwell had something delivered. That’s such an honor!”

It was becoming clear to the twins that they would have even less privacy than they were used to back home.

“How can we thank everyone for being so nice?” asked Meghan.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” said Mireya. “That’s what people do here. No one has real jobs or money anymore, we all share.”

“No money?” questioned Meghan.

“Not no money,” corrected Jae. “People still have it. It just doesn’t do us much good, living like we do.”

“So people share everything?” Meghan tried to comprehend. She also didn’t understand why people would be nice enough to give them these things, especially when it was clear they weren’t welcome. Perhaps not everyone felt that way.

“We share things, more or less,” explained Jae. “Take the café, for example. It’s always open and you don’t pay to eat. We’re not a large enough number to charge each other and make any money. We save our money for what we need from the outside world.”

The twins nodded. It made sense, they guessed. Hard to make money off such a small group of people.

“How many are you?” Colin asked.

“A couple hundred,” answered Jae.

Meghan sat down on her bed, ready to open the first package; she noticed a ladder leading to a small loft. “What’s up there?”

“Not much. A place to sit and study.”

Meghan wanted to check it out; perhaps it could be a place of solitude.

Colin climbed a few rungs of the ladder, stopping before he got too high. He noticed a short door on the back of the loft wall. Jae answered his question before he could ask.

“It’s a crawl space that connects the upstairs rooms. Don’t use it much.”

“Wow, a secret hiding place in such a small cottage,” Meghan said, impressed. She opened a package, deciding to save Juliska Blackwell’s for last, secretly hoping it would be something that Juliska, herself, would wear. The woman looked perfectly groomed and stylish each time Meghan saw her. She wondered if the leader dressed herself or had help.

After she’d opened nearly all of her packages, Meghan had a pile of dresses, skirts, tunics, shoes, scarves, hats, underthings, and a few of the long-jackets she’d seen some of the gypsy women wearing. It was everything someone away from home would need. A few of the items Meghan was positive she would not wear; they were far too bright or too multi-colored for her taste. Mireya showed interest though, so she offered them to her.

Mireya grinned from ear to ear. “Thanks, but are you sure? These are really nice.”

“Yes, definitely sure,” replied Meghan. Away from home or not, she’d keep to her darker colors. She wouldn’t lose herself completely.

There was just one package left, the one delivered from Juliska Blackwell. Meghan opened it cautiously. She took out a black and gold full-length long-jacket, exactly like the ones she had seen Juliska wearing.

“It’s magnificent. What is it?” asked Meghan.

Mireya touched the delicate gold and black fabric. “It’s a long-jacket, very popular. They are thin, so you can wear them even if it’s warm, or over other clothes if it’s cooler. This is the prettiest one I’ve ever seen, besides the Banon’s of course.”

Meghan wanted desperately to try it on, but she was too dirty and in need of a bath.

“That’s a special occasion long-jacket,” said Mireya, still in awe of the piece.

“It could possibly be the nicest piece of clothing I’ve ever owned.” But it wasn’t the only item in the box from Juliska. There was a long sleeved sweater, with a jumper looking item. It had one button in the front, up near her chest, to hold it together, and then the rest was open.

“It’s kind of a stylish apron,” said Mireya. “Not many Svoda women like them. They prefer the front to be closed, then they don’t have to wear skirts or pants underneath. They prefer the jackets...”

Meghan loved it. As she put her new things away, Colin dove into his own packages. He didn’t care nearly as much as his sister.

Meghan wasn’t sure what else to talk about, so she thought up some small talk. “How old are you?” she asked Mireya.

“Eleven and a half.” Meghan was not sure what to talk about with a giggly eleven-year-old. Meghan had never been one to enjoy giggling.

Thankfully, Mireya continued explaining the clothes. “Those long shirts, with ties down the sides, and that apron-like piece, they help keep things clean and out of the way, which is good, because sometimes magic can be messy.”

“Well, I won’t be practicing any magic in them.” Meghan shrugged. She was too tired to come up with more conversation. A bath sounded good. Perfect and needed actually. Mireya showed her how the bath worked; mainly, pumping in enough water, followed by Jae performing a water-heating spell.

“We can heat water using the fireplace, if we have to,” he explained. “Magic is definitely easier and faster.”

Before Mireya and Jae left Meghan to her bath, Colin slumped around the corner. Meghan held back a laugh, although the urge bubbled up easily in her stressed-out mind.

Finally, she gave up and laughed, forcefully.

Colin was dressed in a long coat-like thing; it was thin and maroon in color, with sleeves that fell to his fingertips. It was also so big on him that it hit the floor, and then some.

“It’s not funny,” he sighed, looking downhearted.

“Sorry,” replied Meghan, biting her lip. “What exactly is that thing?”

Mireya smiled kindly at him. “I think it looks wonderful, Colin. The color matches you really well.” She turned to her brother. “I do hope you will help him,” she chirped, leaving the room.

Colin scowled. “I look stupid, don’t I?”

“Don’t worry,” said Jae. “My mother can fix it. All the boys’ suits come extra long, so we can grow into them.”

“Oh,” answered Colin, taking it off.

“I’ll give it to my mother later,” said Jae, peeking out of the bath-room to see if they were alone. He closed the door, rolling his eyes. “I’ve been dying for a moment that we could talk privately. What happened at the Viancourt?”

The twins described what had taken place.

“They didn’t bring up you using magic, did they?” he asked Colin.

“No, not at all. I don’t think they saw anything.”

“That’s such a relief. I was afraid you’d be in there for hours.”

“Or maybe not come out at all?” Meghan eyed him.

“That too.”

She sucked in and got up the courage to confirm her and Colin’s worst fear.

“We really are stuck here, aren’t we, Jae?”

“Yes. I’m afraid there’s no way, not until the next blue moon. This time it’s my fault though, and you’ll be stuck away from home much longer than I was. If there were any way of finding out anything, even if it broke a hundred rules, I’d tell you in an instant.”

“We have no option then,” whispered Colin. He forced his mind to accept their plight. It wasn’t easy. It was hard to give in to the reality they faced. Not to fight for some way to get home.

Jae shook his head, apologetically.

The twins had to accept that he spoke the truth. There was no way home. They were stuck here. They needed to find a way to deal, and fit in. But how? How would they fit into a world where many did not welcome them? A world of magic, and secrets... a world they didn’t belong in, even if for some reason Colin could perform magic. And even if Meghan did somehow see a glimpse into the future, right before they’d been attacked by Scratchers in Cobbscott, with Jae.

None of that mattered now. Only survival. Only making it through until they could go home. Meghan lifted her chin stubbornly.

“We may be stuck here, Jae, but it’s in no way your fault,” consoled Meghan. “We made the choice not to heed your warning.”

“Still...”

She cut him off. “Nope. Won’t hear it, Jae. We’re here. There is nothing that can change that now.”

Colin wished he could feel that brave. But he also sensed fear threatening to overwhelm his sister. She was doing her best. He would too.

“Since we are stuck here,” he said, “tell us about this place. How does it work exactly? An entire town inside a wagon. Or wagons?” There were a few parked in a circle. 

“The magic used is similar to what’s used to create the inside of the wagons, like back in Cobbscott. Or the one you guys stayed in last night. Just on a much larger scale. Although the town has actually shrunk a great deal in recent years, since we find our magic getting weaker, the longer we travel. It’s not a full-sized replica.”

“Is there something different in each of the wagons parked in the circle, or are they all connected?” Colin wanted to know.

“All connected. You can enter through any door, but each one will take you into a different part of the town. So if you want to come in the same way you did, just use that wagon each time. It’s really hard to explain how it all works. It doesn’t always make sense, even to me, but the way I understand it, creating this town requires a huge amount of magical energy. When we travel, we don’t always have the option to stay inside the wagons. Sometimes we stay in homes that belong in the world we’re traveling in.”

“That must be kind of hard. Not just always traveling, but never knowing for sure where you’re even staying.” Meghan didn’t mind traveling with their uncle, but she did enjoy that she had her own space, even if it was small.

Colin took out his book, the Magicante, and thumbed through it.

“There is one thing I don’t understand.”

“What’s that, Col?” asked Meghan curiously.

“Do you remember, after we got Jae’s father through, when Uncle Arnon showed up?”

“Yeah, I recall,” she said snidely. As if I could’ve forgotten! Colin ignored her thought.

“Do you remember when we left the trailer that night that I did not have the Magicante? I’d forgotten it.”

Meghan’s eyes widened.

“I do,” answered Jae. “I remember asking you where it was.”

“Why would Uncle Arnon bring Magicante to me? I can see throwing something at me to get me out of the way, but why did he bring this book? Of all things...” Colin fought off tears, but he was too weak to hide it from Meghan.

“It wasn’t your fault, Colin,” she tried to assure him.

“But if I hadn’t forgotten my book, or hadn’t gone at all, Uncle Arnon might still be safe. Why would he risk his life to bring me this? It’s a handy book, but worth giving up his life for?”

“Colin, I think it’s vital that we try to put this out of our minds for now. We should focus on surviving the next three years. I think I’d rather curl up and die, than sit around drowning in misery over questions we have no answers to.”

He nodded. “I’ll try. I really will.”

Footsteps shuffled up the staircase.

“I think its best,” warned Jae, “to keep all of this to ourselves; using magic, the book... and Meghan, I wouldn’t tell anyone about your run-in with the Catawitch, either. Those things could easily change the Viancourt’s minds about you staying here.”

They nodded in apprehensive agreement.

They were permitted to stay with the Svoda, but what would happen if they found out all this other stuff? Would they be kicked out? Imprisoned? They pleaded silently that they never found out the answers to these questions.

It was Mireya who had come up the stairs. She disappeared into her room.

Jae got up to leave Meghan to her bath. Colin got up to follow.

Jae spun around just outside the door. “I almost forgot. The other room,” he pointed to the room across from the bath. “It belongs to Ivan Crane. He was with me the day I ran into you guys and dropped all my packages. He just turned seventeen. Busy all the time. We don’t see him much. My parents took him in a few years back after his grandfather passed on.”

“That’s nice of your family to do that,” said Meghan, recalling the rude boy and her instant dislike of him. The boys left her and she hurriedly bathed, allowing Colin time to clean up, too. After, they had dinner. During the meal, another package arrived from Banon Blackwell, this time for Colin.

“I already got mine, it’s beautiful,” said Meghan, mostly for Sheila’s benefit.

Colin opened his. It was a black jacket, with a hint of gold fringe.

“That’s what all the men wear to fancy type occasions,” said Jae, rolling his eyes. Colin tried it on over his clothes. Again, it fell to his ankles.

“Another item to grow into?” Colin asked hopefully.

“I can fix that, along with your other one,” said Sheila. “Leave it on the couch over there, but in the box. We must keep it nice. It’s a real honor to get a gift from Banon Blackwell.”

“Is there some event we need to have these outfits ready for? We were told there may be occasions we cannot attend.”

“We do have lots of fancy affairs. Best to always be ready.” Sheila smiled blankly.

They ate quietly and immediately after, Meghan announced she was ready for bed.

“I realize it’s early, but I’m spent.”

“I’m pretty beat myself, probably won’t be too far behind,” replied her brother.

“I think that’s a splendid idea all around,” announced Sheila. “I’m going to make a quick trip to see your father and when I get back, bed time.”

No one argued. The dinner meal had filled their bellies, causing the immensity of their gloomy tiredness to kick in.

“Night everyone,” yawned Meghan. She wound her way up the staircase. A chorus of sleepy goodnights swept through the house.

The boys and Mireya decided to stay up until Jae’s mother had returned from seeing Irving Mochrie at the hospital.

Meghan’s head hit her pillow, all thoughts left her mind, and exhaustion took over. She did not awaken until the next morning.

##

IT TOOK A FEW GROGGY minutes for Meghan to remember where she was. Her eyes fluttered open, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. She sensed in her mind for Colin.

“You’re finally awake,” he said, catching her probing through his thoughts. “Hurry and get up. Jae’s practicing magic.”

“K, gotta get dressed,” she mumbled back into his mind. How had she slept so soundly that everyone was awake and up? And she hadn’t heard a thing. She let out a long sigh. Her mind wanted to wander. To let in all the unanswered thoughts mulling around her brain.

She forced them away, hiding them deep.

“Here we go, day two.” She got out of bed and hurried to dress and make herself presentable. As she departed the bedroom, the door next to hers opened. A handsome, dark haired young man dressed in a sports coat bounced out, startled to see her. His eyes settled on hers, his gaze narrowing in, almost as if he saw someone he recognized for a moment. It vanished, replaced by smugness. He gave her a curt nod.

“You must be Meghan.” 

“Yes, I am. And you’re Ivan?” He didn’t answer and before she could say more, he shifted past her and raced down the stairs.

She recalled their first encounter back in Cobbscott, and wondered again, is it really possible to know you hate someone, so instantaneously? And how did he get so lucky as to have his own room? While the rest of them shared.

She frowned, following him. Ivan hopped out the back door, yelling hello and goodbye before disappearing back inside the house and out the front door.

Irving Mochrie had returned home from the hospital early that morning and was sitting outside at the back of the house, near a lit fire pit, clearly impressed with this Ivan. 

“Look at that, already off to work. Never an idle moment, that one.”

Off to the side, Jae was practicing some sort of balancing spell. He had many items stacked atop each other; his hand balancing the items without touching them. It was impressive.

Colin sensed Meghan’s arrival, but didn’t look as he was too enamored by watching Jae.

Irving Mochrie, still heavily bandaged, did acknowledge Meghan’s arrival.

“Good morning. It is nice to meet you, properly, although I wish it were under different circumstances.” His tone was kind, and yet held a hard edge.

“I can’t believe you’re home already, after what those Scratchers did to you,” said Meghan. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s nice to meet you as well. It’s just surprising to see you looking so well after what happened to you.”

“Yes, that was some ugly business. But the wounds will heal. We all have a price to pay for this lifestyle we lead.” He tossed her a terse smile. “I’ve already spoken with your brother, but I must thank you personally for your assistance in saving my life. And I am deeply sorry about your uncle. He would have been proud of your bravery.”

“Thanks,” she said, growing agitated that so many believed their uncle to be dead. She jumped, startled by the sound of glass shattering. A dish Jae was balancing had fallen and broken against a rock. He started to lose control of the entire stack, but his father used magic to stop it before they all plummeted to the ground in a pile.

“Pay attention, Jae.” he scolded harshly. “You’ve got a month’s worth of work to catch up on.”

Jae looked worn out. Meghan wondered if he’d slept at all, and had a twinge of guilt for having such a restful night.

Irving shifted in his chair, wincing a bit. Sheila Mochrie joined them from inside.

“Ivan’s off,” she told Irving. “Says he won’t make it home for dinner, another long day ahead.”

“I’ve never seen a young man so dedicated to his work,” proclaimed Irving. 

Jae lost his concentration and the stack of items smashed to the ground.

Irving glowered in Jae’s direction, huffing. “Keep trying. Always keep trying, Jae.”

“Yes, Dad.” He flicked his wrist and the broken items magically repaired themselves.

Irving went back to his conversation with Sheila.

Meghan grabbed a meat pie that Sheila had stacked in front of her, trying not to listen in, but could not help it.

“Not nice, Sis,” Colin chided into her mind.

“They’re not exactly keeping it down,” she shot back.

“We cannot judge the Banon,” Irving was insisting in a low voice. “Has she ever led us astray?”

“No, she hasn’t. I was wrong to even think it.” Sheila disappeared into the cottage, followed by Irving a moment later.

“What was that about?” wondered Colin.

“It’s okay to listen in on other’s conversations now is it?”

“I got curious.” He shrugged.

The twins twitched uncomfortably. Had Jae’s parents been speaking about them? Were they not as welcome in the Mochrie house as they’d been led to believe? Maybe they should take up Billie’s offer and move in with her. Meghan got up the courage to ask.

“Jae. It’s not a problem is it, us staying with your family?”

“Problem? No. People are just a little slow to warm up to strangers is all. It’ll take some time, but they’ll come around.”

He wasn’t as reassuring as the twins had hoped.

“I know your parents probably feel obligated to take us in, but we could always go to Billie’s, if you think it would be a better idea.” Meghan bit her lip nervously.

“No. No. You’re fine here. Really.”

“Okay.” Meghan still wasn’t sure, but she’d give it some time. “What’s there to do around here anyway?” She had an urge to keep busy.

“There’s Grimble, other than that, not much other than school. Or magic practice. I should warn you that tomorrow I’ll be back in school. I haven’t heard any word as to what they’re going to have the two of you doing.”

Meghan frowned. The way he said it was as if they needed to be kept busy. “Wait, there’s school in the summer here?”

“School is sort of always in session around here.”

“How awful,” she replied.

“She hates school, or learning, period,” Colin explained.

“Is Ivan still in school?” she asked.

“No, Ivan graduated when he was sixteen, already been working near a year. Youngest to graduate ever! Usually, we don’t get to graduate level until about age sixteen or seventeen.” Jae sounded like he was trying to be proud of Ivan, but it came across as more of a sore subject.

“How about today?” asked Colin. “Are you busy?”

“Maybe I can talk my dad into letting me take you into Grimble.” Jae ran into the house and came back out, smiling. “I can’t believe it. He said yes. Guess he figures getting you two acquainted with Grimble is as important as magic practice.”

They departed immediately. The twins felt a nagging desire to keep moving.

“What’s Grimble like?” asked Meghan.

Jae thought about it, unsure of how to explain.

She added, “Let me guess, another one of those ‘we have to see to understand’ things?”

“Sorry, kind of.”

As they walked, Meghan got curious. “Sorry, Jae, I don’t mean to pry, but why don’t you all stay here permanently? It’s safe here, right? You’re not that large of a group and there’s no Scratchers here, right?”

Jae laughed. “I forget how little you know about us. It’s true, the Scratchers didn’t follow us here, but we are only one of nine groups of traveling Svoda.”

“Nine?” repeated Colin. “When do you see the other groups?”

“We don’t. That’s why we are working so hard to get back home, for good. We all have friends and family in the other groups. It was done that way on purpose, so that if one group was wiped out, the whole family wouldn’t be lost.”

“That’s absolutely appalling,” breathed out Meghan.

“Yes, it is,” Jae agreed.

The twins now understood Billie’s actions the previous day, too. The woman in the photo; whoever she was, it had been thirteen years since Billie had seen her. The picture was getting clearer.

“No wonder they don’t trust anyone,” sent Meghan to Colin.

“The words, welcome to Hell come to mind!” he declared. She had never heard her brother use such a strong word, but agreed with his sentiment.

They stepped through the wooden door onto the steps of the wagon. Outside in Grimble, the sky was darker and the foggy air smelled stale. There were trees, but they were leafless and dead.

“Is there a way, Jae, to at least keep in contact with the other groups?” asked Colin, hesitantly.

“We do leave messages behind. Problem is, sometimes another Svoda group may not get them for months, or years.” Jae stopped at a small stone bridge. Two tall dead trees grew up out of the bridge, and the streambed below had long dried up. With the exception of a few Svoda Gypsies (who couldn’t take their eyes off the twins) the town was deserted. They crossed the bridge, and so far, Grimble did not prove impressive. The buildings were empty and run down. Nothing looked open for business.

Then, as they stepped off the bridge, everything changed. The town was no longer dilapidated or deserted. It was bustling. With people whose bodies were caged in silvery essence. Some hovered just over the ground. Some walked on it, although never quite touching. Some floated hurriedly through the air. Businesses were open and busy, but there was nothing colorful or lifelike to the town. It was drab, almost foggy or hazy... the sky overhead dissolving upward into a gray abyss.

Without any warning, a floating body scurried right by Colin’s face. His jaw dropped, his mouth gaping.

“Is- Is that a ghost?” asked Meghan.

“That’s why it’s a little hard to explain,” said Jae with a laugh. “Grimble is a ghost town,” he explained. “And when I say ghost town, I don’t mean a deserted old town with abandoned buildings and the like.”

“No. Clearly...” said Meghan, stunned at the sight.

Colin forced his mouth closed.

Silvery essences floated into and out of walls, buildings, and even the ground. Some you could see straight through and some looked almost alive until you looked close enough to see the silver shimmer encasing their bodies.

“This isn’t like any other ghost town I’ve ever seen,” said Colin. “This is... really cool.”

“Oh, I think one of them touched me,” whined Meghan. Jae and Colin broke into amused laughter.

“It does take a bit of getting used to,” warned Jae. “But don’t worry, the worst it can do is leave you feeling the cold, creepiness of death.”

Colin continued laughing at Meghan until he felt the rush of something icy against his skin. A ghost floated up out of the ground on the exact spot Colin stood. It bellowed something about getting out of the way and flew off.

“Not so pleasant, is it?” chided Meghan, with a shudder.

Colin frowned.

Jae took off into the town. “C’mon. Something I wanna show you guys.” They jogged a few buildings down and stopped at the least colorful candy shop the twins had ever seen. Each item was black, gray, or some other version of that color. “Wait here,” said Jae, racing inside.

A group of ghost children had gathered outside of the shop, arguing. The twins wondered where all the ghosts came from. Jae exited the store handing the twins a black piece of soft candy. “Watch,” he said, nodding toward the arguing ghost children.

A few of the ghosts were daring another ghost to try a certain kind of candy, which he did not want to do. Eventually, he caved. He shoved it in his mouth and seconds later, he was no longer a ghost, but a living boy!

He ran crazily, not believing he was solid and alive again. Seeing the living Colin, Meghan, and Jae, he rushed over, rubbing his hands over their faces.

“I can feel things again.” As instantaneously as he had transformed into the living boy, he changed back into the ghostly boy. His smile faded and he went back into the candy store, exiting with a pocketful of the candy.

“Was that supposed to be funny?” asked Meghan, equally troubled and stunned by what she had witnessed.

“No, that wasn’t. He’s probably new here. The older ones are teasing him.”

“Older ones?” Meghan scrunched her face. “Just how long have they been here?”

“Hard to say. Weeks, months, years... many years.”

Meghan wanted to ask what kind of ghost town this was, and where all the ghosts came from, but Colin was eagerly holding the candy Jae had given him.

“So what are we holding?” he asked, looking over the candy.

His mouth spread into a wry grin. “Candy for the living.” He popped a piece into his mouth. The twins watched his body dissolve into a ghostly image of itself. His silvery body floated off the ground.

“It only lasts about thirty seconds,” he yelled down to the twins, floating higher and higher into the air. “But it’s like nothing else you’ve ever tried!” Meghan didn’t wait. She popped hers in and closed her eyes, hard, as if expecting something to explode. She transformed and floated past Jae, already on his way back down.

“This is so cool,” she shouted. “Colin, try it! It doesn’t hurt or anything.” Not wanting to be outdone by Meghan, he popped his in. Colin’s body tingled all over, kind of like a light zing all through him, and then just like that, his body was floating and encased by the silvery essence of a ghost. He passed his sister as she descended back to the ground. He drifted nervously to the rooftop. The movement didn’t feel natural at all and he grabbed the edge of the building. His eyes widened and he held in a startled breath.

A cloaked figure stood atop the roof. The figure held a leaf in its hand, speaking to it. A distressed female voice replied back, seemingly out of the leaf.

How? How were voices coming out of a leaf?

“We’re not ready yet. I hope it’s not too soon for them to be there.”

“I think we can use the situation to our advantage,” argued the cloaked figure; it was a man’s voice.

He was cut off by the female voice. “Behind you!” it warned.

The cloaked man turned, enraged dark eyes piercing at Colin.

He let go of the roof and started his descent. But halfway down, he began to change back into his human form and plunged toward the ground.

Meghan closed her eyes. Colin was about to fall, hard. He’d be injured for sure. Jae, thinking smartly, used magic to slow him. Colin landed on his feet with a soft thud. Meghan and Jae scurried to his side.

“Are you all right?” she asked him.

Colin rubbed his neck. “I think so.”

“That was too close,” said Jae, relieved. “If you’d gotten injured, mom’d never let us have ghost candy again. Dad already hates it.”

Colin had to tell them about the man on the roof. “Jae, is there a safe place to talk around here?” he blurted out.

“There’s a pub not many Svoda visit. Why?”

“Let’s just go there,” replied Colin.

Meghan and Jae eyed Colin questioningly, but didn’t ask more. As they entered the pub, the twins and Jae caught an adult aged ghost peeking around a corner of the building. Was he spying on them? The ghost, noticing he’d been caught, floated away.

“Huh, that’s odd.” Jae shrugged it off and scoped out a table near the back.

One lone member of the Svoda was working behind the counter, alongside a pretty ghost waitress. Jae bought three tonics and returned to the twins.

“They like it when we come here,” explained Jae. “They need living people to do work for them sometimes, for when other living people happen to travel through.”

“Other living people travel through the doorways, too?” questioned Meghan.

“On occasion,” he answered.

Meghan was about to ask where exactly all the ghosts came from when Colin interrupted.

“Is it for sure safe to talk in here?”

“What’s going on, Colin?” asked his sister. Colin waited for Jae to answer.

“As long as we’re quiet, yeah, it’s fine.”

“I saw something weird on the roof of the candy shop.”

“I knew something was up,” retorted Meghan. “Otherwise you’d have never stayed up there that long.”

Colin ignored her and continued. “There was a man in a cloak on the roof, talking into a leaf that he held in his hand.”

“What was he talking about?” asked Jae, unfazed by Colin’s news.

“All I heard was something about not being ready and hoping it’s not too soon for them to be there.”

“Them?” questioned Meghan.

“The only them being discussed at the moment is you two,” said Jae.

The twins grew distraught. Colin sent a thought to his sister.

“Are we safe here? Should we stay?”

“Where would we go?”

Jae interrupted their thoughts. “How strange, that he used a leaf. That’s definitely magical.”

“Plus, I think it was the leaf that caught me looking.”

Jae spit out his tonic. “You were caught!”

“Yes, but only for a second because I started falling.”

“What should we do, Jae?” asked Meghan, panicking.

“I have no idea. But if it was you they were talking about, and then they caught you spying...”

“But why would they even be talking about us? I realize it’s big news and all, two strangers living with you guys, but it just doesn’t make any sense. It’s almost like they expected it to happen or something.”

“How would they?” Colin asked. “I mean, no one could have known that.”

Meghan shrugged.

Jae let out a hasty breath.

Another thought dawned on Colin.

“Um, Jae. I don’t understand how it all works, but is there any way we could use a leaf to try to reach our uncle? Or anyone from our world?”

Meghan perked up, but Jae promptly smothered the idea.

“We do use leaves to send messages, but only in the same world we are in. I’ve never heard of any way to gather enough magical energy to send one to another world, never mind figure out how it would get there. Or how the message would transmit. Sorry... I don’t know of any such way.”

The twins resigned to defeat.

“So who could the guy on the roof have been talking to?” wondered Meghan.

“It would have to be someone in Grimble,” Jae told them.

Colin let out a long sigh. “But how would anyone in your group have any idea we might come to live with you?”

“I really don’t know how to answer that. It makes no sense.”

The topic ended as from the corner of her eye, Meghan noticed that the spying ghost was back, hiding in a dark corner inside the pub. She used her head to subtly point it out to the others.

“Can things get any more bizarre? I’ve never known a ghost to spy before,” said Jae, who shook his head. “Excitement sure seems to follow you two.”

“For reasons unknown...” Meghan uttered softly.

The trio decided to test the ghost. They left the pub and trekked slowly, to see if it followed.

“Where do all these ghosts come from, Jae?” asked Colin as they walked.

Finally, thought Meghan.

“Best I understand it, Grimble is a waiting room of sorts. I guess this is where the dead come if they have unfinished business to attend to before they move on. Grimble is set aside though, for those with some tie to the magical world.”

“Some of these ghosts have died recently, then?” said Meghan.

“If we died, is this where we would come?” asked Colin, catching on to Meghan’s train of thought.

“I never thought about it,” answered Jae. “I suppose it’s possible, but there are other places like Grimble. It’s not the only afterlife ghost town.” Jae finally caught on to what the twins were hoping but dashed that hope straightaway.

“I’m sure if your uncle were here, he’d have made himself known.”

“If there are so few magical people, how come there are so many ghosts?” asked Colin.

“I guess you’ll find out soon enough that the Svoda are not the only remaining magical clan. We’re one of the biggest, but there are many others. And some of these ghosts have been here for a long time.” Jae pointed out, “We’re definitely being followed by the way.”

He motioned for them to take a path leading into the woods. A second later, he jumped out and confronted the ghost.

“Why are you following us?”

The pale face of a man in his late twenties, early thirties, smiled at them, floating closer. The trio backed up, unsure of the ghost’s intent.

“It’s really you,” he aimed his words at the twins, although his kind gaze landed heavily on Colin. “I’ve waited such a long time, let me look at you.”

“I think you’ve mistaken us for someone else,” stammered Colin. “We’re not supposed to be here, you see.”

“Who says you’re not supposed to be here? You’re here aren’t you? I’ve been waiting a long time, so if you don’t mind, I would like to speak to the two of you, alone.”

“Why?” asked Meghan.

“The short version, I have a message for you.”

“A message for us! Is it from our uncle? Is he here? Was he here?” begged Meghan.

“Arnon? Why do you ask if he’s here?” pressed the ghost.

“How do you know his name?” Meghan questioned him.

“I am afraid we have gotten off on the wrong foot,” sighed the ghost.

“Spying didn’t help,” chided Jae.

“I am not here to harm you, and anyway, that wouldn’t be possible since the magic of ghosts doesn’t work on the magic of the living.”

“I’d forgotten that,” said Jae. He turned to the twins, “This is all a bit weird, but if he says he has a message, you should stay and talk to him. I’ll wait in town. You can find me when you’re done if you want.”

“We don’t mind if you stay Jae,” insisted Colin, unsure he wanted to be alone with this ghost.

“No, it’s okay. The message is not for me. Besides, you can always tell me later if you want.” Jae left them alone with the unfamiliar ghost.

“I must ask, what has befallen Arnon Jacoby?”

Meghan decided she wanted answers first. “What gives you the right to know?”

The ghost asked them to sit on a bench nearby. He floated down to eye level, the lower part of his body disappearing into the ground.

“My name is Eddy. Arnon is my brother.”

The twins were speechless, and for some uncontrollable reason, Meghan fought off tears. Eddy took out a piece of the ghost candy.

“I’ve been saving this for a special occasion. They say ghosts can get addicted to the feeling of being alive again. He put the candy in his mouth and there before them was their newfound uncle, alive and breathing. He scratched his unshaven face, chuckling. “Oh. How strange a feeling.”

Colin wondered why they had never seen any pictures of him, and was about to ask when Eddy interrupted.

“How about, before I change back, a quick hug from my,” before he could finish they were in his arms.

It was the best feeling either of them had felt since their whole nightmare had begun. Almost as soon as it started, their uncle’s body turned ghostly. The twins had so many questions that they were not sure where to start. Meghan began, firstly, by telling them about Uncle Arnon’s unknown fate.

“I can at least say that I have not seen Arnon here, so that at least can give us hope that he has survived. However...” The twins understood that Eddy knew no more than they did.

“Does any of this surprise you, Uncle Eddy?” Colin was happy to say the word uncle again.

“No, nothing surprises me with your story.”

“Not even the magic or the Scratchers?” asked Colin.

“Not even those,” Uncle Eddy replied. “You have a great gift, Colin. You as well, Meghan. Which leads me to why I am here.”

The twins listened eagerly.

“May I see your book, Colin? The one you’re hiding under your sweater?”

“How did you know?” He squished his eyebrows together in disbelief. At first, nervous to take it out, but obliged. He held it up for his uncle to see; being a ghost, he could not touch it.

“Pristine condition, marvelous news,” he exclaimed.

“Can you tell us what this book is, Uncle Eddy?” asked Colin.

“Yes. But not here or now.”

“When?” pleaded Meghan, happy they would see their unfamiliar relative again.

“We’ll start tomorrow. We have much to do and not much time to do it in.”

“How will we find you? I hope we’ll be allowed to come to Grimble again,” said Meghan.

“I think that with your good behavior today, they will allow you out of their sight while the other children are in school.”

“Good behavior?” croaked Colin, recalling the ghost candy incident. He retold the tale to their uncle.

“That’s an odd thing, for sure. I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s likely it had nothing at all to do with the two of you. Just coincidence.” Eddy didn’t look like he believed his own words. “My best advice is to be mindful of your actions, and do your best not to make any enemies.”

“We’ll try, but I don’t know about the Svoda,” said Meghan, rolling her eyes.

“They may not be trusting yet, but give them time, and no reason not to, and you’ll be fine.”

“Somehow, I think by us just being, we could get into trouble with the Svoda,” added Colin. Eddy made a move as to pat Colin on the shoulder but his ghostly hand sifted right through. Colin shuddered.

“Sorry.” Eddy said. “I have not interacted with living people for a few years now. I am also afraid our meeting for today must end.”

The twins groaned.

“No worries, I’m not going anywhere yet.”

“Would you like to officially meet our friend Jae? We’re staying with his family.”

“Do you trust this boy? Because I must admit, for reasons I will not currently explain, I must remain a secret from your gracious hosts.”

“Jae would never tell if we asked him not to,” answered Colin.

“Our secrets keep adding up,” noted Meghan.

“Perhaps they do, but all for good reason,” acknowledged Eddy.

Colin raced away and was back a minute later with Jae.

“This is our Uncle Eddy,” introduced Colin.

Jae broke into a bewildered smile. “You’re kidding! That’s amazing.”

Eddy did not stick around for long and bid them a hasty farewell. “Meet me here tomorrow,” he said as he vanished deeper into the woods.

The trio departed Grimble, crossing the bridge out of town. They trekked back toward the Svoda wagons and Bedgewood Harbor.

“I’ve never seen that before,” said Jae in disbelief. “All the other ghosts I’ve met have unfinished business in other places, but never have I seen one waiting for their business to arrive here.”

“Whatever the case, I can’t wait until tomorrow,” said Colin. Meghan agreed. It was one bright spot, in a seemingly not too bright future. Her mind strayed to when they would have to say goodbye and move on. Colin caught the thought.

“Why couldn’t we stay here with Uncle Eddy?” he suggested. “Why not wait here for the doorway to reopen?”

“I hadn’t thought of that. We should ask him, when the moment is right.”

Jae could not get over the twins’ uncle staying behind in the afterlife, waiting for them to arrive.

“He wants to see us as much as possible,” said Meghan.

“At least you’ll have something to do while I’m at school.”

It was exactly what the twins wanted to hear.

“I think we should keep him a secret,” suggested Meghan, hoping they were not pushing their luck.

“You’re probably right,” agreed Jae. “Gets easier to break the rules once you’ve already done it, huh?” he added in a low, insinuating voice.

The twins, unfortunately, agreed.

“Still,” worried Meghan, “it’s like we are teetering on the edge of complete destruction.”

##

THAT EVENING AS THE twins headed for bed, each noticed a small package on their pillows. Hearing each other find a similar package they glanced out of their curtains.

“Wonder what these are?” Meghan sent to Colin, who opened his.

“It’s a notepad,” he sent back to her. Meghan’s package was the same and a horrible thought struck her.

“School! They’re gonna make us go to school,” she cried out, afraid they would have to stand up their uncle. Colin came close to agreeing until something slipped out of his notepad.

“Look. I think its money,” he guessed. Meghan’s notepad was stuffed with the same.

Jae entered the room and saw what they were holding. “Where’d that come from?”

“It was on our pillows,” replied Meghan.

“It doesn’t say who it’s from,” added Colin.

“This is Svoda money,” said Jae, counting it. “You’ve got enough here to survive a long time. Did I tell you our money is enchanted by mermaids?”

“Mermaids? They’re real?” choked out Meghan.

“Yup. They enchant the money, that way it takes on the shape of whatever currency we need, depending of course on what world we are traveling in.”

“It will change as we travel?” confirmed Colin.

“Yeah, pretty cool, huh?”

“Wicked cool,” said Meghan.

“Who would do such a thing though, give us money?” wondered Colin.

“Someone who wants to help I guess,” said Jae. “You don’t need much to survive on, but as I said, there are occasions money still comes in handy.” He hopped into bed. The twins followed. Mireya was already fast asleep.

Meghan counted her money, dreaming of a lavish shopping spree. “It may be enchanted mermaid money,” she sighed, “but it’s still the most money I’ve ever held at one time.”

##

THE TWINS WORRIED THEY would not be allowed to go into Grimble on their own; however, it had not been questioned. They were anxious to depart, but decided to wait for Jae and Mireya to leave for school.

Ivan had not come home the night before. Everyone assumed he was still at work, which was apparently something he did often. Irving Mochrie, feeling recuperated enough, had left early to try to catch up on his own work. He was a banker.

“Jae,” Sheila hollered. “I need you to go down to the basement and grab a jar of blueberry preserves for breakfast...” He groaned and scowled. “Don’t give me that look! Your father would never accept that behavior.”

“I’ll come with you,” offered Colin, following Jae to a small closet. On the floor of the closet was a wooden door, which opened to a ladder leading down to a musty, dank and dark cellar. He wished he had not offered to go.

Jae climbed down. Colin held his breath and followed. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the dark. The basement held boxes of canned foods, most covered in dust.

As Jae searched for the right preserves, a strange noise distracted Colin. It came from behind and reminded him of feet, shuffling across gritty sandpaper.

“Jae, did you hear that?” he whispered.

“I forgot to warn you!” gasped Jae. “I can’t believe it. Colin, meet Corny.”

“Corny is a person?” asked Colin, his nerves relaxing.

“Yeah, old guy, lives in the basement.” Colin turned around and came face to face with a toothless grizzled man. A wad of chewing tobacco punched out his cheek and the smell of the tobacco turned Colin’s stomach sour.

Jae went back to searching for the preserves.

“Corny, nice to, um, meet you,” gulped Colin.

“You can talk all you want, he won’t talk back. He’s a little crazy.”

“Really?” replied Colin not surprised by this fact. Corny gaped and grinned as tobacco juice dripped down his chin. He might not talk, but he reached out and poked his finger into Colin’s chest, and nodded. Strange sounds came out of Corny’s mouth. Not words or anything coherent. It was almost like he was trying to say something though. Colin’s best guess was that Corny was pleased about something. He turned, shaking a finger at no one, shaking his head, and mumbling under his breath as he shuffled back to his dark corner.

Colin hurriedly climbed up the ladder deciding to wait for Jae at the top. “Who is Corny?” he asked when Jae’s head popped up into the house.

“His real name is Cornell Tibbit. From what I heard, he went crazy after his family died. Some by illness, some by old age, one even by the Scratchers. He is the last in his family line. Poor guy, I guess he couldn’t handle it. They found him unconscious in his house one night and even though he woke up, he just never got better. His mind’s all messed up.”

“Why does he live in your basement?” asked Colin, thinking no matter how crazy he was, that could not be a pleasant place to live.

“He chose to. We tried to get him to live upstairs, but he would disappear for hours. We always found him in the basement. Eventually, we couldn’t get him to stay anywhere else. He prefers the dark.”

“How odd,” said Colin.

“Yeah, he’s a mess. Never talks. Grunts now and then. I’m shocked he came out of his corner, he usually doesn’t do that.”

“Leave it to me to attract the weirdoes,” joked Colin, in a mocking high-pitched voice.

“Weirdo now, but from what my mom and dad told me, he was once a Magic Tracker and considered the best.”

“Magic Tracker?”

“Yeah, someone that can sense magic. Trace it and follow it. Apparently, he was a popular guy before he lost his mind. I think he was the one that traced and found Juliska Blackwell.”

“Oh, right, I remember hearing something about that,” Colin said.

“Yeah, she came to live with the Svoda when she was eleven. She had no memories of her life before then, sad really. But Cornell Tibbit traced her magical blood and brought her to the island. Good thing for us,” said Jae, respectful of their current leader.

“Yeah, good thing,” replied Colin trying not to sound sarcastic.

“Jae Mochrie, stop lollygagging and get those preserves in here,” his mother’s voice ordered from the kitchen. The conversation ended and they hurried to eat.

As breakfast ended, the announcement came that the twins dreaded to hear.

“So you’re aware, there are plans in the works for your education. I’m not sure exactly when, we need to figure out what you’re normally taught. Billie Sadorus thinks she has a book about it somewhere.”

The twins instantly thought of sneaking into Billie’s cottage and stealing the book.

Sheila Mochrie sent them off, handing them each a bag lunch as they departed.

“Do your best and make your father proud,” she said to Jae and Mireya, kissing their foreheads. She waved to the twins; they were already opening the gate, eager to depart. Mireya’s frame dissolved into a small group of girls walking ahead of them.

“Do you have any idea what you’re going to do with your uncle?” asked Jae, once the trio was alone.

“Not yet,” answered Meghan, grateful that at least for the time being, she didn’t have to lie since she didn’t actually know.

“How about you, Jae? How behind are you?” asked Colin.

“I can catch up. I have to catch up. Getting behind doesn’t go over well ‘round here. Besides, I had a lot of chances to practice when I was on my own, best training I’ve ever had,” he said confidently.

“You know I think you’re great!” said Colin enthusiastically. Jae laughed, brushing off Colin’s comment, but his face gave away how thankful he was to hear it.

“See ya after school,” Jae yelled. He mouthed, “Good luck,” as he disappeared from view, leaving the twins alone. The twins waved back, noticing other students gawking at them.

“Do these people ever stop staring?” asked Meghan under her breath.

“Does not appear so,” Colin thought back to her.

Up the road from the school, the twins slowed. Two unfriendly female voices rounded the corner. The twins moved to the side of the road hoping to let whoever it was, pass by.

“Hurry up, Dulcy. You’re making us late again,” the first voice admonished impatiently.

“I’m trying, Darcy. Wait up,” the second girl answered in a whiny voice.

As the one named Darcy spotted the twins, her eyes brightened with an ugly smirk. She blocked the road. “I was hoping I would come face to face with you two.”

Meghan’s guard went up, and she went into defensive mode.

Colin shut down, unable to speak.

“So what about it?” confronted Meghan.

The girl named Dulcy caught up to Darcy. They seemed an odd pairing. Dulcy twirled her shoulder length brown hair, her mouth never quite closing. Her eyes were unkind, but not sharp. Sort of dull and blank in a way.

Darcy, on the other hand, had her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, her penetrating brown eyes bulged with too many sentiments, the main one being, I don’t like you, and I’m in charge around here.

She strode closer. “Lucky for you, my time is short.”

“What do you suppose this is all about?” Meghan sent to her brother.

Colin didn’t answer.

Meghan glanced at him sideways. His face was blood red.

“Okay, you’re not going to be any help.” She lifted her chin in defiance. “I’m still waiting... you had something to tell us, right?”

Fury flared in Darcy’s eyes. “Deliver the message,” she hissed to Dulcy.

“You two better watch yourselves,” Dulcy warned, still twisting her hair.

Meghan nearly laughed and bit her tongue. 

“We’re watching you,” Dulcy continued. “You’re just a couple of wolves in cheap clothing.” 

Meghan could not stop from laughing this time. “In cheap clothing... now that is an insult.”

Colin wondered if his sister had gone mad. He didn’t care how the message was delivered, it was clear that even in the world of the Svoda, there were still bullies he’d have to deal with.

Darcy swatted Dulcy upside the head.

“What?” she whimpered. “That was the message wasn’t it?”

Darcy dug into Dulcy’s arm and tore away down the road, glaring at the twins as she stalked passed them.

“You complete dingbat!” Darcy spat out at her counterpart. “Sheep’s clothing. Not cheap clothing! How many times did I tell you that?”

The girls disappeared into the school entrance.

Meghan couldn’t stop laughing.

“What were you thinking?” Colin scolded her.

“We can’t let them think we’re weak.”

“Easy for you to say,” he muttered. “We should try not to make enemies. Remember what Uncle Eddy said about good behavior and gaining trust?”

“I know, Col, but think about it. Those girls had their minds made up already.”

She was right about that, but he still despised making new enemies. This was not a place they could simply pack up and leave behind, if they got tired of it. They were not living with their Uncle Arnon any longer.

They continued on their journey to Grimble. During the walk through the town, toward the wagon exit into Grimble, Colin explained to his sister about Corny, living in the Mochrie’s basement. Part of him did not want to though, and wished she would discover him on her own.

“He lives in the basement? Does he get out?” she asked, confused. Colin decided she did not comprehend the old man.

“No, I don’t think he gets out.”

“That’s awful. They need to get him out, get some air.”

“I don’t think he wants air. Jae says they tried but he refused.”

“They must not be trying hard enough, everyone likes to get out.”

“If you’re so keen on him getting some fresh air, maybe you should try,” he insisted smugly.

“Maybe I will.”

Colin decided she would not understand Corny until she had met him, and gave up the topic. Once in the ghost town they quickened their pace, easily locating the meeting spot. They were about to take a seat on the bench to wait for Eddy when a rustle in the trees above distracted them.

“Hey, look, Col.”

His gaze followed Meghan’s pointing finger.

“No way!” he breathed in disbelief.

“It sure looks like it,” said Meghan. A bird with a scruffy crest and a gray-blue body sat high in the tree, watching the twins.

“Maybe our eyes are playing tricks on us,” suggested Colin.

“Sure looks like the same one to me.”

“Maybe it accidentally went through the doorway, like we did?”

“Didn’t notice it. But we were a little in shock at the time. And distracted.”

“It can’t be the same bird from Cobbscott. It just can’t,” argued Colin.

Their uncle’s ghostly figure appeared.

“Hi, Uncle Eddy,” the twins greeted in unison.

“Hello back! Come this way, but carefully, we don’t want to be followed.”

“Speaking of being followed, there is this bird, right up...” Meghan searched, but it had flown away. “That figures, it’s gone.”

“You’ve been followed by a bird?” asked their uncle, cautiously.

“Not sure it meant to follow, but it is similar to one we’ve seen back home. It’s an unfamiliar species, with a scruffy head, and gray-blue body,” answered Colin. “I’ve never seen a bird act like it recognizes anyone though.”

There’s way too many weird things going on around here...

Colin nodded outwardly at his sister’s silent thought.

Uncle Eddy floated high into the trees to investigate, but saw nothing. He came back down. “Let’s get moving. Lots to do, sure it’s nothing.” They followed their floating uncle down a path lined with dead trees, straying onto a smaller path until they came to an abandoned, gray-shingled mill.

“It’s the only area I’m aware of that no other ghosts or Svoda typically come, and we must be alone. I created this place from a memory,” Eddy told them. He saw the questioning gazes of the twins and continued. “You may notice as ghosts arrive, or move on from Grimble, sometimes things change. Like the buildings or the scenery. On occasion, even color will pop in somewhere. Grimble is built by the memories of the residing ghosts. Many ghosts spend a lot of years here though, so some things don’t change.”

The twins’ just stared and listened, so many questions on the tip of their tongues.

“I realize that both of you must have numerous questions for me,” Eddy expressed, almost as if reading their thoughts. “Firstly though, I must warn you, that at least for now, the subjects we discuss are for your ears only.”

He rested his floating body a few feet in front of them. The twins got as comfortable as they could amongst the dust and cobwebs, sitting on an old pile of wood.

“How about for today, we start with one question from each of you,” he suggested. “Then we will begin your training.”

The twins pondered what to ask first. Colin, still deciphering what he wanted to ask, let Meghan go first.

“Can you tell us anything about our parents?” she blurted out.

Their uncle smiled sadly.

“I assumed this would be one of your first questions. I am afraid I do not have much to offer on the subject, any more so than you probably already know. You see, I died about a year after your parents met. I do remember your mother was a striking beauty. Inside and out. Not everyone agreed with me,” he chuckled. “They did agree she was one of the prettiest girls they had ever seen, but she was also infamous for her temper.”

So our mom had a temper... no wonder Meghan’s always...

Meghan punched his arm before he could finish.

See. Proves my point, his thoughts shouted.

“And daring!” Eddy added, continuing. “Quick-witted too. Now your father on the other hand, I am afraid we were just not that close. He was a charismatic man though. Well respected in his community.”

The twins listened intently; their parents were not a topic Uncle Arnon ever discussed. They assumed it brought back too many memories for him.

“I’m afraid that I don’t have much else to add,” said Eddy. “I never met either of you in person, but something kept me here in Grimble. Something nagged at the back of my mind that I had to wait for you.”

“Honestly, Uncle Eddy, we’ve never known much about our parents, so even the little you can tell is fascinating,” Meghan told him.

“I’m glad. I only wish I had more to tell.” His face smiled compassionately as he turned his attention to Colin. “Do you have your question ready?”

He did.

“How come I can do magic?”

Eddy floated back and forth for a moment before answering.

“You are what the Svoda like to call lost ones, people who survived magic’s demise but whose families didn’t join a larger clan.”

The twins stared at each other in stunned silence.

How is it possible that they never knew this before now? Did Uncle Arnon know this? And why wouldn’t he have told them?

“Your Uncle Arnon is from a magical bloodline. So are you.”

Meghan’s breath hitched. “Is that why Colin and I can talk to each other through our minds?” Meghan divulged the truth before she could stop herself. It was a fact they usually kept secret.

“Can you? No, I would not guess that ability is purely magic related. It’s not a common gift. I imagine this ability has more to do with your bond as twins,” he answered. He cast a long gaze between them, pondering the subject.

“That’s why we traveled around with Uncle Arnon isn’t it?” asked Colin hesitantly. “If anything magical happened, he didn’t want us to get caught.”

“Yes. I am sure he wanted to raise you away from prying eyes. To protect you.”

They were saddened again at the memory of the uncle whose fate they still did not know. 

Eddy continued. “And now you are with the Svoda. Not because of the best circumstances, but there is much you can learn from them.”

“So where do we start?” asked Colin.

“With the Magicante. If you don’t mind, Colin,” he gestured for him to take it out and hold it open. The leaves glimmered as the pages flipped.

“Ah, Magicante. Any ideas on how this book works, either of you?” asked their uncle.

“When we were in trouble and asked for help, it gave it to us. Although it was quite unexpected, I might add. I guess you have to ask it?” answered Colin.

“Make sure you say please though, Uncle Eddy,” muttered Meghan.

“A spirited book is it?” he chuckled. As his ghostly hands hovered over the leaf-filled pages, the book came to life.

The Magicante’s snide voice spoke in bored, but arrogant, excitement. “I see I’m moving up in the world. Finally, someone with experience. Dead, but knowledgeable, at least.”

“See?” Meghan rolled her eyes.

Eddy lifted a brow in amused agreement.

“Magicante isn’t just a magical book, it is original magic,” continued their uncle. “Magic long forgotten by most. If you ask for help, it may choose to help you or it may not. Or it may offer help, but not in the manner you might desire or understand.”

Colin still reeled over the fact that he’d gotten his hands on such a book, and wondered just who Jasper Thorndike really was. Just a guy selling wares at a traveling carnival, or was he there on purpose, somehow?

Meghan wrinkled her nose trying to understand what Eddy was telling them. “I guess when we were first unaware of what the book could do, it offered help, knowing we needed it.” It sounded more like a question.

Colin butted in. “It didn’t offer me help when I was trying to save Meghan back in Cobbscott. Told me I had to do it myself. Why?”

“What do you mean?” she asked him.

Colin realized that he had never explained to Meghan how he had gotten her home, when she had first fallen ill under the oak tree.

“Maybe before I continue, you should fully disclose to your sister what the book did and did not do. First lesson -and the most important- never keep secrets from each other.”

“What are you keeping from me?” She bore into his mind trying to infiltrate his thoughts.

“It wasn’t that big a deal,” Colin said, blocking her. “After you stormed off, the day you got sick, the book told me you were in trouble and I had to find you.” He explained the leaf tornado, which led him to her. “I wasn’t sure how to help you. I asked the book to get us out of the woods. But it wouldn’t, it told me I had another way.”

“Another way?” she questioned, with a shudder. “That was such an awful day. I couldn’t even move, it all hurt so bad. It was like being paralyzed, and in so much pain at the same time.”

“I remember it well,” said Colin. “I felt everything you did. But when I found you I couldn’t move you, and the book wouldn’t help me. I panicked. All I could focus on was getting you home, and BOOM! I was there.”

“Without the book’s help?” she asked.

The book answered her question. “Not with my help, lassie. He didn’t need it, did he?”

Meghan huffed. “I get that we come from some magical bloodline, Uncle Eddy. And it seems like Colin has accessed his abilities a few times now. What I want to understand is why can Colin do all this magic stuff, but not me?”

“Before we get to that, Colin, let me ask you, why do you think the book forced you to figure it out for yourself, instead of doing it for you?”

Colin recounted the incident in his head before answering.

“I think it was because the book thought I should learn how to do it on my own. It was more like it was forcing me to. I remember it telling me something about not having a lot of time and needing to.”

A low agreeing grumble ricocheted out of the book. “Looks like I was right.”

“How did you know though?” Colin asked the book. He shook his head in disbelief that he was having a conversation with a book.

“I became aware the first moment you opened me, that you had magical blood, and that you did not know this. This inevitably leads to finding out, followed by others finding out. It only makes sense to prepare you. Quickly.”

Eddy eyed Colin. “Make sense?”

“I guess. It’s all just so new to me. I thought it was only because of Jae being around that all the magic stuff was happening. Or the book. I didn’t think it was anything to do with me.”

“Oh, it’s all to do with you,” the book responded. It insinuated there was more to say on the subject, but Eddy cleared his throat, cutting it off.

“Magicante is a complex thing. Think of the book as a textbook to end all textbooks. It will not, however, perform what it thinks you should be able to do for yourself.”

“So back to my question,” implored Meghan. “Why - can’t - I?”

“Have you tried?” enticed her uncle.

“No, I suppose I haven’t,” she answered less impatiently. “The first time the book helped us we weren’t sure that it wasn’t a fluke. Even after the second time, and Colin using magic himself to fight the Scratchers, it honestly didn’t dawn on me to try.”

“Well,” Colin started, “when I did magic the second time, before the Scratcher attack...”

“A second time?” she questioned.

Uncle Eddy gestured Colin to explain. “No secrets,” he reminded.

Colin let out a burst of air. “Remember when you were getting over being sick, and you sensed I was being bullied, and you came looking for me with Sebastien and Jae?” Colin lowered his head, embarrassed to let his uncle hear that he had been bullied.

“Yeah, I remember, you had this smug look on your face...” she exhaled and asked in a dark voice, “What – Did – You - Do?”

“It was a complete accident,” he insisted. “I didn’t realize anything would happen. I wished that the boys would freeze, and they did. Then they started yelling. I was afraid someone might see what I’d done, so I wished for them to shut up, and they did. I asked for it to happen, and it just did. But I heard the spell wear off. After I, um, ran away.”

Meghan was dumbfounded that Colin had done magic, twice, before she had known about it. What scared her most was that he had successfully kept this fact hidden from her. He must be getting better at blocking me.

“Yes, I am!” He stuck out his tongue.

She mimicked him, folding her arms in disgust.

Uncle Eddy eyed them both apprehensively.

“I am afraid that before either of you can continue, this bickering has to stop. You must both find peace with each other. Your bond is strong, but it needs to remain so. Remember, always. No secrets.”

Once again, the twins found themselves in trouble for arguing. They tried to put aside their bitterness and continue.

“So how do I do it? Magic, I mean,” asked Meghan.

“Let’s start with something simple,” suggested Eddy. “Perhaps the book will allow some assistance since it’s your first try.”

The book answered, this time with a snide poem.

Assistance I will give,

For the one that lives,

Although her brain a sieve,

Oh drat! We all know she can’t do it on her own!

Colin frowned at the odd poem, while sensing in Meghan’s mind a desire to kick the book.

“What would you like to try, Meghan?” asked Eddy.

“I don’t know,” she replied, unsure.

“How about something simple, like color changing,” Eddy prompted.

“Color changing!” she grinned. “How about my hair?”

“Um. Well. That’s not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess it will work.”

Colin rolled his eyes and was about to make a joke, when Meghan gave him a glare; he put on a fake smile, motioning for her to continue.

“Book,” she tried to ask politely. “Hm-hmm,” she cleared her throat. “Give me a spell to turn my hair sky blue.”

“As you wish your...” Uncle Eddy interrupted.

“If you don’t mind, stick to the spell, thanks.”

It sniveled and snarled under its breath. The pages flipped, stopping on a shimmering yellow leaf.

Meghan was thankful to her uncle for stopping the oncoming onslaught of contempt. She read the directions, which floated over the shimmering leaf.

“Although an insult to my knowledge...”

Humpff Meghan’s thoughts shouted.

A Spell for Blue Hair.

To have hair of blue in every strand,

Say three times, whilst waving your hand,

Blue hair everywhere.

To have blue hair just in stripes,

Please say thrice, while trying to be nice,

Blue hair here, blue hair there.

Meghan stopped reading. “I’m going to try it!” She stood up.

“But there’s more options, Meghan,” pointed out Colin.

“I want the first one, all blue.”

Colin was going to argue but decided to play nice.

“Okay. Here I go. My first spell. Hope it doesn’t go wonky and turn it a bad blue, ‘cause that would suck.” She closed her eyes and waved her hand, palm side toward her face.

“Blue hair everywhere,” she repeated it three times.

After the third time, the hair on her head changed to a brilliant sky blue. She opened her eyes and admired herself in a nearby broken window.

“Too cool! I did it! And I love...” she choked, looking down at her arms as bright blue hairs took the place of her normally blond ones. “What the...”

Torrents of laughter filled the empty mill, Colin couldn’t help himself; even Uncle Eddy got in a good chuckle. Meghan’s hair was blue from head to toe, including her eyebrows and arms. She hiked up the bottom of her skirt. All she could muster was a low grumble.

“I guess,” Colin squeaked, “when it says everywhere,” he could barely talk, “it means everywhere.”

Meghan grabbed the book, snarling. A steady stream of insults churned in her mind: Reviling! Ridiculous! Conniving little... dang book thinks its sooo smug! Well I’ll show...

A new bout of hysterics bubbled out of Colin. He had not laughed so hard since he could remember.

Meghan, humiliated, continued reading.

“Since you’ve decided to be smart enough to read all I have written...”

Meghan ignored the sneering remarks, and the hysterical laughter bellowing from Colin, and read the final verse.

If blue on your head is what you desire,

Then what you need is a way to inspire,

Sing it three times like a children's choir,

And if you’re lucky (ha), blue will be your outcome!

“Be your... outcome?” She glared at the book, shaking her head.

It took all Colin’s strength to stop laughing and feel even the slightest bit of remorse. It was possibly the most humiliated he’d ever seen her. Even more so than the night he’d found out about her crush on Sebastien Jendaya.

She mustered up what courage she had left and sang blue fire three times. The hair on her body returned to its normal color, and only the hair on her head remained blue.

“At least that’s over!” she stated, plopping herself down. “I suppose,” she said, humbled, “That the first lesson is to read all the instructions, first.”

“The first lesson was no secrets, but alas, number two. Understanding the entire picture, even on a seemingly simple task, requires complete knowledge of the situation.”

“Don’t worry. Think I’ll remember that one.” She took a deep breath. “I still don’t understand why the book helped us, before we even knew what it was?”

“I am sure when you first needed help it realized you would not yet understand.”

“So it’s a rude book, with a heart o’ gold?” she retorted in smug disbelief.

“It is said that a little bit of the creator’s, let’s say, humor and temperament, seeped in during the book’s creation. This book may have an off-kilter sense of humor, but it will never fail you. Again, I reiterate, you may not like the answer, or the solution, but it will never fail you. Do you both understand so far?”

They shook their heads yes and he continued.

“Now, I...” Eddy was cut off by a shadow moving outside one of the broken mill windows. He chased it, yelling for the twins to stay put. They watched him go, but did not see what he was after.

Meghan let out a groan. “If you’d told me a few months ago we’d find out our parents were from a magical bloodline, well, it’s so hard to believe. Magic really exists. I can’t even get my brain to accept that. Never mind that we can do magic.”

“I know it went a little wonky, but it’s pretty cool, huh?”

She grinned and bit her lip. “Yeah. It is.”

“I wish Uncle Arnon would have told us though. Maybe things could have turned out differently. He gave up so much to keep us safe. Maybe if he had found a group like the Svoda, he could have had more of a home, or friends.”

“But the Svoda hide, too.”

“Yeah, but at least they have each other.”

Meghan did not reply.

They remained silent, hiding their befuddled thoughts from each other. They were both getting better at blocking the other. A few minutes later, their uncle flew back in.

“Saw a ghost, tried to follow him, but he disappeared before I got a real fix on him. Probably accidentally happened upon this place, but can’t be too careful.”

“Uncle Eddy, why is it so important for us to keep our magic a secret? Between the Svoda, who are magical, and the ghosts, who are dead magical people, would anyone even care?”

“Ah, yes. Something I did wish to discuss with you. Simply put, it may not matter much at all, and yet, doing things in the right order always works best. Your magic will come out when the moment is right, perhaps once they have begun trusting two new strangers.”

Colin heard a hint of suggestion. “If I understand what you’re saying, we should try to make a good impression, get people to like us, and then maybe they will be more accepting.”

“Something like that, yes, Colin.”

“It would make life easier if they’d stop gawking at us all the time,” huffed Meghan.

Uncle Eddy laughed, which was followed by a sigh.

“It’s already getting later than I expected. I’d imagine you’re getting hungry by now, so eat, and then off you go for the day.”

The twins realized they had been gone for hours already and were starving. At the same time, they didn’t want their first day to come to an end so soon. They ate slowly. Even Meghan, whose first magical attempt went awry, didn’t want to leave. But the end came.

“Let’s plan on meeting same time, same place, tomorrow,” said Uncle Eddy as they departed.

“We’ll be here,” grinned Colin.

“One more thing. And this applies to both of you. Keep that book safe. Even if your magic does become public knowledge, or you get upset with it,” his eyes rolled to Meghan. “There are a lot of people who would love to get their hands on the Magicante, and this one is meant for you.” His gaze affixed on Colin. He gripped the book tighter.

Something in Eddy’s gaze set off little red flags in Meghan’s mind. She hid it from Colin. It wasn’t anything dangerous, just something she saw when he looked at her brother. Something he wasn’t telling them. Or wasn’t telling Colin...

They said their goodbyes, and during the walk home they passed a few ghosts and gypsies; all doing double takes of Meghan’s blue hair.

“I’m not sure this is what Uncle Eddy had in mind when he wanted us to impress the Svoda.”

Meghan simply held her head up high and walked on. Once back in the wagons they met up with Jae and Mireya. She ran up to Meghan’s head and touched it.

“Wow, I love it! Wish my mom and dad would let me.”

“You know dad would never,” charged Jae.

Meghan wished she hadn’t done it, realizing it was more trouble than it was worth.

“I had it done in Grimble,” she lied half-heartedly.

“How was your first day back at school?” asked Colin, taking the attention away from his sister. Mireya’s eyebrows raised and she briskly walked away. Jae waited for Mireya to walk out of hearing distance before explaining.

“Not my best day. The class wanted to hear about my month alone. I told them about getting stuck behind, fighting the Scratchers, don’t worry, they don’t know about you, Colin,” he added. “Then, for whatever reason I tried to explain how much stronger my magic was. But when I went to perform a spell in class, I could barely pull it off. Like it all just got sucked out of me. I guess it’s so crowded here, I’m just weaker.”

“There are more people around,” consoled Meghan. “I guess more people equals less magical energy to use?”

“Something like that,” mumbled Jae. He hid his face behind his stringy hair. “For a minute, I wished I were on my own again.” He shook his head in dismay. “I shouldn’t have said that. You guys lost so much helping me get home.”

Man. Poor Jae. He seems so miserable here. Meghan thought it in her mind. Colin had his blocked from her, but was thinking the same thing.

Jae changed the subject. “How about you guys? How did your day go?”

The twins decided they could tell Jae what their uncle was teaching them. If he confided in them, they saw no reason not to do the same.

“I had a little fiasco of my own there,” said Meghan, retelling the story of her blue nightmare. It helped cheer him up, and Jae wasn’t surprised at all that Meghan performed magic, seeing as Colin had already done it. He was shocked to find out they were descended from a magical bloodline though, and didn’t know until today.

“I guess it makes sense,” he said after a bit. “Your uncle maybe didn’t know other magical clans existed. Just hid you away as much as possible. Sort of like the Svoda hide.”

“Just in a much smaller way,” noted Meghan.

“And never telling us what we were,” added Colin.

“I don’t know. Maybe in his own, subtle way, he did.”

Colin thought about what his sister said for a moment. “He did always steer me in the direction of books about magic.”

“Maybe he was planning on telling you then?” said Jae. “And just...”

“Ran out of time...” finished Meghan.

“Waited too long...” said Colin. “Maybe if he’d just told us...” he choked up, and didn’t finish.

“Whatever his reasons, Col, we can’t change anything that happened.”

He nodded. It was no use venturing down the what if path. His sister was right.

##

LATER THAT NIGHT BEFORE bed, Colin, hidden behind his curtain, opened the Magicante, hoping to ask it a question he knew it probably wouldn’t answer.

“Um Book, can I ask you something?”

“I suppose,” it yawned.

“Can you tell me, is there a magical way to make myself taller?”

Colin swore he heard the book sigh, and then in a whisper it barked its answer.

“You people and your personal hang-ups! Don’t waste my time, Boy! We don’t have that much of it.”

Colin was about to ask what it meant when a message materialized on the leaf attached to the page, but in the form of a poem, which the book did not speak. Colin read it aloud.

Now if you don’t mind,

I’d like to unwind,

I think you will find,

That someone is going to arrive any minute now!

“Huh? Doesn’t rhyme.” Colin shook his head, listening as footsteps approached. He hid the book at the bottom of his dresser and crawled into bed. Through the open bedroom door and a crack in his curtain, he spied Ivan Crane going into his room. He was a strange guy. Hardly ever home. What kept him so busy? And he rarely ever said more than a couple words to either him or Meghan.

His sister barged into his head.

“Hey, Col. Awake?”

“Yeah, I’ve been waiting for Jae to come up. Must’ve had a ton of school work to catch up on.”

“I don’t think he has taken a break since he got home today. Just wanted to say goodnight,” she said.

“K, night, Sis.”

Colin ended up falling asleep while waiting. Hours later, he awakened to the sound of soft footsteps padding across the bedroom floor. He poked his head out of the curtain, mouth open to rib Jae about working so hard when he heard sniffling. He sucked himself back behind his curtain, holding his breath.

What was the right thing to do? Ask Jae what was wrong, or pretend he did not notice. He desperately wanted to wake Meghan, but decided it was best for at least one of them to sleep. Colin supposed it could wait until morning. Confrontation was her forte after all, not his.

##

DAYS PASSED AFTER COLIN had awakened in the middle of the night, having overheard Jae crying. After discussing it with Meghan, they decided to wait and see if Jae volunteered any information. However, a chance for volunteered information had not yet developed, seeing as Jae was busy from morning until late at night, typically with his father.

The twins were also busy with their Uncle Eddy, practicing simple spells. Meghan had the book help her change her hair color back to red, keeping a single blue streak, to draw less attention.

Colin successfully used magic to pick up a rock, and hurl it thirty feet, hitting his target straight on ten times in a row. He hoped there would be no occasion when this talent would become useful... aka... a Scratcher attack.

Meghan, however, struggled without the book’s help. If she tried magic on her own, nothing worked. She decided to try creating fire, by touching a pile of wood and telling it to burn.

“You couldn’t start a fire, magic or not,” Colin jested lightly.

She could not argue.

“I’m not sure why I’m even trying this spell. I’m all thumbs when it comes to matches and lighters.” She persisted though. For some reason, she liked the idea of a roaring fire, but when the day ended, the pile remained unlit.

##

“MEGHAN, YOU BETTER get up,” sent Colin from the backyard, a few mornings later. “If you don’t hurry you won’t get to see Jae at all, he’s leaving with his dad, again.”

“Okay, okay, I’m up already. What is with this place, getting up so dang early all the time?” she mumbled haughtily.

“If you’re worried about your beauty sleep, don’t bother,” he teased, laughing aloud, which silenced everyone at the breakfast table. It became awkwardly obvious that the conversation he had not been attending to was not humorous in the least. Colin stuffed his face with food, pretending it didn’t happen and the conversation continued.

A whisper found his thoughts. “Serves you right, Little Bro.”

“Hey! Not fair,” he shot back into her mind.

The Mochrie parents continued their heated conversation as Irving excused himself from the table and stoked the fire pit, flames reigniting. They were cooking and eating breakfast outside; the weather was cloudy, but warm today.

“Maybe this will be your turn, Irving. Even Vinson Troast cannot ignore what a fine job you do at the bank.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Sheila. I not only have to pass the approval of Troast, but also Vian Sadorus. I don’t think either of them wants me for the job. I’ve been hearing rumors about Markus Scraggs.”

“Since when do you pay attention to rumor, Irving Mochrie?” Sheila scolded. “What would the rest of your family think if they heard you planning your life according to rumor?” Sheila Mochrie decided the conversation was over. She got up and beelined it into the house.

“Dad’s not fond of Vian Sadorus,” whispered Jae. “He bought the bank and demoted dad, who was next in line to manage the place.”

“I wouldn’t like him either if he’d done that to me,” Colin whispered back. “I don’t understand why you need a bank though, if things in the village are free.”

“In the village, yes. However, outside the village, not the case. Everyone has to chip into the town fund. We do odd jobs as we travel, like here, working in Grimble, so we can buy supplies we need along the way. But, the businesses in our village are still owned by people, and Garner owns a lot.”

“How does he afford to buy businesses?” asked Colin, confused.

“He’s old money, plus the business owners get small stipends to keep their businesses open. It’s not much, but it helps.” Jae added, “Sorry I haven’t been around much, been helping dad at the bank. He’s due for a promotion, as you heard.”

Colin wondered if he and Meghan should give some of their recently inherited money to the town fund.

“Fire should keep until dinner,” announced Irving. “We’d better be off then, Jae,” He darted stern eyes at his son to see if he was ready to leave.

Jae jumped up, said he’d be ready in a flash and ran inside bounding up the spiral staircase. Meghan, at that same moment, was bounding down the stairs. She glanced through the staircase window, noticing the flames in the fire pit out back, and wondered why they cooked outside so much. It seemed odd to her they did this so often when they had an indoor kitchen. She didn’t notice Jae rounding the staircase at full speed and they crashed head-on.

Meghan fell back and Jae fell down a stair, thankfully catching himself before falling all the way. He was back up instantly and held out his hand to offer Meghan assistance.

“Sorry, always in a hurry these days. I was telling Colin, I’ve been helping my dad at the bank. Should calm down soon though.”

She held out her hand to accept his help. It was nice to see Jae, if even for a minute.

As she grabbed hold of his hand, an overpowering sensation crept into her mind; intense heat, followed by crippling pain. She doubled over, feeling as though her body was being squeezed like a tube, emptying every last ounce of her breath. What she pictured a last breath, a final breath before death, to feel like.

Jae propped her up, setting her down on the stairway and let go of her hand. Instantly her breath returned and she began to feel normal again.

Colin, sensing something wrong, snuck inside.

“What happened?” he asked, seeing her on the stair.

“Don’t know. We ran into each other and when I tried to help her up, she fell over.”

Meghan did not speak.

Irving Mochrie burst in impatiently. “I’m out the door, Jae.” 

Jae passed by the twins and ran up the stairs. Colin helped his sister outside for some air. A minute later Jae was gone, followed by Mireya and her mother, leaving the twins alone.

“What was that all about?” asked Colin.

“I don’t know exactly. I... I saw Jae’s pain, as I touched him. I could feel it.” She scrunched her face as she said it, leaving out the worst of what she had felt.

“How can you feel someone’s pain?”

“I have no idea. But I’m so sure of what it was. Maybe Uncle Eddy can help?”

She departed the Mochrie cottage at a quick pace, with Colin begging her to slow down. As they edged closer to Grimble, Colin finally dared ask what he had been thinking the entire walk.

“Were you able to see what’s wrong with Jae? What he is upset about?”

“No. It wasn’t a specific thing.” After a minute, she continued. “I did get the feeling that whatever’s bothering Jae has been doing so for a long time, and is something that might get worse.” Not wanting to frighten Colin, she blocked the memory and left out the most important part: Jae’s imminent death!

When they arrived at the old mill, they were surprised to see Uncle Eddy was not alone. The ghost of a younger boy floated nearby.

“Who’s that?” asked Colin.

“That is my new friend, Timothy.” He floated close to the twins, whispering, “Poor boy’s been here nearly twelve years. Found some bully of a ghost named Duppy using magic on him, poor thing couldn’t even defend himself.”

“He isn’t magical?” questioned Meghan.

“No. Strange he would end up in Grimble, with no magical ties.”

“He’s funny,” said Colin, watching the boy flutter around in circles above.

“He has been quite a hoot. Timothy, come down for a moment.” The ghost boy dived and abruptly halted in front of the twins.

“Hi! You must be Meghan and Colin. Nice to meet you. So Eddy is your uncle? You’re so lucky. How is it that you are alive and he’s dead? You didn’t tell me they were alive. Wow, I never get to talk to alive people anymore.”

“He sure is an excitable ghost boy,” sent Meghan to her brother, who nodded in amused agreement.

“Nice to meet you, Timothy,” said both twins, together.

“You too,” he twittered. “I have to go now. Going to go help a new ghost child arriving today. Hope I get to see you again. So many questions I’d like to ask an alive person.” He floated away.

“Bye, Timothy,” said Eddy. “Stay away from that Duppy ghost, eh.”

“I will. I promise,” his voice trailed off into an echo and he was gone.

“Okay, where were we?” said their uncle, getting comfortable on a wooden beam hanging over the twins.

“Before we do anything Uncle Eddy, can I ask you about something that happened earlier this morning?” asked Meghan.

“Yes, of course.” He looked at her with unease in his gaze. He floated down off his beam, to be closer to her.

“This morning I fell, and Jae grabbed my hand to help me up. Somehow, I ended up in his mind and...” she glanced sideways at Colin, giving in. He would find out eventually anyway. “There were feelings of wanting to hurt someone, and Jae not surviving. I don’t understand how I know this, I just do.”

Meghan’s fear overwhelmed Colin’s thoughts, and though he was upset that she had not told him everything, he said nothing.

Uncle Eddy’s frown formed into a knowing smile. “I should’ve seen it,” he muttered.

The twins waited eagerly for him to explain.

“Meghan, it may not appear so at the moment, but what you have is a great gift. And the more I think on it, the more it makes sense.”

“A gift? You mean a magical gift?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes. Your gift runs in the family, your mother and your grandmother and her mother... you get the picture, although it can skip a generation or two. It’s no surprise to me that this would occur. I should have been expecting it.” 

“Expecting what?” Meghan wished adults would get to the point faster.

“The gift of sight,” her uncle answered without further delay.

“So I can see things, and feel things, like Jae’s feelings?”

“Yes, I would imagine you can see other things too, like glimpses of the past, present, or future. Out of curiosity, do you have any idea how the sight comes to you, what mode allows you to see?”

Colin was not sure he understood what his uncle was asking, but Meghan knew immediately.

“Fire, its fire.” She read Uncle Eddy’s face; he looked surprised that she already knew this.

Something dawned on Colin. “That’s how you knew about the Scratcher attack, back in Cobbscott, isn’t it? Jae had lit those things he was juggling, on fire. And you had some kind of premonition or something, didn’t you?”

“I guess so. I think somehow, I knew it was a vision of the future. I just didn’t really believe it at the time.”

“I wish I knew more about having the sight,” lamented Eddy. “It is not a subject I am very familiar with. Perhaps there are some books in the Svoda library that might help you, Meghan,” he suggested.

“Books?” questioned Colin. “You obviously don’t know my sister very well.”

Eddy chuckled, and Meghan glared.

“Well, we’ll work on it,” Eddy said. “See what we can discover.”

Many memories came pouring into her mind. Everything she experienced while she was sick. Voices speaking incoherently over her. Images surging through her brain. And one that stopped and played like a movie in her mind. What was it again? An orphanage, with cloaked figures taking away a couple of babies. And then there had been a dream after. A woman sleeping on a feather. It had all been such a bizarre thing.

“Let’s have an early lunch,” suggested Eddy. “And then get down to the business of the day after.” 

The twins ate in silence. Eddy did a quick check of the perimeter around the old mill. Once he was satisfied they were alone he allowed them to begin their practice for the day. Eddy used himself as a moving target. Colin successfully sent rocks hurtling through his ghostly body time after time. Meghan watched, jealously impressed.

Uncle Eddy was thrilled. He had never seen someone take to magic like Colin and grinned proudly. And frankly, other than reading, his sister had never seen him take to anything.

Meghan, on the other hand, was not having such an easy time. Today she attempted to balance items, like she had seen Jae do. However, she never successfully balanced more than three items before they plummeted to the ground.

Timothy returned, watching them practice. They ended the day exhausted, and on Colin’s part, elated with his progress. On Meghan’s, not so much. But Eddy congratulated them both on a job well done regardless. He was pleased with their progress in such a short time.

Timothy escorted his new friends on their walk home. The twins did not speak the entire time as Timothy had not yet stopped; which for the present they found amusing.

Before they reached the circle of wagons, the twins stopped in their tracks. Unfriendly footsteps advanced from the woods, encircling them. Timothy flitted high into the air, watching from a distance as the scene unfolded below. Three figures emerged from the woods. Two they recognized, Darcy, along with her partner in crime, the eloquent speaking Dulcy. The third was a towering, skulking girl they did not recognize. She kept pace with Darcy and Dulcy as the three ambushers circled their prey.

“You were right, Darcy,” bellowed Dulcy. “Wait and they’ll come, and then we’ll see what they’ve been up to.”

“Shut it!” warned Darcy harshly. The skulking girl sneered as the trio tightened their circle around the twins.

“What do you suppose this is about?” sent Colin silently, trying to keep his nerve. Meghan kept her eyes on their ambushers, showing no fear. This only elevated Darcy’s anger.

“What do you want?” demanded Meghan.

“We’ve seen what you can do,” Darcy stated, her eyes blazing. “And we think you’re spies.”

“Oh, no,” sent Meghan to Colin. “Not good if they caught us.” She made sure not to outwardly show her anxiety.

“I don’t think this is how Uncle Eddy imagined our abilities being found out,” stammered Colin back into her mind.

“It doesn’t exactly bring about trust, does it?” she sent back dryly.

Darcy waited for a reply, growing angrier as one did not come. Meghan cleared her mind and Colin grew aware that she slipped into her own defensive mode.

“Why should we care about what you think you’ve seen, Darcy?”

Meghan obviously had no idea who she was dealing with. The other two girls jumped backwards as if complete fury was about to be unleashed.

“It will matter to you when I get you both kicked out and left here to ROT! I’m going to turn you in for what you really are.”

“I see,” said Meghan. “What is that by the way, Darcy? Who are we? What are we really?”

The skulking girl stood at the ready, awaiting orders to pummel the twins.

Dulcy, the worded wonder, to the twins’ benefit, threw Darcy off her game.

“Banon Blackwell is going to flip out when we bring you in as spies. We will totally be rewardified.” Dulcy’s eyes rolled as she attempted to pronounce the word. “No, rewarided,” she corrected, still wrong.

Darcy cringed, gritting her teeth. “Stop. Speaking.” She hissed at Dulcy, her nostrils flaring. “I don’t know why I keep you around. You’re an idiot!”

Meghan took advantage of the momentary switch in attention and nudged Colin to step to the left, which was now open since Darcy had moved closer to her idiot counterpart.

“Darcy, they’re trying to get away!” the skulking girl thundered. “You want me to pound ‘em?”

Darcy whirled around facing the twins. “No one walks away while I’m talking to them,” she roared.

“Oh, really? Watch me,” goaded Meghan, taking another step.

“Are you trying to get us killed?” yelled Colin silently.

“Look, you two... Ditch Witch’s!” Darcy stopped, gloating over coming up with such a clever term. She waited until the other girls had a good laugh, before continuing.

“We’re watching you,” she warned. “And when you screw up, which you will, we’ll be there to show Juliska Blackwell who you really are. And then we’ll see who’s scared.” Darcy marched away followed by her companions.

Colin yelled at Meghan.

“You don’t think we are in enough trouble, without pissing off that crew? I mean, why not just walk in and announce hey, we can do magic and we’re here to spy on you and report back to our evil... people.” Colin was never good at arguing.

Meghan sucked in, let it out, and let him have it. “When will you learn that you have to stick up for yourself? Especially here. More than even back home. And so what if they get pissed off! It’s clear they’re not running home tattling to anyone. You heard them, they’re waiting for us to screw up.”

“More fun for them, then. I think Uncle Eddy would agree that we, or I should say, YOU, just screwed up.”

Meghan threw up her arms in defeat. “That’s it, Colin. I’m not sticking up for you anymore. If you think you could have handled that situation any better, then next time, YOU DO IT!” she stormed off crossly.

Anger overwhelmed her, along with a strange sense of heat. It wasn’t a particularly warm day, but she wiped sweat off her brow and tried to stretch out an ache building through her entire body. “I’d so better not be getting sick again.” She huffed her way home. Pissed that she had to live with the Svoda. That they had so many secrets. That they had to deal with bullies like Darcy and her friends.

And they were from a magical bloodline! Something their Uncle Arnon never told them. And they were stuck here unable to find out if he was alive or not.

It was all too much. And Colin did need to learn to stand up for himself. She recalled her trip to the Blue Moon Festival with Sebastien. He had warned her then. She chuckled, remembering how she thought he’d been acting way too much like a grown up. And here they were in the exact situation. Alone. On their own. And she might not always be around to protect him.

And yet how could she just not? How could she just let him fend for himself? He was still her little brother. In size only, but he was.

She stopped, holding her stomach.

“I can’t do this,” she muttered to herself. “I don’t think I can do this.” What was happening to her? Was this a panic attack? She’d never had one before. She’d been in Colin’s mind when he’d had a few, and it was never fun. But she’d been able to block him out. She could not block out her own thoughts. Or her own fears.

Meghan did not want to go home. She veered off the road, taking the lane that led to the ocean shore instead of the Mochrie house. She needed air, not confinement. She needed to feel the bite of the ocean on her face.

##

COLIN SLUMPED OVER on the wagon steps. Up above, Timothy, looking forlorn for a ghost, floated in circles over him.

“Sorry, Timothy,” said Colin.

“Oh that’s okay,” he said shyly. “I hear people argue all the time around here.”

“My sister can argue with the best of them. Um... you won’t tell Uncle Eddy will you,” Colin said nicely.

“You mean a secret, between you and me?” Excitement rose in Timothy’s voice.

“Yeah. A secret.” Yay, more secrets... Colin chided himself silently.

“Wow, I haven’t had a secret to keep in such a long time.” He swirled around, happy as any ghost could be and sang a little song, “I won’t tell, I won’t tell.”

“I gotta go, Timothy. See you later, okay.”

“Yes, later, friend of which I know a secret.” Timothy held his hand up and saluted Colin, then floated away.

Colin headed into the wagons hoping to find his sister waiting for him, but to his dismay, he did not. He walked through Bedgewood alone, feeling every staring eye. Every glare. Feeling the hardness of each breath in his lungs.

He didn’t bother reaching out into his sister’s mind. She had a block firmly in place, and he didn’t want her in his head either. He didn’t want her to see how much he really did need her. How afraid he was when she wasn’t there. He really wished there was a spell to make him taller.

He made it to the school entrance and hid behind a bush until he saw Jae and Mireya walk out of the school. Jae glanced at him oddly but didn’t ask when he popped out at them unexpectedly. When his sister did not follow, it was their first question. 

“Not sure where she is. We had a fight,” Colin explained.

“Oh, sorry. Maybe she’s already home,” twittered Mireya. She ran to catch up with a friend. 

“What happened today?” asked Jae.

In reply, Colin asked his own question. “What can you tell me about a girl named Darcy?”

“Not Darcy Scraggs,” grumbled Jae. “Was Dulcy Hadrian and Daveena Troast with her?”

“Dulcy was, and if Daveena is the biggest, scariest girl you’ve ever seen, then yes she was.”

“Something else I forgot to warn you guys about. The Three D’s.”

“The Three D’s. They have a name. I take it they’re not just nasty to us, then?”

“No. They’re mean period. Darcy, she’s the worst. Daveena could crush any of us, but she doesn’t do anything unless Darcy orders it, and then there’s Dulcy.” Jae frowned.

“She doesn’t seem to fit in.”

“Don’t let that stupid act fool you. She doesn’t have a decent bone in her body.”

“Noted,” said Colin gravely.

“So what did they want?”

“Actually, they acted as if they knew about our magic,” whispered Colin.

Jae froze in his tracks. “Do you think they do?”

“Honestly, it’s hard to say. If she did know though, will she tell?”

“If it served her well to do it, Darcy wouldn’t hesitate,” exclaimed Jae.

“Why not turn us in and get it over with then?”

Jae contemplated before answering.

“Knowing the Three D’s, they are either scheming some way to expose you, or,” he paused. “I wouldn’t put it past them to try to pin this on someone else, too.”

It took only a second for Colin to realize that Jae meant himself, and maybe even his family. “You have to tell the truth, Jae. Meghan would insist if she were here. We can’t let anything bad happen to you, for hiding our magic.”

“No, I can’t do it. I might be wrong, Colin. I shouldn’t have even brought it up. Forget I said it.”

“Why do they dislike your family so much?” asked Colin.

“It’s not just us. They have a false impression that they pull more weight than the rest of us in the group. Banon Blackwell keeps them in check though.”

“If it comes down to it, Jae, I don’t want you or your family getting into trouble because of us.”

Jae would not hear it. “I can’t. If it does come down to it, I’ll stay behind with you and take full responsibility. I’ll say my family didn’t know.”

“But you would be away from your family again, which is how we ended up here in the first place.”

Jae could not argue this point.

“Let’s wait and see how things play out for a few days,” he suggested. “I honestly don’t think we’ll be in danger of anything happening right away. Fall’s practically here and we all have school exams then, including the Three D’s. I think it’ll buy us some time.”

Colin agreed to Jae’s thinking and they slipped inside the Mochrie house.

Meghan was not home. They made an excuse at the dinner table thirty minutes later when she still had not returned. After dinner, Mireya headed off to meet a friend down by the wharf. Jae sat at the kitchen table working on schoolwork. Colin paced the kitchen trying to reach out for his sister; he could sense her, but she was getting better at blocking him for longer periods of time. The house was deafeningly quiet.

And then, it was not quiet. Distant screams echoed through the open windows.

“What on earth?” asked Sheila Mochrie, from the back of the house. Irving Mochrie rushed out of the cottage to investigate, followed by Sheila, Colin and Jae.

Billows of smoke were rising from the ocean shore.

“The wharf, something’s happening at the wharf!” Sheila screamed, charging down the road, panicked; that’s where her daughter was supposed to be.

Irving ran back inside, before following Sheila, hooking a belt over his shoulder. Colin and Jae followed his mother. Neighbors flew out of their homes and very swiftly, a crowd raced toward the wharf. Colin was horrified to see they were preparing themselves for a battle. They each wore belts like Irving’s over their shoulders. Most contained lines of pockets, with vials stuffed inside. 

Jae explained as they ran to the wharf.

“Some carry potions, some weapons, and some store magical energy, so when they tire they have a backup supply.”

As they neared the wharf, uniformed men and woman popped in out of thin air. Colin heard someone say, “The Balaton are here, let them survey the situation before we all go running in.” He threw Jae a questioning look.

“Balaton are our version of police.”

Colin had assumed as much.

The Balaton made a line, each with a palm raised, poised for battle.

Children were screaming and running to find their parents. None of the Svoda could imagine what enemy they could be up against. Nothing had ever penetrated the wagon’s borders before.

Mireya appeared, out of breath, yelling over the screams and chaos.

“Come quick! It’s Meghan! Something’s happened.”

Colin got a sinking feeling in his stomach. They followed Mireya to the edge of the wharf, where a ball of fire reeled along the shore.

“Meghan?” Colin gulped, in disbelieving horror. The flames engulfed his sister and yet did not appear to be burning her. “Get out of there,” he pleaded, trying to race toward her. Sheila and Jae held him back.

“I haven’t seen anything like this in ages,” said an astonished Irving Mochrie. He asked Colin, “Has she done this before?”

Colin tried to think of the right answer. Before he could, more Balaton arrived, escorting Banon Blackwell.

“Well, you’re definitely not a secret anymore,” whispered Jae dejectedly. “But at least the Three D’s didn’t have a chance to pull off their plan.”

It was the only good thing about it! His sister was a walking fireball, and a good many Svoda had seen her. The Balaton relaxed their battle stances seeing their leader calmly approach Meghan. She didn’t seem worried or afraid of the flames.

The crowd murmured behind her.

“What is this girl?”

“She’s like the Banon,” another woman said.

“A Firemancer, is it possible?”

“What magical family is she from?”

“I thought they weren’t from our world.”

The crowd quieted. All eyes watched Banon Blackwell speak to Meghan.

“What do you see?” she asked in an eager voice, which indicated she understood what was happening. Which relieved Colin, although only slightly, seeing as he did not.

The fire that surrounded Meghan changed color, from orange and yellow to bright gold. She faced the Svoda and Juliska with a blank stare, and her body began to rise off the ground.

Colin swallowed a lump in his throat. His sister was on fire, and floating off the ground. How? And why?

Meghan drew up her arm and pointed it at the Svoda. She was high enough that she was pointing almost directly at Juliska’s head. To Colin’s amazement, the Banon, standing only about six feet from Meghan was not bothered by the heat, and yet Colin could feel it some twenty-five feet away.

His sister started to speak. In a voice much deeper than her own.

“Beware. Beware. They attack you where you sleep. Beware, I say to all Svoda, they attack you where you sleep.” She repeated this several times.

Mummers buzzed through the observing crowd. Frightened faces looked to the Banon for answers to this apparent prophecy.

“What do you mean, girl?” one woman shouted.

“Who attacks us? Who?” another voice hollered.

“How will we know, if we’re sleeping?” a man asked.

Juliska addressed the distressed crowd; her brilliant stare was enough to quiet her people. She turned back to Meghan, while even more gypsies arrived, including the elusive and unfriendly Ivan Crane, followed shortly after by Garner Sadorus and the Three D’s. Colin swore that Garner had a look in his eye, which was not pleased to see Meghan, apparently prophesying. He also scowled at an infuriated looking Darcy.

“They must have really had a plan of their own,” thought Colin. He still had no idea which scenario was better. It didn’t matter now.

The fire diminished around Meghan’s body and she slowly descended to the ground. Colin ran to his sister’s side. Nobody stopped him this time. For a brief second his sister’s eyes opened, her mind once again linked to his. Her thoughts confused him though.

“Mother, I want my mother.”

“Mother? What do you mean? She’s dead, remember?” Her delirious request frightened Colin more than seeing his sister on fire.

The crowd drew closer. Banon Blackwell bent over and touched Meghan’s face with the back of her hand. She was burning up.

“She will be fine,” said the Banon. “Take her to the hospital,” she ordered a couple of the Balaton. “I will arrive shortly to handle this situation myself.” Two Balaton hooked arms around Meghan’s limp body and instantly popped out of sight. 

It was an uncomfortable feeling not knowing where they were taking his sister. He reached out for her, silently. “Meghan, can you hear me?” Her mind was weak, but she answered.

“Yes, what happened?”

“I’ll explain later. Stay linked to me though, okay. We may have trouble on our hands.” He brought his mind back to the ensuing chaos around him, keeping Meghan’s link open. At the same time blocking her from hearing the conversation, so as not to frighten her while she was trying to recover.

The Svoda gawked. And pointed. And whispered.

Colin wanted to shrink and disappear.

But there was nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run. No one to protect him and Meghan... even Jae couldn’t get them out of this mess. But he stayed close regardless.

Juliska conversed with her personal Balaton along with two of Viancourt members, Garner Sadorus and Darius Hadrian. For what felt like forever. When their conversation ended she turned and motioned for everyone’s attention. The crowd went silent, waiting for her to speak.

“I am pleased by what has happened here today.”

Colin’s eyebrow lifted in disbelief. He didn’t get the sense she was actually happy about it. He did get the sense that many of the Svoda were not.

“Proof,” she stated. “Proof that magic survives in the world. That there is still magic to be found. And protected. It finds us, finds its way home to us, even with our borders spread far and wide.” 

“How can we be sure they’re not spies?” a man shouted.

The Banon shot a severe glare in the man’s direction. “I believe you all remember that I was once a lost child. Magic was with me the day I was found by the Svoda. It has not happened again since. This is a day to celebrate, not fear.”

The majority of the crowd accepted this explanation, and instead began to question Meghan’s words.

“What then of the prophecy of the child? What will you do about this, Banon Blackwell?” another voice called out.

“Once understood, we will as always, do what is necessary. Now disperse. Go home and see to your own families. Be thankful for this day. For this reminder of what we fight for. The survival of our kind. For the survival of magic.”

Shouts and clapping broke out, in firm agreement with their leader, and the crowd began to thin. Somehow, Colin didn’t feel any more welcome than he had before his sister’s prophecy, or the Banon’s speech.

The leader whipped around, facing Colin with a penetrating gaze. One that he swore might stab into his eyes if he looked long enough. Even with his heart racing, and nerves begging him to run and hide, he stood his ground. Although timidly. He kept the block in his mind, so his sister wouldn’t hear what was coming. He didn’t think it would be good, and he wanted her to heal as fast as possible in case they did have to flee.

Colin heard an uneasy breath next to him and cast a side-glance in Jae’s direction. Oh no, Jae! They’re going to know everything he kept secret now. That he hid our magic. This is definitely not going to be good.

Jae trembled, waiting for the inevitable. He had lied. There was no hiding it at this point. It could mean expulsion for his family. His mother, father and sister stood behind him, unaware of what Jae had hidden from the Banon and the Viancourt.

But from the displeased frown on Juliska Blackwell’s face, she had pieced it all together. She forced a smile and leaned over to better see into Colin’s eyes. Her gaze sparkled unkindly, but her voice held an overly friendly tone that warned she was not his friend. 

“Let me ask you, Colin Jacoby... who were your parents?”

Colin stuttered out a few incoherent words, trying to think. He wasn’t a good thinker when it had to be done fast. What would Uncle Eddy want me to answer? What would Meghan answer?

“Our p-parents,” he breathed out nervously, “they uh, died a couple of years after we were born, and we lived with our Uncle, Arnon Jacoby, until the day we got stuck, I mean, ended up, uh, here, while helping Jae get home.” He hoped the reminder of their assistance would help their cause, but just as instantly as he said it, he wished he had left Jae out of the picture. Not that it really mattered at this point.

The Banon’s gaze flitted swiftly over to Jae, warning she had not forgotten about him, but just as swiftly soared back and landed on Colin.

“And tell me, Colin Jacoby...” she spoke his name as if she had some personal aversion to it.

Was there anything he could do to get on this woman’s good side? Jae had spoken of her with great reverence, but even he now looked more afraid than devoted.

“Did your uncle ever perform magic?”

“I never saw him do so,” Colin answered honestly, glad that he had not.

She narrowed her eyes as if this helped her see if he was telling the truth.

“Hm,” she said, under her breath. “One more question. Have you, or your sister, ever performed magic before today?”

Colin flinched. His eyes widened, giving him away instantly. He really was a terrible liar. He had been afraid this question was coming. Even so, he still failed miserably. This was the one answer he didn’t want to give away. It was a sure conviction for Jae... and who knew what, for him and Meghan. And their Uncle Eddy had already warned them about keeping his book, the Magicante, secret. And safe.

Colin opened his mouth to attempt a lie, but to his horror, Jae spoke up, stammering out his words in haste.

“I’ve seen Colin do magic, but never his sister. I taught him a spell on the off chance he might be able to help me against the Scratchers.”

His family gasped, appearing as though they had been hit by a boulder. They even took a few steps away from him. 

“Jae, no, you’ll...” Jae eyed Colin hard, and he shut up, realizing if he said the wrong thing, he would only make the situation worse. Although he could hardly see how it could be any worse.

Juliska Blackwell’s composure faltered slightly. The pitch of her voice went up as she spoke. “Were you aware of this?” She aimed her question at Jae’s shocked parents.

“No, of course not,” said Sheila, adding weakly, “Our son would only do what he thought was best, I’m sure.” Irving reached out his arm and motioned for his wife to stop defending their son.

“Our boy knows the rules, Banon Blackwell. Whatever punishment you see fit, we will take as a family.” The disapproval of Jae’s actions was heavy in Irving’s voice.

Juliska Blackwell stood to her full height, pondering the situation.

“Jae Mochrie, you have put me in an uncomfortable position. You have broken strict rules put into place to protect all Svoda. However, their world, is also our world, so by a lucky off chance, you have found two lost among us and brought them home.”

They waited, breathlessly.

Two Balaton remained near the Banon awaiting her orders.

She paced back and forth, weighing her decision.

Colin broke out in a cold sweat, feeling faint. Almost a bit like his energy was being sucked out of him.

She stopped, facing them again.

“I try to imagine myself in Jae’s position, questioning whether I would make it home or not, and how best to defend myself. It comes to mind, would I have not done the same as Jae, even knowing that strict rules are being broken? This brother and sister coming to live with us, although seemingly like fate, is also the result of a tragic accident, as well as your disobedience of the rules.” Her stern voice stabbed out at Jae.

Colin wished he could defend Jae, but he didn’t know how to without making it worse. But it wasn’t Jae’s fault. He and Meghan had chosen not to listen to him. He didn’t think telling the Banon this would make any difference though. And it was starting to feel like she was purposely taking an extremely long time stating her decision. Prolonging their agony.

Colin decided he disliked Juliska Blackwell very much.

The Banon sucked in deeply and let it out slow.

“I come to this conclusion. By some blessed miracle, two lost souls have returned to us. Through a difficult path, yes. But home none the less.” She leaned in, pretending to touch Colin’s cheek in a loving manner. “And yet the rules should never be broken,” she glanced at Jae. The Balaton braced themselves to fulfill her punishment.

“Meghan and Colin Jacoby will enroll in school beginning tomorrow. Jae Mochrie shall be demoted from junior learner back to elementary learner. He will start his lessons over again since there are rules he needs reminding of.”

Jae’s parents, humiliated, but thankful to still have a home, humbly thanked the Banon. Irving seized Jae, dragging him home.

##

COLIN FOLLOWED THE Mochries, simply to avoid any more questions from Juliska Blackwell; once he noticed she was gone, he slowed. The argument going on up ahead was ugly. He decided it was a bad idea to head to the Mochrie home and decided to find Meghan.

Colin arrived at the hospital a short time later, after asking for directions. A woman advised him that Meghan was on the fourth floor, last room on the left. It was a long walk up to the fourth floor. And when he left the staircase and headed into the corridor, he got a strange sense of emptiness all around him. And the place was empty. Not a person to be seen. He supposed there just were not that many sick people. But it was quiet. Shouldn’t there be noise of some kind?

He stepped quietly down the corridor and found the room, no problem. However, it was not his sister lying in the bed. It was another girl, around his sister’s age. But the two of them could not have been mistaken for each other.

This girl had long silver hair, and slept with a smile on her face as though she were smiling right at Colin. It took his breath away and his heart skipped a few beats. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to see if she was real.

“Can I help you?” a voice snapped behind him.

Colin’s nose sucked in the smell of mothballs. “Sorry,” he said, spooked. “I was told my sister was in this room. Meghan Jacoby.”

It was Viancourt member Tanzea Chase. She flipped through a chart with a scowl.

“She’s not even on this floor. Down a level, room nine.” She stood guard by the silver haired girl’s door and watched him leave the floor. Colin noted that she locked the room.

“Poor girl. She must be very sick,” he thought, “and to have Tanzea as her nurse.” Colin shuddered. How would she ever get better with that terrible woman taking care of her? He wasn’t sure who he liked less, Tanzea Chase or Juliska Blackwell.

He finally located Meghan’s room but slowed before entering, hearing the voice of Juliska Blackwell. She was talking to Meghan. Colin hoped she wasn’t fishing for information and decided to listen, tuning into his sister’s mind. She was still open to him, but he was careful not to let on he was listening.

“It’s hard to describe,” his sister was saying. “And so messed up really. Fire doesn’t burn me. Not that I want it to.”

Juliska laughed lightly, replying in a motherly voice. “You know, Meghan, I sensed it in you right away.”

“You did?”

“I was not positive, let’s say it was a hopeful feeling. It has been too long since my people have experienced such a thing. It is a good reminder that the world goes on, outside of our small little daily lives. Plus, to find a lost one with such talent! I’m afraid Firemancy is a dying form these days.”

Colin cringed. He felt Meghan’s growing adoration for this woman.

Maybe I should have let her hear everything that went on, rather than block her.

“Sight is both a blessing and a curse,” Juliska continued. “One I have also managed many years myself. We are very alike, you and I. Did you know that Firemancy is handed down from mothers, only to their daughters? Never sons.”

“Really? So I’m a Firemancer because of my mother?”

“Yes. I imagine, were she alive today, she’d be very proud.”

“I... I never even knew her. She died when Colin and I were just babies. Our uncle took us in and he never really talked about our parents at all. I think it made him too sad.”

“Of course. Yes. And here you are now, a new journey just beginning. In so many ways.”

“It is... kind of scary,” admitted Meghan.

Colin was surprised to hear his sister say this. She never admitted being scared of anything.

“Which is why I want you to know you’re welcome to visit me, at any time, whenever you have questions about your visions. Or school. Or well, just... anything. I realize you are here alone, and since I have the sight, too, I’m always available to you. As I am to anyone in need of my help.”

Colin’s mind reeled. What was Juliska doing, being so nice when only minutes ago she was so vile, and mean?

“At least I have my brother,” reminded Meghan.

“Yes, of course. Colin. How could I forget?”

There was that disdain in saying his name again. He shuddered. He really didn’t like this woman. And now his sister was drooling over the attention. She did excel at that.

“Actually, I can’t believe he’s not here yet, although...” Meghan stopped, taking a sip of water.

“Although?” Juliska prompted thirstily.

“He may not want to see me. We had a pretty big fight.”

“I see,” said Juliska.

Colin decided he had heard enough. It was time to make his presence known. He let himself into Meghan’s mind. She lifted her head and smiled at the door. Simultaneously, Juliska’s gaze followed.

Colin’s figure appeared, acting as though he had just arrived. His acting was almost as poor as his ability to lie.

“Hey, Sis. Feeling better?”

Meghan nodded.

Juliska glided toward the door as Colin came in.

“I must take my leave, Meghan. Things to do, people to order around,” she winked mischievously. Meghan smiled, and Juliska was gone down the hall in a flash.

“I hope you didn’t tell her too much,” Colin said accusingly.

“What do you mean?”

“Uncle Eddy. The Magicante.”

“Of course I didn’t tell her that. Although, I honestly don’t think it would matter. I think I could tell her anything.”

Colin wanted to gag. “You may change your mind once I tell you what happened after your little stunt earlier.”

Meghan huffed. “Stunt? I had no control over it. It just happened.”

“Either way, Jae made up a lie so we wouldn’t get kicked out. He’s in a lot of trouble. He’s home, right this second, probably getting killed by his parents.”

“What are you talking about?”

Colin explained how they had come running to the wharf, the Svoda preparing for battle, only to find her in a fireball giving what was apparently a prophecy.

“It was. Juliska told me. She’s a Firemancer, too. It’s rare I guess.”

How nice, he droned silently, blocking this from her. Not only has Juliska taking a liking to my sister, but now Meghan is even more special. And I’m still just me. Not that he wanted to be a Firemancer. It didn’t actually look that fun.

“Regardless of all that, Sis, after they took you away, the Mochries stayed behind while Juliska Blackwell questioned me and Jae. She asked me whether I’d ever done magic before. Jae answered before I could stop him, claiming yes, but it was him that showed me how. And him, that asked for our help.”

“But that’s not true,” said Meghan with heightening unease. “We offered to help Jae. We didn’t listen to him when he told us not to.”

“We both know that. And so does Jae. But now everyone else thinks he broke all these rules.”

Meghan bit her lip. Colin sensed her thoughts fighting each other. She didn’t want to believe that Juliska wasn’t looking out for her best interests. But she did feel for Jae and his family.

Colin continued. “Juliska made us wait then, while she weighed her decision.”

“What decision?” asked his sister, looking to what Colin concluded was more properly horrified.

“As to what the Mochrie’s punishment would be.”

Meghan squirmed, trying to piece it all together.

“She would have to, you know. Decide on a punishment. Picture your whole job is to keep these people safe and someone breaks a law that could ruin all that. She would have to do something in order to save face from the other Svoda.”

“Are you sticking up for her?” asked Colin too loudly, getting the nurses’ attention in the hallway.

“You gotta see it from both sides, Colin. What was the punishment, anyway?”

“She decided to only punish Jae, not his whole family. Just so you know, complete expulsion of his family from the Svoda was possible. But she demoted Jae in school instead. I guess it’s like being held back a grade or something, plus, we’ll be joining him. We will be starting school. Tomorrow.” Colin thought for sure he’d win his sister back now. Juliska was making them go to school, her least favorite thing. 

Meghan was thoughtful for a minute.

“It could be worse, Colin. At least our magic is out in the open. Less to worry about. It sucks that Jae had to take such a blow, I’m sure it’s totally humiliating. And it doubly sucks that we have to go to school, too.”

“Ah yes. Priorities. Going to school is way worse than Jae getting into trouble.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean, Colin. Honestly, I think Juliska did the only thing she could do. She would have to dole out some form of punishment, but if you think about it, it’s not that bad. It’s nowhere near getting kicked out!”

Colin could see her point, but had a strong feeling that things were not that easy for Jae, or his family.

“How long they keeping you here, anyway?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Overnight I guess.”

“Okay. Tomorrow I’m going to see Uncle Eddy and explain what happened, and that we won’t be able to visit as much.”

Meghan brooded. One second she felt on top of the world. She was Firemancer, like Juliska Blackwell, someone who could teach Meghan how to control and use her abilities. However, in the next moment, all her fears overwhelmed her, throwing her into an instant panic. She didn’t want to miss any time with their Uncle Eddy, either.

“So you’re okay?” Colin asked her.

“Yeah. Tired. A bit confused. I don’t actually remember much of what happened.”

“I’ll tell Uncle Eddy all about it. Maybe he’ll have some ideas.”

“He acted like he didn’t know too much about having the sight. But you’re right. He should know, just the same. It does suck we’ll get to see him less.” Her thoughts were clouded, a tug-of-war going on between them. It was all so much to take in. And understand. Everything was happening so fast.

She sighed.

Colin got up to leave.

“I guess I’ll see you when they let me out of here.”

“Night, Sis.”

“Yeah. Night Col.”

He left her and decided to return to the Mochrie house. As he neared, passing by the wharf entrance, a shadow followed him. He slowed. It sped up. The closer it got, thundering footsteps dug into the ground.

Colin searched for a place to hide; it was too late.

Daveena Troast’s scowling face towered in front of him. The third member of the Three D’s.

“I’ve got a message for you,” she gurgled. For a tough kid, she had a funny voice. He waited, assuming the message would be a knuckle sandwich, or something of the sort, but she stood, staring, her arms folded.

“And the message is?” he choked out.

“We’re still watching you.” Her pudgy face scrunched up as she said it. After staring at Colin for an entire silent minute, she plodded away. Colin raced the last few steps to the Mochrie house but stopped, afraid to go in.

When he did finally dare to enter, it was quieter than he expected. Sheila and Mireya calmly sipped tea. There was no sign of Jae or his father.

“There you are. Expect you went to see Meghan. How is she, the poor dear?” asked Sheila, with no indication that anything out of the ordinary had happened.

“Fine,” Colin said, questioning why they weren’t all yelling at each other. “She should be home before school tomorrow, I imagine.”

“Jae and his father are out,” she spoke blankly. “Life must go on, and he’ll have to work harder now that he’s been sent back to the beginning.”

Colin didn’t know whether he should apologize. Just leave. Maybe go stay with Billie. Go to bed. Stay up.

Mireya smiled weakly and announced she was going to bed.

He took the opportunity to follow. They readied for bed. Before Mireya snuck behind her curtain for the night, Colin got up the nerve to ask about Jae. 

“Is he in a lot of trouble?”

Her already weak smile faded. “This is the second time he’s been sent back to the beginning. Dad is none too happy about it, and told him he wasn’t leaving his sight for the week. I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t weeks.”

Colin nodded somberly.

As he lay down, his thoughts twisted between right and wrong. Good and evil. Breaking the rules versus the need to survive.

Perhaps Juliska Blackwell, realizing she had to dish out some kind of punishment, ordered the least possible, knowing what Jae had done was not all that bad in the end.

Still, Colin did not trust her cunning nature. He was positive she did not trust the twins, and worried deeply his sister could not see it.

He also thought it odd that Sheila Mochrie did not question him after he had come home. He reached out for Meghan to say goodnight. She was already sleeping.

Tomorrow, before school, he would tell Uncle Eddy. Perhaps he would have some answers.

He drifted off to sleep. His night started with a pleasant dream. He was standing next to the silver haired girl in the hospital. Her eyes were open and she was smiling at him, like she knew him. She was reaching up to grasp his hand when everything turned dark. And ugly. The room seemed to shrink around them.

The silhouette of Juliska Blackwell came out of the shadows of the wall on the other side of the girl’s bed. She opened her mouth and laughed. An unkind, arrogant sort of laugh. The girl’s bed started to roll away from Colin, toward Juliska.

He reached out to grab onto it, or her, but she was fast out of his reach.

The dream ended with the girl screaming for his help.

He awoke with a start, sitting up in bed. He plunked back down after a moment, realizing it was just a dream. 

What a weird, weird day it had been.

Topping off a weird summer.

And a weird adventure there was no way out of. And one Colin was starting to believe, would be far more dangerous than he and his sister could possibly imagine.

##

THE NEXT MORNING, COLIN got up early and found Uncle Eddy in Grimble. He explained all that had happened the previous day. When he finished, Eddy stroked his ghostly chin.

“I have to say this is a little unexpected, so soon at least. They have accepted you though. That is good.”

“I’m not so sure they have actually accepted us,” Colin argued.

“If their leader has, then they will, too. Not that I don’t still have things to teach you,” Eddy pointed out. 

Colin was pleased that their uncle was not angry or worse, leaving, now that they’d been outed in the magical community. He reached out for his sister but she was blocking him. He hoped it wasn’t because she was talking to Juliska Blackwell.

“When do you want us to come back, Uncle Eddy?” he asked.

“Whenever you can, Colin. I will be here waiting.”

Timothy came floating in just then, talking to something neither Colin nor his uncle could see.

“C’mon, almost there, a little bit farther,” coaxed Timothy. “Look what I found,” he exclaimed. A kitten followed him, meowing softly.

“Where did you find that, Timothy?” Colin leaned over to have a closer look.

“In an alley searching for food. Poor itty bitty.”

“He does look hungry.” Colin picked up the kitten, noticing the tuft of white hair on top of its tiny head.

“Searched all over for its mother, no luck though,” said Timothy, looking worried about the kitten’s future.

“I don’t see why I couldn’t keep him, or her. Which is it? asked Colin.

“It’s a her,” pointed out his uncle. “Curious, though,” he added. “Wonder how she got here?”

“I’ve seen plenty of Svoda with pets,” said Colin. “I guess I would have to okay it with the Mochries. I’m sure someone would take her in, if I can’t. We certainly can’t leave her to starve.”

“I am sure they would not abandon a poor little kitten,” agreed Eddy, proud that Colin would be so quick to take in the little thing.

“Look at this,” said Colin. “She’s got two different colored eyes, one green and one white!”

“Huh. So she does,” replied his uncle. The kitten snuggled up in Colin’s arms and fell to sleep, lightly purring.

“Guess I better go. I’ve got to get this little thing home, meet up with Meghan, and then... off to school.” His voice did not sound confident in the least. “Bye, Timothy. Bye, Uncle Eddy.” They both waved and floated away.

By the time he reached the Mochrie house, Mireya and her mother were welcoming Meghan home, Jae was just waking from a nap on the sofa, and Ivan and Irving were already off to work. Jae’s father had changed his mind and not taken him to the office that morning. From the looks of it, Jae had been up all night.

“Hey, Sis,” Colin greeted. “Feeling good?”

“Yeah. All good. Rested. Actually slept really well for sleeping in a place I’ve never been before.”

“Ready for school?”

“Ugh. No,” she grumbled. In her mind, she asked him. “How did Uncle Eddy handle everything?”

“Good. He’s got more to teach us. He’s not going anywhere.”

She sighed in relief. Aloud, she asked, “Hey, what’s that? Your pocket is moving.”

Colin took out the fury little mass. “Found it in Grimble, lost, hungry and no mother.”

Everyone huddled around it, oohing and aahing. Mrs. Mochrie went to the kitchen to retrieve some milk.

“Timothy really found it,” he sent Meghan silently. “No idea how it got into Grimble.”

After feeding the kitten and pointing out its different colored eyes, which Mrs. Mochrie ogled at as inquisitively as his uncle had, she announced it was time for them to be off to school.

“Lunches are ready. Grab one on the way out. Good luck Meghan and Colin, on your first day.”

They nodded.

Colin reached for the kitten, which had made a home on Meghan’s lap. It hissed at him, hiding under Meghan’s arm.

“That’s it then!” decided Sheila Mochrie. The four children feared she had decided against keeping the kitten.

“Mom, it’s only a baby,” cried Mireya.

“Don’t worry, honey. I don’t think it’s going anywhere,” her mother clarified. “The kitten has made its choice.” The four gawked at Mrs. Mochrie as if she had lost her senses.

“Mom, what on earth are you talking about?” asked Jae.

“That’s no ordinary kitten you’ve found Colin Jacoby, that there is a Catawitch. You can tell by the tuft of hair and her eyes. They always have one white one, just the females you know, no male Catawitch’s.”

Colin, Jae, and Mireya backed away. The only stories they had ever heard of Catawitch’s warned of their evil tendencies.

“Oh, it’s fine kids. Meghan is a good girl, she’ll raise it well.”

“Me,” squeaked Meghan.

“Yes, it’s chosen you. You’re its master now. Or mistress if you like.” She said it matter-of-factly. “I’ll go add some milk to your lunch. Strange though, I wonder how it came to be in Grimble?”

“I’m to take it with me? To school?” Meghan questioned, not understanding.

“Of course,” Sheila said, disappearing into the kitchen.

The other three stepped closer.

“I can’t believe it,” exclaimed Jae. “A real Catawitch, here, in my house. I’ve seen them before.” He tossed a knowing look in the twin’s direction. They had as well, while in Cobbscott. “I’ve never seen a baby one though.”

“It doesn’t look evil at all,” whispered Mireya. She bent down and gently stroked the kitten’s pointed ears.

“What am I supposed to do with a cat?” asked Meghan.

“It’s considered a great honor in the magical world to be chosen the master of one of these,” noted Jae. “It doesn’t happen often.”

Colin let out a huff. Really? Another magical gift for my sister? Not that he wanted to have a cat tagging along with him everywhere he went. But still...

The kitten nestled its way into Meghan’s soft sweater pocket. It curled up with a soft purr and went to sleep. “This is so weird,” said Meghan, shaking her head.

They grabbed their lunches and headed to school.

“You know what I love?” started Jae, “about the Catawitch choosing you, Meghan? Almost any Svoda would die to be chosen. Man, people are gonna hate you!”

Meghan frowned.

“I meant that metaphorically speaking, of course,” Jae clarified, seeing her reaction. “They’ll be extremely jealous.”

“But everyone’s afraid of them,” she said.

“I think it’s because the only ones you ever hear about are the bad ones. They’re actually rare creatures, and I think their magical abilities have created an evil mystique about them. But they’re only evil if their masters are, so we’ve got nothing to worry about, do we?” He grinned. The twins thought this was the happiest they had seen Jae in a long time. Meghan wished that the kitten had chosen him instead.

“I think I will keep this to myself, for a while,” said Meghan. “I don’t need anything else making me stick out right now.”

“I think it’s far too late for that, Sis,” jested Colin.

Jae nodded in agreement. “It’s going to get out, fast. Good chance my mother has already told someone. We don’t get much news to spread around, especially anything juicy.”

And both twins knew the Mochrie’s needed any plus they could get at the moment.

Meghan listened to the kitten purring softly in her pocket. “I guess Kanda was right,” she whispered.

Colin overheard her. “About what?”

“That I need to accept, I can no longer control anything,” she sighed.

As they arrived at school, a rolled up paper hit Jae across the head; he bent down to pick it up.

“What is it?” asked Colin.

Jae didn’t answer. He let it fall to the ground and kept walking.

Meghan picked it up. “Oh, wow,” she declared in shock.

“What?” asked Colin.

“It’s the Jackal Lantern, the paper those two old ladies put out. And there’s a crimes committed section in here, written by someone named Magda Scraggs. Wonder if she’s related to Darcy?” she muttered sarcastically.

“So?” replied Colin.

“Jae and his family are the main focus.”

Colin let out a disgruntled groan. “Still think Juliska Blackwell is so great?”

Meghan ignored the question and dropped the paper. She ran to catch up with Jae. They didn’t discuss the article, but walked together into the schoolyard, where the twins gasped and froze. Two life-sized, and life-like, statues of Scratchers towered over them.

“I keep forgetting there’s so much you guys don’t know,” Jae said apologetically.

“Why are those here?” stammered Colin.

“They serve as a constant reminder of what we are training for, what we have to overcome,” he said, sounding tired from repeating the pre-recorded responses he’d been taught.

“That is sick and wrong,” declared Meghan. “I was hoping not to look at another one of those. Ever.” They continued forward; the eyes of the statues followed them as they passed by.

“Are we in the same classes, Jae?” asked Colin. “What can we expect in here?”

“There’s one beginners’ class, actually it’s technically called elementary level, so yes, we’ll be together. It’s a lot of information, but you should both do fine.”

“Not too hard, that’s right up Meghan’s alley,” jested Colin.

“Ha ha, very funny,” she retorted. “To be perfectly honest, Jae, I’m glad you’ll be in our class. I know I’ll need your help. It’s not fair though, you getting into trouble for helping yourself stay alive. And lying, for us.”

“Fair does not have the same meaning here. If you break the rules, you pay a price, no exceptions. But it won’t be so bad doing it together,” he said.

“If I were Juliska Blackwell, or anyone else here, I would be nothing but proud. Do they even realize what you were up against? What do they expect?” Meghan practically shouted it.

Jae stood speechless at the buildings’ entrance. Mireya snuck up on the trio, nudging her brother.

“Are you blushing?” she asked him.

“No!” he defended.

The four of them jumped in unison at the clanging of a bell.

“We better go. Don’t want to be late, especially on your first day,” said Jae.

Mireya raced away, waving goodbye. She had already graduated from Elementary level. The twins followed Jae closely. As they reached their classroom, they found the corridor was blocked.

The Three D’s. Great! cringed the twins, in unison silent thoughts.

“I can’t believe they let a criminal into the school,” scoffed Darcy Scraggs.

“Yeah,” agreed Dulcy. Today she was snapping gum, instead of twirling her hair. Before she could say another word, Darcy motioned for her to zip it. Daveena laughed heftily.

“Oh, Daveena, have you left Elementary?” questioned Jae, not in the mood to take any of their taunting. “When was the happy occasion?”

Daveena’s face went blank and she growled.

“C’mon Dulcy,” ordered Darcy. “We don’t want to be late for our higher education.” They left Daveena behind for the elementary class, which she had not yet successfully passed.

The three let her enter the room first and made sure to go in the opposite direction. The class laughed as she stumbled to her chair. Colin did not join in. Daveena scowled, but Colin felt momentarily bad for her. Meghan caught a whiff of his thought.

“She was about to pound you not too long ago, remember?” Colin still didn’t join in the laughing, but lost his sympathy for Daveena rapidly.

A stout, middle-aged woman appeared at the door’s entrance. “Since you’re here I expect you’ll be helping your new roommates,” she blathered upon seeing Jae. “Exam time is not far away. I only hope we can get them caught up in time.” She spoke as if the twins were not in the room.

The classroom was windowless and a chalkboard covered the entire circumference of the wall. A precariously hanging chandelier dimly lit the room. There were no desks. The students each claimed a square pillow from a stack off to the side, sitting and creating a circle around the teacher. Jae motioned for the twins to sit next to him.

In the middle of the students, the teacher positioned herself onto another pillow, which rose a few inches in the air, slowly rotating as she spoke.

“Silence please,” she requested.

Speaking ceased. However, the student’s attention focused on the twins, not the teacher.

“Yes, let’s get this out of the way, shall we. Two new students today, actually three, including Jae.” The twins could not tell whether she liked Jae or not. “Tell us about yourselves, it’s not often we get new students among us.”

Daveena, who had finally gotten situated onto a pillow, snorted.

“We don’t need to hear from you, Daveena,” said the teacher dryly.

“What should we tell them?” Meghan asked her brother through their thoughts. He only answered in grunts and squawks. He hated public speaking, and his face was already turning red. “Fine, leave it to me. Again.” She took a deep breath to explain.

“My name is Meghan Jacoby, and this is my twin brother, Colin. Until recently, we lived with our uncle and had absolutely no idea we came from a magical background, bloodline, or whatever... until we met Jae Mochrie, and ended up here.” She was sure they already knew that part of the story but hoped it would suffice.

“To introduce myself, I am Teacher Lindy. Now, any questions before we get started anyone?” Numerous hands shot up, surprising the teacher. She called on a boy, no more than eight or nine years old.

“I heard that you guys battled Scratchers,” he blurted out enthusiastically. The other hands went down; obviously, they had wanted to ask the same question.

“This is true,” Jae answered on behalf of the trio. “And without Meghan’s and Colin’s help, I might not have made it home.”

“It was my brother who did it,” added Meghan. “Not me!” She didn’t want to discuss the Scratchers. Her brother glared at her, having hoped not to speak, however the entire class, including the teacher, waited breathlessly for him to tell the tale.

As he opened his mouth, unsure of what would come out, a meow penetrated the silent, breathless room. The teacher scrutinized the students, their gazes stuck on Meghan’s sweater pocket, which was moving. A tiny little kitten face appeared over the top of the pocket, revealing its different colored eyes.

“What have you got there, Meghan Jacoby?” asked Teacher Lindy. “How on earth did you come about this?”

“My brother found her in Grimble and brought her home, and I guess she decided I was her new master, or mistress.” As Meghan said the last part, recognition dawned on the class. An electric buzz raced through the shocked students.

“Well I’ll be! A Catawitch, right here in our little village! Aren’t you a lucky, lucky girl?” Teacher Lindy was astonished.

Having confirmation of what they were thinking, the class looked at Meghan (as Jae had predicted), with extreme jealousy.

“All right, back to work. The Catawitch stays.” The teacher’s plan backfired. The excitement over the Catawitch overruled getting back to work. It confused Meghan that everyone was stupefied at seeing one, since she had already encountered two during her short life in the magical world.

Teacher Lindy, realizing she was not going to be able to ignore the news, decided to change her lesson plan for the day.

“Since we find ourselves on the subject of the Catawitch, let’s review the basics shall we? These are important so take notes. Never know when we might have a pop quiz.” The younger students groaned but opened up their notepads and scribbled down notes as she spoke.

“Why does a Catawitch have two different colored eyes?”

A boy called out an answer before allowing the teacher to call on him. “Because they have one normal eye, and a white one, which is said to be able to see really, really far.”

“Oliver Stamm! How many times must I remind you of the rules? Do we ever allow blurting out of answers in this class?” The teacher reprimanded the boy, who the twins guessed to be around ten.

“Sorry, I forgot, again,” he frowned.

“Forgetting isn’t a good enough excuse anymore. To the board!” Oliver Stamm already knew what was coming, and depressingly picked up a piece of chalk and began writing: I will not forget to let Teacher Lindy call on me before answering a question. Why? Because it is disrespectful to the class.

“How many lines this time, Teacher Lindy?” the boy asked, humiliated.

“Since you can’t remember, after all the lines you’ve written thus far, Oliver, you can stay right there until the end of the school day.”

“But I’ll miss my other classes. I’m barely caught up from the last time.”

“And whose fault is that?” the teacher asked.

“Mine, ma’am, and I’ll have to try harder to catch up.”

The twins sent rapid thoughts to each other.

“I wonder if I have to raise my hand for everything,” sent Meghan.

“Guess that’s what the huge blackboard is for,” thought Colin.

“This is so much stricter than Uncle Arnon ever was.”

“You got that right,” he agreed.

“Okay then. Continuing with the lesson, the answer Oliver gave was in essence correct. The white eye is believed to be capable of seeing long distances; the exact distance has yet to be proven. There is also much debate over whether this eye can see more than just distance. That just perhaps they can see into the very soul of the one they call master.” She paused, allowing the students to finish their note taking, then continued. “How does one tell a good Catawitch from a bad one?”

One child raised his hand slightly then put it back down. Another raised her hand and waited for the teacher to call on her.

“Yes, go ahead, Maria.”

This girl looked to be older as well. The students were such a mix of ages.

“By their masters. Catawitch’s are loyal to them until death.”

“Good, good. But also remember,” started the teacher, lowering her voice. “The cat chooses the master, or in this case, mistress, based on their own predisposition for good or evil. Alas, this fuels our fascination with these creatures, leading us to the ever burning question, are you a good cat, or a bad cat? Sometimes, one never knows until it is too late.” Teacher Lindy’s gaze peered over her spectacles in Meghan’s direction as if expecting an answer.

The class studied Meghan, the new stranger.

Banon Blackwell trusted her. Shouldn’t they?

“Why am I always being gawked at?” she complained in a whispered mumble.

“Because, people want to know if you’re a good cat, or a bad cat,” Colin sent into her mind, mocking the teacher.

The class eventually moved on to another topic. The rest of the day passed smoothly now that the introductions were over. By the end, they had been assigned three essays, a take home quiz and magic practice. They decided that Uncle Arnon was not that hard of a teacher after all. Even Colin was a little anxious about the workload.

It was too late to visit Uncle Eddy once school ended. Jae showed them instead how to send him a message. They stepped outside of the Svoda Wagon, into Grimble. Jae held a freshly plucked leaf from a tree in Bedgewood in his hand.

“Recordo,” he said, handing it to Meghan. “Speak what you want written in the message.”

“Uncle Eddy,” she dictated. “The first day went okay. Did you realize the kitten was a Catawitch? It caused quite a bit of ruckus. We hope to come and visit soon, tons of homework to do. Love, Meghan and Colin.” After she spoke, the message appeared on the leaf, briefly, and vanished.

Jae took the leaf. “Find Uncle Eddy,” he told it. The leaf lifted off his hand and drifted away in the breeze. “Now it will find your uncle and only he can read the message.”

“That’s way cool,” said Colin.

“It’s a lot easier and faster than hand delivery,” said Jae.

They raced home and dug into their homework. When Irving Mochrie arrived home that evening, nothing seemed to please him more than seeing four students hard at work.

##

A WEEK PASSED. THE twins had no time to think about anything other than schoolwork. Exams were fast approaching and the teacher was afraid they might not be ready in time to pass. She scheduled an appointment for them with the school advisor, to see about studying with a tutor. Normally, the students had months to prepare. They had only six weeks until late October, and exam time.

A short, stubby, balding man with a grumpy face met them in the hallway of the school and motioned for them to enter the advisor’s room. The walls were bare and windowless, and the only furniture was a small couch, desk, and chair.

The man motioned for the twins to sit on the couch. They did and waited patiently while he monotonously waddled his way to the chair, apparently in no hurry. Finally, he situated himself comfortably, and in the same monotonous manner sifted through a stack of papers that the twins could only assume were about them. After carefully separating each page, he spread them neatly across his desk.

His mouth opened to speak, then closed. He opened a drawer and took out a plaque. The name read, Muckle Mauch, Advisor.

Colin was thinking, what kind of name is Muckle Mauch, which Meghan overheard and was about to comment on, when at long last the advisor spoke. His rushed, high-pitched voice took the twins off guard.

“Okay then, we have you in elementary, I see, yes. You’re a few months behind the other beginners. If you plan on getting to the next level, which I suggest and know you do, you will need some extra tutoring to catch up.” Colin and Meghan already had an extra tutor in Uncle Eddy, but of course, they did not bring this to Advisor Mauch’s attention. Plus they’d had little time to visit and practice with their uncle.

He continued, without letting them speak.

“I would say three, no, four times a week will do. That should get you caught up on history and beginner skills in time for your exams.”

“At least it’s not every night,” thought Colin dejectedly.

“In a couple of days I will send a tutor to your house. You’re staying with the Mochrie family, yes, yes all right. I won’t lie!” he barked at them. “This will be a difficult six weeks for you. But not to worry. A little hard work never killed anyone!” He laughed in his high-pitched voice, which reverberated off the barren walls. “After fall exams, there is no telling when the next chance of passing the class will be, since we have a break for the holidays, and then of course, we move on.”

The twins gawked at each other and Meghan butted in without waiting, or asking permission. “Excuse me, Sir, but moving on to where?”

Muckle Mauch stopped; the expression on his face went blank.

“Sorry, what?” he asked, his eyes widening a little.

Meghan wondered if she had spoken out of turn, and would end up doing lines, instead of her homework.

“This is not part of my job,” he explained. “I advise you how to succeed in passing class levels, which should be your number one concern. However, I suppose it’s possible you don’t understand how things work.” He sucked in deeply and said in a well-rehearsed manner, “We are not advised where we will go next, that is for Banon Blackwell and the Viancourt to research and decide. Get used to it. It happens every few months or so.”

It was not exactly the answer the twins were looking for, but they had no chance to think about it or question further. The advisor had them back on topic and scheduling tutor times in the blink of an eye.

On their way to class, they regretted that the time was coming when they would say goodbye to Uncle Eddy. Even more so, they regretted that the time they did have, would be lessened even more by schoolwork.

“I know it seems inevitable, Col, but we haven’t asked him about staying behind when the Svoda leave Grimble,” said Meghan.

“Somehow, I think I already know the answer, Sis. But we can still ask,” he added, trying to keep up hope. They headed to class, which was already in session, running into Jae at the door; he held a stack of books, with his hand on the doorknob.

“How’d ya like Muckle Mauch?” he asked with a sardonic eyebrow lift.

She let out a terse laugh. “Considering all the tutoring he set up for us, not so keen right now.”

“Teacher Lindy asked me to grab a few books for her. You guys coming back to class?”

“Unfortunately,” droned Meghan. Jae finished opening the door and entered, followed by Meghan. Her eye caught a lit candle sitting in the corner of the room.

That’s all it took. A single flame. Meghan touched the doorknob and the floor swayed beneath her. From the corner of her eye, in the flame, there was a shadow. She jerked her head away, not wanting to see it, hoping desperately it was not another warning of an imminent attack.

Colin steadied her, shutting the door gently.

“Are you all right? Is it the Firemancy thing again?”

“Maybe,” she said, wishing she hadn’t touched the door knob after Jae. She detested this new ability.

“We need to get to class,” reminded her brother.

Meghan’s pocket stirred and the baby Catawitch poked its head over the edge, meowing softly.

As Colin took hold of the doorknob, Meghan turned and suddenly fled the school.

“What are you doing?” Colin flung the thought at her disappearing figure.

“Just something I gotta do,” she sent back, putting her mind block firmly in place to keep him out of her thoughts. 

“Wonderful,” Colin said through his teeth. “What am I going to tell the teacher?” He entered the classroom, and thought half-sarcastically, and half-truthfully, “I think she’s completely lost her mind.”

Teacher Lindy was guiding a student through moving objects, without touching them.

“Concentrate, Marvin. This is where you always mess up! I know you can do this.” The rest of the class cheered the boy on as he focused on moving a heavy stack of pillows through the air. The goal was to have them land neatly in an outlined square.

Colin waited near the door, not wanting to interrupt or get in the way. Once the stack was positioned nicely in the square the class cheered and crowded around the exhausted boy. Teacher Lindy cheered happily.

“Splendid job! You’re going to pass the exam this time, Marvin, I can feel it! Well done.”

Marvin looked to be around eleven, and was one of the older students in the class, other than the twins and Jae. And Daveena. And the girl named Maria. Colin wasn’t sure how old she was, her face looked young. And she always smiled kindly and said hello when passing them in the hall, or down the street. But she had to be older than anyone else in the class. He wondered why. 

“Okay, back to your pillows class, and we shall begin again. Who would like to go next?” There were no volunteers. Teacher Lindy noticed Colin working his way to an empty pillow. Her eyes perked up. “Aha! Colin Jacoby. I think it’s time for you and... where’s your sister, still with advisor Mauch?”

At the name, the students squealed under their breath. The teacher gave them a, you’re-a-naughty-class look, and the giggling ended. Colin tried in vain to think up an excuse.

“Uh, she is... she fell ill, had to go home, I think.”

“Home? Did she get a letter of excuse?” the teacher prodded.

“A what?”

“Letter of excuse, excusing her from school. Only valid written permission allows a student to miss school.”

“Oh, um, you’d have to ask Meghan. I’m not sure, Teacher Lindy.” Colin didn’t know what else to say. He knew his sister did not have a letter of excuse.

“Too bad,” the teacher exclaimed. “Exciting day today, trying to move pillows.”

“She’s a little too excited over such a simple task,” whispered Colin to Jae, while taking his seat on a pillow. Jae winked his reply.

“Since you’re here, Mr. Jacoby,” the teacher continued, “why don’t you take a turn?” She used magic to move the pillow stack out of the square, strewing them about. “All you need to do is collect and stack the pillows neatly, then move them into the square. The goal is to have them exactly lined up in the square. During the exam, if you are outside of the lines you lose points.”

Colin was instantly anxious, although he knew he could do this task, no problem. It was completely different though, with a classroom of twenty scrutinizing his every move.

“After fighting Scratchers, moving a stack of pillows should be easy, right?” he muttered.

“All you need to do is reach out and feel the energy around you,” the teacher instructed. “Collect it, focus on what you want to accomplish, and use that energy to move those pillows.”

Colin had already practiced moving objects with Uncle Eddy. Piece of cake he repeated over and over in his mind. Colin closed his eyes, blocking out the students watching. He was aware of the energy surrounding him; it felt diminished in the crowded classroom though. There wasn’t enough for what he needed. Colin peeked at the boy named Marvin, who was still recovering and catching his breath. It had taken nearly all the energy he had to move them.

“How can I draw more?” mumbled Colin. He reached out beyond the classroom, then the school, and then beyond the Svoda wagons into Grimble, where copious amounts of energy were just waiting to be collected. Within seconds, he was over-filled. Colin’s eyes popped open. He moved his hand swiftly. The pillows were collected and stacked. He hovered the stack three feet in the air and moved them deftly, landing them softly in the square, perfectly aligned.

The class observed Colin in impressed stupor, including Jae and Teacher Lindy.

“On the first try. So easy. Spectacular...” she stammered.

Colin smiled, quite satisfied with his performance. He was not tired at all and sat down next to Jae, who patted him on the back.

“That was great!”

“How did you do that?” asked the boy named Marvin. “You don’t even look winded.”

Colin answered honestly. “I could do it again. I’m not winded at all.” Actually, he felt incredible. Powerful. Like the day back in Cobbscott when he had tackled the three bullies. He leaned over to Jae. “I get what you mean,” he whispered.

“About what?”

“The power you feel. It makes you feel... huge.” Colin did not know how else to describe it.

“I wish I could feel it again,” sighed Jae. “I haven’t since I got home.”

Colin wondered if he could help Jae. But how? Jae already knew more than he did.

The class forged on, with students trying their hand at moving the pillows. None of the remaining students succeeded.

Meghan never returned to class. Colin tried to reach out for her.

“Figures. Blocking me.” He hoped she was not out causing another scene. The rest of the afternoon crawled by. “At least tonight,” he thought, “I can finally visit Uncle Eddy.”

##

MEGHAN JAUNTED OUT of the school and retrieved a note from Juliska Blackwell, which included directions on how to locate her. She followed the map to the ocean’s shore, where a few hundred yards out an island of rock jutted out of the water; a fort had been forged into the rock. She’d seen the top of the fort peeking over the tree tops from the village, but up this close it was an imposing sight.

From the very top, one could look out over the entire Svoda village. There was only one road leading to the fort. It was cobblestone, like so many other roads in the town. But the sides were lined with dangerous looking spiky rocks that pointed inward, and outward, she assumed to ward off any potential unwanted visitors.

Meghan approached nervously. Once closer, she saw Juliska’s private Balaton guarding the entrance.

“State your business?” one of them asked in a gruff voice. He kept his gaze straight forward, not looking at her.

Meghan got tongue tied and almost turned around and left without explaining. The two guards were imposing just in themselves. Never mind the wall of spikes lining the roadway.

The second guard’s eyes grazed across her. He nudged his partner. “Jenner, it’s okay, it’s the girl.”

The other one darted his eyes, curiously, then opened the gate to let her through.

“You may enter. Banon Blackwell has alerted us to your possible visit.”

“Thanks,” said Meghan, relieved, but also gratified. Juliska had told them to expect her. Any insecurity she had about her unannounced visit vaporized into the mists of the ocean.

She stepped through the gate, surprised at the vast courtyard leading to the entrance of the fort. It was a sparse open space. More cobblestone. She thought it was big enough that if necessary, the couple hundred Svoda in the village could stand in the courtyard.

A petite woman dressed in business attire greeted Meghan at a stone door and led her inside. Before Meghan could make her request to see Juliska, another ornate stone door swung open; Juliska Blackwell strode elegantly into the room. She wasn’t dressed in her normal one piece long-jacket, but instead, a long sleeved tunic, which was form fitted down to her hips then flared slightly; it was a silky, crimson color. Accentuating just how tall and thin she was.

“Meghan. I’m so pleased you came. Join me on the rooftop.” She followed Juliska up a stone stairwell to an outside room. It was larger than she expected. And although it looked to be carved out of stone, the floor was even and easy to walk on. Juliska led them to a far corner where an overhang shielded them from the day. It wasn’t particularly sunny today though, mostly cloudy and breezy.

Meghan paused halfway over. “Wow. You can see the entire town from up here.”

“Yes. Magnificent view, isn’t it?”

Meghan nodded. She wondered what the real town looked like. Jae had said this was a replica. From this view, it was much bigger than she’d thought.

“Please, sit,” motioned Juliska. Meghan joined her underneath the overhang. She took a seat at a table, across from Banon. The woman in the business attire reappeared, setting down a tray of food and drink.

“Your timing could not have been more perfect, Meghan. I was about to have a late breakfast. Please join me if you’re hungry.”

“Thanks, I am a little hungry.” She helped herself to a biscuit with jelly.

“Coffee?” asked the woman serving them.

“Yes, please, Hollee,” said Juliska.

The woman glanced at Meghan.  “Oh, um, no thanks.” She did drink coffee now and then, when she’d lived with Uncle Arnon, but the caffeine often made her jittery and her nerves were already on high alert, just sitting across from Juliska Blackwell.

“It’s decaf,” said Juliska, shooting a wink in Meghan’s direction.

“Oh. In that case, sure. Why not?”

Juliska chuckled. “I love coffee. Can’t handle the caffeine.”

“My uncle let me drink coffee sometimes,” said Meghan. “But more than a cup and I feel like I can climb walls.”

Juliska laughed lightly, putting Meghan at ease. “I know what you mean.” She turned to the woman serving them. “Thank you, Hollee. We’re all set for now.” The woman gave them each a short nod and departed, leaving them to speak alone.

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Sipping on the hot coffee. Without realizing it, Meghan let out a deep sigh.

Juliska put down her fork. “You’re troubled?” she guessed.

“I’m not even sure how to begin. Being a Firemancer is,” she clipped her words with a headshake. “There’s this thing happening. A terrible thing, I think. Not to me, unless you count being a seer in the terrible category. Sorry,” she added in haste. “I just mean...”

Juliska held up her hand to stop her and smiled sympathetically. “Going that well is it?”

“I’m just having a hard time adjusting. More like, I don’t really understand anything that’s happening.” 

“That is an entirely acceptable way to feel, Meghan. It does take some practice and getting used to.”

Meghan knew instantly that Juliska understood her.

“Twice now,” said Meghan, getting to the heart of the visit, “I’ve had this overwhelming feeling. It tells me something is horribly wrong. The frustrating part is that I don’t know what it is, or how to fix it. It’s all so mysterious. Not clear at all.”

“May I ask, is this occurring around one particular person?”

Meghan explained her encounters, leaving out Jae’s name.

“Interesting,” replied Juliska, afterward. “As I’ve said, seeing is a gift and a curse. I’m sure that’s a picture you’re seeing loud and clear.”

“Yeah, that one’s easy to see,” Meghan replied, rolling her eyes. She enjoyed talking to Juliska. It was easy. Effortless, in a way.

“Sometimes,” said Juliska, “figuring out the problem comes down to experience and, well, guess work.”

“How do you guess?” asked Meghan.

Juliska laughed softly. “Time, I am afraid. Learning to decipher what you feel or see. Understanding if what you’re seeing is the past, present, or future is a good place to begin.”

“Even if I somehow decipher that, what can I do? I mean, say it’s a current problem, can I actually interfere in someone’s life, if they truly are in danger, or need help?”

“That depends,” admitted Juliska. “This is where things get tricky. You see, if it is the past, obviously you cannot do anything. Often we see glimpses of the past in order to better understand a current situation. If what you’re seeing is the present or the future, you must determine if it is something that can be fixed. Or if it’s something you should attempt to fix. In the end, you must decide what to do with your knowledge, Meghan.”

Her eyes widened. “Um. Wow. That’s so much to decide. What if I’m wrong? What if I make things worse?”

“I am afraid I may be burdening you, more than helping today,” sighed Juliska.

“I guess I just didn’t realize how complicated Firemancy would be. I don’t know why, but I thought having visions would make things easier to understand. Not harder.”

“With time and practice, it will become easier, Meghan. No. Easier is not the word I’m looking for. Manageable. Controllable.” She rose from her chair, pacing elegantly. When she turned back, Meghan gasped. Juliska’s pulled back hair began to fan out around her shoulders, something crawling through her dark strands. There was the slightest sound of tinkling, almost like glass hitting glass.

“Banon Blackwell, you’ve got a spider in your hair,” she choked out. Juliska didn’t flinch or seem to care. She shifted her hair so Meghan could see the spider.

“Not to worry. That’s Pajak, my pet.”

It was big. Far too big. With a black body and silver slits cutting across its legs. And shiny, like it really was made of glass.

“He serves as a fantastic hair piece when he sleeps.”

A spider for a pet! When would this new world begin to make sense? Meghan was not fond of spiders and this was the biggest one she had ever seen. It had to have been at least four inches round.

Juliska ignored Pajak, completely at ease with the spider. She took her seat at the table again.

Meghan had a hard time keeping her eyes off the freaky looking thing.

“I’m going to give you something.” Juliska was speaking to her and she’d tuned out for a minute.

“Okay,” replied Meghan.

“It’s something an old friend once gave me. Pantin Hollee,” she called out. The same woman that delivered the food came striding in.

“Yes, Banon Blackwell.”

“Oh, Hollee, when will you start calling me Juliska?”

“As I have always answered, only when not on duty, and I’m never not on duty, Ma’am,” the lady called Pantin Hollee replied dutifully.

“Oh fine, then. Will you please go to my study and grab an unused journal and bring it to our new Firemancer?” The woman nodded with a curt smile and departed. “I want you to keep this journal with you at all times,” she instructed Meghan. “And whenever anything occurs that you think is vision related, write it down. Keep track of where you were. Who you were with, or anything of note that comes to mind. This, after some time, should create some patterns and give you a better picture of what may be happening.”

“Okay, I will,” decided Meghan.

“Good. And if nothing else, it gives you a place to keep track of it all. To go back and reference if needed. And give your mind a break. It can get a little crowded after a while.”

“It already feels crowded.”

“Ah, then you’ll love the journal. It will be your new best friend. Just put all the little details on the pages, and let your mind rest. Visions don’t always give you exact answers. Sometimes they are difficult to interpret. But writing it all down can give you a new and fresh perspective.”

Hollee returned with the journal and handed it to Meghan.

“Thanks.”

The woman gave her a short nod.

“Yes. Thank you, Hollee.” Juliska cast the woman a half-lidded gaze that Meghan missed while she flipped through the journal.

“I could not locate one from the shop in town, so I grabbed an empty one from your personal collection,” the woman named Hollee explained.

“Perfect,” said Juliska crisply. “As if you read my mind. Don’t know what I’d do without you, Hollee.” The woman departed, leaving the two Firemancers alone again.

Meghan closed the blank journal, realizing that the woman had left again. “Is her name, Pantin? Or is that a title?” She wanted to properly greet her, or say goodbye.

“Title. For the assistant to the Banon. Hollee is my most trusted personal assistant. I really could not manage without her. Or without my own journals. Both help me keep my sanity. I think you’ll find the journal of great value.”

“Thank you.” Meghan took a cleansing breath. She was ready now. Armed with something to help her figure all this stuff out. A simple thing, but not something she had thought about herself. She had never been one for writing in any form.

“I will have Hollee show you out in a few minutes. I’m afraid I need to go to a meeting. But remember, feel free to come back at any time. You are always welcome here. I am a busy woman, but there are few things more important than helping a new Firemancer.” Her eyes twinkled as they got up from the table. Juliska leaned over and touched her shoulder gently. Meghan caught Pajak out of the corner of her eye and swore the spider winked at her.

There was a powerful energy that emanated all around Juliska. It was easy to understand why she was the Svoda’s leader. Meghan grinned and was about to say goodbye when her pocket stirred.

Juliska’s gaze narrowed in on the little kitten head peeking out of Meghan’s sweater pocket. The kitten had been sleeping so soundly, Meghan had forgotten all about her. She opened the sweater pocket and let Juliska see the Catawitch.

“My, my.” The leader let out a breathy rush of air. “To be chosen as the master and companion of one of these is truly an honor.” Juliska gazed at Meghan with a fascination that left her filled with uncertainty.

She wanted to ask, is it a good honor, or bad honor? But held her tongue. She’d come seeking help and Juliska had given it. Freely and willingly. 

“Um. Thank you, Juliska, I mean, Banon Blackwell,” Meghan bowed slightly hoping she had not offended.

“I insist that you call me Juliska. I may not be able to force Hollee to do it, but frankly, it is nice to hear my real name once in a while.” She tossed her a bemused wink.

The Pantin returned, almost like she’d been called, although Meghan heard no such call. Juliska bid her farewell and she was showed out of the fort. She hurried back into town, itching to get started writing in her journal.

She stopped at the one open shop to get a pen. The man behind the counter showed Meghan his selection; she couldn’t get over the fact that she did not need to pay. He simply wished her a good day and sank behind a shelf.

##

COLIN FOUND UNCLE EDDY talking to Timothy in the old mill. After learning that Meghan had cut classes and not made contact with him, Uncle Eddy insisted that he send a leaf, once she had turned up. Just to let him know everything was okay. 

“We also found out that after the holidays we are moving on,” Colin informed him.

“I assumed that would be the case,” said Uncle Eddy. “We still have some time though. Come whenever you can.” This did not cheer up Colin, but he pretended to be happier, and told Uncle Eddy about successfully moving the pillows in class.

“I did it no problem. I couldn’t believe it was so easy.”

“Good, good,” Eddy answered. “I had no doubts you would fit right in. And from what I’ve seen you accomplish so far, you shouldn’t have any problems with whatever they throw at you.”

Colin nodded. He actually believed this too. It was a strange feeling to be so sure of it. But he felt more confident about his abilities than anything else.

The rest of the hour his uncle helped him get a start on his homework, and they watched Timothy play. Colin, too soon, realized it was time to leave.

“No Meghan yet?” Eddy asked, hopeful of some news before Colin’s departure.

“No, still nothing. She is completely blocking me. I’ll send a leaf once she turns up.”

Timothy followed most of the way back and left him near the wagons. When Colin arrived home he spied his sister sitting alone in the back near the fire pit, writing. He stormed through the house ignoring the Mochries, and yelled at her.

“Thanks for not telling me where you were all day! I had no idea if you were all right or not.”

“I’m obviously fine. Maybe I didn’t feel like having you in my brain all day,” she whispered angrily, hoping no one would overhear.

“Fine. Whatever. I’ve got to send a leaf to Uncle Eddy and tell him you’re all right. He was worried, too.” Meghan could see that her brother had been anxious, but for some reason this made her even more furious, rather than sorry.

“Don’t worry about me, okay? I went for a walk. I just... needed some air.”

“You know, I don’t think you can play by your own rules in this place. You missed classes all day, and the teacher is expecting you to have some kind of letter of excuse for not being there. I think she is worried that you won’t have enough practice time to pass to the next level or...” he stopped.

“Or what, Colin?” she barked.

“Maybe you would enjoy being the only thirteen-year-old in the elementary class, when Jae and I both pass, and you don’t.” Although there was no guarantee any of them would pass.

Daveena either, and she was thirteen too. And there was that other girl, Maria, who Colin thought was actually older than all of them. But he was just trying to make a point. One that went right through one of Meghan’s ears and out the other.

She jumped out of her chair and promptly left the backyard, huffing her way to the bedroom, sliding the curtain closed as angrily as she could.

##

DAYS PASSED WITHOUT the twins speaking, and each time Colin tried, Meghan made herself busy writing in her journal. Whenever Meghan thought she might try, Colin was busy impressing some student, or the teacher, with his ever-fast-increasing magical abilities; something she was not improving on, and growing increasingly agitated by.

The weekend arrived and they headed out to visit Uncle Eddy, not saying a word the entire way. When they arrived at the old mill, Uncle Eddy instantly noticed that something was wrong.

“You might as well spill the beans,” he said. The twins ignored each other. This did not please their uncle. “Listen to me, carefully,” he said, gaining their attention. “If there is only one thing you remember from what I teach you, it better be this. I understand you have been through a lot these last few months, but it is imperative that you stick together. You are both stuck here! You are both starting new lives. If you work out your problems, rather than ignoring each other, you’d at least be certain that you will always have each other.”

Colin knew he was being foolish, but his sister had not been nice to be around lately.

“That’s not true!” she objected, hearing the thought.

“Oh, it’s okay to spy on my thoughts now, but I’m still not allowed in yours.”

“If you were to try harder, you could block me out better!” she shouted.

“Why would I want to block you all of the time? I don’t have anything to hide.”

“And you’re saying I do?” She jumped up folding her arms tightly.

“ENOUGH!” roared Uncle Eddy, stopping the twins in their tracks. It had sounded exactly like Uncle Arnon. “Did you not hear a word I said?” he scolded. The twins quieted.

Meghan sat down, leaving her arms securely folded. “Uncle Eddy, you have no idea what it’s like to always have someone in your head, reading all your thoughts.”

“It’s the same for me, too,” Colin said, trying to calm down. “Not so much lately. We’ve pretty much been blocking each other. All the time.”

“I can’t imagine having someone with the ability to be in my head all the time,” said their uncle. “However, regardless of your needs for privacy you must work this out. And being in each other’s heads or not doesn’t really have to do with this problem. Your lives have been entwined since birth. No secrets between you. If you let your bonds fail, these next few years could be even harder to live through.”

He gave them each a loving, but stern, gaze. He needed them to understand how important they were to each other. Not just today, but for the future.

Meghan sighed. Right. No secrets. She kept her block in place but did let go of her anger. Why didn’t she want to share with Colin? She never really kept anything from him before. She was the Firemancer, not him. So why burden him with all the details? Some part of her relished the idea of keeping it all to herself. Having something that was totally just hers.

Colin just didn’t feel like sharing because he was pissed at his sister. It wasn’t like her to be so distant and hide things from him. Maybe he missed that more than he expected. Or was it something else? Like what? Like I’m jealous? That’s nothing new. Meghan pretty much always gets what she wants, one way or another...

The twins understood being angry with each other was stupid, and that Eddy was right, but were not yet ready to admit it to each other. They did do their best to get along the rest of the day.

Eddy had them practice drawing energy and using it to perform spells. Very similar to what Colin had done in class with the pillows. Meghan made slow progress but was still far behind Colin; this irritated her tremendously, but she tried to not show it. Colin congratulated her when her spells did work, and she thanked him nicely, and by the end of the day they were at least speaking to each other. 

Another day with Uncle Eddy was ending though.

Meghan fed her kitten, in disbelief over how fast she grew: the kitten could barely fit into her pocket already.

Timothy arrived, happy to see the kitten looking healthy.

“Have you given her a name yet? I’ve thought up a bunch if you need help,” and without waiting he began listing names. “There’s Waggles, Blackberry, although, she looks more like a fuzzy peach, and then there’s Athena, Bashful, Buttons, Cuddles. Another one I like is Jingles, and then Doodles.”

“I think I’ve chosen one,” Meghan interrupted. “But thanks, Timothy.” She realized he could have continued for hours, easily. “I’ve decided to name her, Nona Jacoby. She will be an elegant full-grown cat someday. Therefore, she needs an elegant name.”

“Nona it is then,” said her uncle, casting her a smile. He escorted them to the edge of the mill, making an obvious gesture to survey the area.

“What are you looking for?” asked Colin.

“Just being careful. I didn’t bring it up, but last time you were here, Colin, I thought I caught someone watching us.”

The twins glanced around, hoping Eddy was wrong.

Their thoughts strayed to the Three D’s and they cast each other wary stares.

“I’m sure it was my imagination,” he shook it off. “Do be careful though, and remember what I have said today. No secrets. It will only lead to trouble. You can still keep your personal privacy up here,” he pointed to their heads, “without keeping secrets from each other.”

They nodded. Although neither had willingly lifted the block yet. He dissolved and disappeared. Timothy floated alongside, entertaining the duo as they worked their way homeward. Their amusement ended abruptly.

A hideous looking ghost flew out of nowhere in front of them. His clothes were tattered and burnt. His face held what they were sure was a permanent scowl, embellished with a few gash-like scars across his face.

Timothy floated up high and away, taking cover behind a tree limb. “It’s Duppy, the mean one,” he shouted down at the twins. 

Meghan and Colin gasped when the ghost named Duppy snarled at them.

“Give it to me, now!” he ordered them.

Colin froze up at the sight of the confronting ghost. As usual, he was leaving it up to his sister to handle.

Meghan lifted her chin and demanded, “Give you what?”

“You know what.”

“I really don’t,” Meghan argued.

“Hand it over now. It will be so much easier for you.” Duppy flitted around them menacingly, looking for the object of his obsession. “My employer won’t be happy until it’s delivered.” He stopped in front of them, his ghostly eyes shooting silent warnings.

Meghan stepped forward as if she meant to walk straight through the ghost, grabbing Colin to get him moving with her.

“Honestly, unless you can be more precise, you’re wasting our time.”

Duppy growled and shot right up to her face. His ghostly head flitted down to Colin.

“The book. The Magicante,” he accursedly grunted. “I want it now!”

Colin sucked in a breath and held it. Meghan’s eyes widened. How did this ghost know about the book? She dropped the block in her mind and sensed Colin had done the same.

“Ghosts can’t use magic on us, right?” she sent him.

“No. At least, that’s what Jae said when we first met Uncle Eddy.”

“Better get Timothy outta here, then. This Duppy guy already has it out for him.” Meghan looked upward and shouted. “Timothy, go find Uncle Eddy. And tell him there’s a ghost who wants our book.”

Timothy was gone instantly.

Duppy floated away from their faces, backing up.

“What? Afraid of our uncle?” egged Meghan. “Been waiting to get us alone, have you?”

Duppy snarled. If possible, the scowl etched into his face turned nastier and deeper.

“You wait long enough,” he warned, “and my employer might decide to handle matters differently.”

Meghan swallowed hard. He might be a ghost that could not cause them any harm, but something in what he said pinged true. Somehow, someone had found out about the book, recognized it for what it was, and wanted it. Enough to hire a ghost to try to scare it out of them.

Duppy surged forward, stabbing his icy silhouette straight through the twins, leaving the unpleasant sting of death seeping into their bones. Uncle Eddy appeared right behind them, facing Duppy. Timothy floated nervously overhead.

The twins spun around just in time to see Duppy raise his palm, preparing to throw a spell at their uncle. Eddy was prepared with a fireball in his hand. He shouted for the twins to duck as he shot it and hit Duppy straight on. The hideous ghost exploded into a million tiny spectral bits. They pushed out and upward, raining down around the twins.

Eddy raced forward. “Are you both all right?”

“Yes,” they answered, though somewhat shakily. 

“And the book...” he whispered softly.

“Fine,” answered Colin.

Eddy nodded, relieved.

“Wh-what did you do to him? Has he moved on?” asked Colin.

“No. Going to take him some time to put himself back together though,” explained Eddy. “You can’t kill someone who’s already dead, and you can’t make them move on, either. Not until it’s their time.”

Meghan let out a sigh. A foreboding prickle attached to her spine, unwilling to let go. Something told her they were in a lot more danger than their uncle was letting on.

He continued to explain the spell he’d used.

“It’s called Sphaera. It’s a spell you can use whether living or dead. But like any magic, if you’re living, it only works on the living.”

“And if you’re dead, only on the dead,” finished Colin.

“Right. Saying the word, Sphaera, will collect magical energy in the form of a powerful orb. In my case, ghostly energy, and this energy can then be thrown, subduing your opponent. It does some serious damage as you can see. In the world of the living, you would only want to use this spell in dire circumstances, as it might well kill whoever you’re aiming for.”

“Spells that can kill...” Colin muttered, in awe of it. Of course, they existed. But to see one, to even think of using one on a living person. He shuddered at the thought, unable to imagine what predicament they’d have to be in where they’d deem this action necessary.

Timothy floated down and joined them.

“All right there, Tim?” asked Eddy.

“Yeah. Okay here. Really really don’t like that Duppy.” His ghostly frame shuddered from head to toe.

“We don’t blame you,” said Meghan. “He’s not a nice ghost at all. You be careful.” She worried for the small ghost’s safety. He didn’t know any magic, and yet for some reason was stuck in a magical afterlife ghost town.

Colin sent her a thought. “Do you think Duppy is giving him a hard time because he’s been hanging out with us?”

She only grunted a silent reply. It was exactly what she was thinking.

Timothy smiled, suddenly not worried at all. “I’ll be fine.” He grinned wider just at the thought that someone was so concerned about him. “I may not know any magic, but I can fly super-fast. I’ve had twelve years to practice.” As if to prove his point, he flew upward in a tight twist and swirled around the treetops at incredible speeds.

They all chuckled at that.

“So what now, Uncle Eddy?” asked Colin.

“You’re close to home, you should be safe. Just... keep that book hidden. Show it to no one.”

They nodded that they understood.

“I’m also afraid it’s too dangerous for you to return to Grimble.”

The twins let out frustrated protests. Eddy held up his hands to calm them.

“Just until I send word that it’s safe. Not for good.”

“But when will that be?” bemoaned Meghan.

“Not until I figure out why Duppy wants the book. And who this supposed employer of his is.”

They sighed. Agreeing. Although, begrudgingly.

Eddy departed, and Timothy escorted them the rest of the way, which wasn’t far. Meghan and Colin stepped through the wagon door, back into Bedgewood, each secretly afraid that it might never be safe to return to Grimble, again.

##

THE TWINS WERE VEXED. An entire week went by without a word from Uncle Eddy. Their classes were getting more difficult and time-consuming. Exam time rolled closer, and nerves shot into overdrive for all the students.

The twin’s tutor turned out to be Teacher Lindy; she’d taken a liking to the twins, especially Colin, who was excelling in all his subjects, unlike Meghan. The only time they saw Jae was in school; otherwise, he was with his father, or on occasion, Ivan. Some nights he did not come home at all.

“I’m concerned about Jae,” said Meghan one night before bed, noticing once again, he was not home.

“Yeah, me too,” agreed Colin. Meghan grabbed her journal and scribbled a few notes down.

“What are you writing?” he questioned hesitantly.

She set down the pen. It was time to tell him, she couldn’t hide it anymore.

“Something bad is happening to Jae. I’m trying to figure out what.”

“By using Firemancy?”

“Yes. Except I’m not sure how yet, which is why I have the journal. I started writing things down as they happen. I thought it might help me decipher what I see,” she lied, feeling guilty for not telling him it was Juliska’s advice. For some reason she felt protective of that knowledge.

“Why couldn’t you just tell me that before?”

“Not everything I do has to be public knowledge,” she replied. Not wanting to argue, she added, “I just needed more time. To figure things out in my own head, first. I’m starting to think I never will, until it’s too late.”

“Who’s to say we can even help anyway? I mean, we can’t do much about how things are done around here. And I’m guessing it’s something to do with his father. Or school. Or...” he shrugged, unsure of what else, only wishing he could help. 

Meghan eyed her brother uneasily. “Colin... I don’t think it’s any of those things. Whatever this is, whatever is happening to Jae... it’s so much bigger than that.” The fearful inflection in her tone caught Colin off guard. He had no reply. His sister left the bedroom, deciding to take a bath before bed.

Just outside the door, she ran into Ivan, just coming up the stairs. He gawked at her, his face blank. After a long silent moment, he whispered, “Goodnight.” And disappeared into his room.

“Ugh, that boy,” she snarled, turning toward the bath. She did not notice Ivan’s door reopen. His eyes narrowed in on her, spying until she had closed herself inside. His door closed gently, a wry smile etching across his face as he listened to her annoyed mutterings.

Colin lay on his bed, but sleep wouldn’t come. What was happening to Jae? It was becoming obvious that his sister was holding back on him.

A light rapping at the window startled him. He sat up quick, his head spinning for a second. There was a leaf tapping gently on the glass. “What the heck?” He tiptoed over and opened the window. The leaf flew inside, landing on his hand.

A message appeared.

“Uncle Eddy,” realized Colin excitedly.

“Timothy and I are fine. However, it’s still not safe to visit. So sit tight. There’s still plenty of time. Work hard for your upcoming exams, and if anything out of the ordinary happens, leaf me right away.” He didn’t sign it. Colin wondered why. “Guess he knew we’d know it was from him.” He let his mind block down and reached out for Meghan. She answered and he explained the message. They were both bummed they could not visit yet. What was taking so long? Was tracking down Duppy, or his employer, proving difficult? They wondered if they could help in some way. But neither had any clue as to how to do so.

Meghan sighed. “Getting out of the bath now. Night, Col.”

He grunted his reply. Their mind blocks went back up.

Meghan dried off and sat in front of the fire. She did not want to fear it. Fire was supposed to be her ally. Yet anytime she was near, it felt like it was trying to pull her in and show her something. But she hadn’t really just stared into the flames, long enough for them to show her.

She’d caught glimpses. Small pieces of a puzzle that made no sense. Other than, it was Jae, and he was going through something terrifying.

And whenever a flame caught her eye, it called to her, almost begging her to look long enough to see. She hadn’t wanted to. Didn’t feel ready to. She feared now, she might have waited too long. It might be too late to help Jae, even if the flames could show her all she needed to see.

So now, she stared, watching the flames burst and flicker. Allowing them to pull her in and take her to what she needed to see. She had to give in to this. Let it show her whatever thing it needed to.

It didn’t happen like she expected. Previously, she’d had intense feelings, one’s clearly not her own. And even a few flickers of images in her mind. But this vision came to her like a waking dream. One she could walk through and witness, like a silent observer.

Meghan caught her breath. Apparently, she could not walk far. There was a rounded edge all around her. She was standing in the middle of a stone pillar. A dim light cast down over her, just enough to see a rough outline of the edge. She knelt down and crawled to the edge, peering cautiously over the side.

Nothing. Just darkness. All the way around.

How high up was she? Her heart skipped a few beats. She couldn’t get stuck inside a vision, could she?

“H-hello,” she called out in a hushed whisper. It echoed back at her, bouncing off walls she could not see in the darkness.

A noise from behind startled her. She slid around apprehensively. About ten feet away and out of reach, another dim light snapped on, exposing another pillar. A body lay on it, moaning.

“Hello,” she stammered. “Are you okay?”

The figure rolled over, facing her.

Meghan’s breath hitched.

It was Jae. And he was covered with bloody gashes. An arm stretched out to her, and a weak voice pleaded with her.

“Don’t let it come back. I can’t fight it. I can’t fight it.”

She searched in desperation for some way of getting to the other pillar, groping the edges of her own, until she came face to face with Jae again. Her blood drained to her feet, an icy sweat erupting on her brow.

“Please, don’t let it happen again,” he repeated his plea.

“What is happening, Jae?” she asked him desperately. He did not reply, only stared into her eyes hopelessly. Meghan squeezed her eyes shut. If this is what she had to look forward to, by being a Firemancer, she didn’t want any part of it. She took a deep breath and reopened her eyes. Her gaze widened and froze on something new:  a faceless silhouette rising over him, out of nowhere. She looked back down at Jae; he saw the fear she could not hide.

“You can’t help me,” he cried weakly. He rolled onto his back, accepting his fate. Or maybe in this vision, he had no choice but to follow through with it. Meghan didn’t really understand.

The silhouette expanded, fanning out into a dark mass that pressed down over him like a thick blanket he could not remove. Jae’s hands went up to his face in defense.

“Leave him alone,” begged Meghan, but the dark figure did not stop.

With ragged breaths, Jae screamed out, “No. Not again. I won’t! I won’t do it.” In payment for his refusal, a new gash slashed across his face. It wasn’t blood that came out this time though. Darkness. Like inside his body was just darkness and nothing more.

His head fell to the side.

Meghan stared back in horror. Tears streamed down her face. She called out to him but there was no answer. His eyes flicked open and she gasped, falling back to the middle of her pillar.

His eyes were solid black. Soulless. Wicked. 

Then, with a blink, they returned to the normal molasses brown she’d grown accustomed to.

“You’ll have to kill me,” he whispered.

Meghan had no idea if he was talking to her, or the thing trying to hurt him.

Jae rolled his head to look up, and dare the shadow.

“I won’t do what you want. I’d rather die.”

Meghan collapsed. She didn’t want to watch anymore. She’d finally given into the flames, letting them take her into this vision, and she wasn’t any clearer about what was happening to Jae than before. She was forced to witness this dreadful thing that she could not stop, but only watch. What purpose did this serve?

The dark silhouette released Jae. But it did not leave. Instead, it transformed next to him, from a faceless shadow to a solid cloaked being. It leaned over and picked up Jae’s limp body. He didn’t even fight. The figure dangled him over the edge of the pillar, threatening to drop him into the dark abyss.

“Please don’t!” cried Meghan. She groped the edge of her pillar, trying desperately to reach Jae. “Why are you doing this?” she sobbed in helpless horror. What purpose did this gift serve, if she could do nothing but watch her friend suffer and die?

She took a daring glance at the being. Black burnished eyes pierced her own. She screamed, stumbling backwards. With a snarl, the being dropped Jae into the black abyss. 

Meghan stumbled too far and fell over the edge. Her screams grew distant. Like a dream she was waking from. Her eyes fluttered open and she was on the bath-room floor in the Mochrie house. She was panting. But even more disturbing, her hand was lying in the fireplace. Only hot and pulsing embers remained. 

She pulled out her hand, it was fine. Not a burn. It didn’t hurt at all.

Sunlight was creeping into the room; somehow, it was already morning. Her eyes wouldn’t focus and she thought for a second she might be sick. Hands wrapped around her waist, picking her up off the floor. No one spoke, someone just helped her into a chair.

She took a few deep breaths waiting for the nausea to go away. She stretched her eyelids getting her sight to return. Her gaze drifted upward, to the person who had helped her. Another pit opened in her gut. This time, filled with irritation.

Ivan Crane sat in a chair blocking the door, almost as if he’d been standing guard and not letting anyone else inside. He stared at her, not saying anything. Just how long had he been here? The vision had only felt like minutes, and yet it was morning.

She pulled her robe around herself, tightly. “Thanks?” she returned flatly as if asking a question.

“I’d gather it was a pretty bad dream.” His voice showed no concern. She didn’t want to discuss it, especially with rude stranger boy, who never spoke more than a few words in passing.

“I don’t remember,” she lied, lifting her chin defiantly. “I’m fine now.”

Ivan took the hint. He moved the chair away from the entrance and opened it to leave. He stopped halfway through though. “I’ve had bad dreams,” he mused, “but nothing that ever made me scream like I was being murdered in my sleep.” His voice taunted her to argue, but she ignored it.

She bit her tongue, a hundred different retorts forming.

“Don’t worry. No one heard you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he replied arrogantly. “I used magic to mask the noise, so you wouldn’t wake up anyone else.” His statement intimated she’d awakened him with her screaming. Meghan had no idea if she should be cross with him, or thank him.

Cross was winning. Was it possible for him to speak, without sounding smug?

And she didn’t like the idea of screaming in her sleep, around anyone, but of all the people to get stuck with... weirdo boy!

With exhausting effort, she made it to her bed and crawled in. Within minutes, Mireya was stirring and getting up.

Meghan just wanted to sleep. And forget. But the vision replayed over and over in her mind. She wondered if there was any way not to be a Firemancer. If she could just ignore it, and maybe it would just go away.

Mireya got up and dressed. Colin followed just minutes later. Jae must have never come home, or come up to bed; there was no movement from his bedroom cubby.

Meghan stayed quiet, and kept her mind block firmly in place. She didn’t want to talk to her brother just yet.

After she was alone, she sat up and grabbed her journal. But just as she put pen to paper she froze. Suddenly unsure about writing it all down. Somehow, it would make it real. Make it so she had to accept what she’d seen in her vision.

And how could she possibly ever forget? Every detail burned into her brain like it had been branded there.

Still, she had promised Juliska.

She decided to do it. But left out Jae’s name and changed it to unknown boy. She wrote furiously, taking up page after page and when finished, let out a breath so deep and long she wondered if maybe she’d been holding it the entire time.

Meghan set down the journal just as there was a light rapping at the bedroom door. She flicked her curtain back to look.

“Who’d be knocking?” she muttered under her breath. “Ugh, please not Ivan,” she droned. “Come in,” she called out apprehensively.

Her brother poked in his head. “You up, finally?”

“What are you doing knocking? Usually you just invade my head.” Even with the block in place, she could sense him trying to contact her. But she hadn’t since he’d first awakened that morning.

“I’m trying to be more... what Uncle Eddy said. More privacy. I figured if you weren’t awake yet you needed more sleep.”

“Oh. That’s really nice of you,” she answered, caught off guard by his behavior.

He shrugged. “Breakfast is ready and it’s Saturday, so no school. Oh, and no tutor today either. She can’t make it.”

“I’d forgotten it was the weekend. And no tutor! We’ll get an actual day off.” She liked that prospect. She came close to telling Colin about her vision, but decided to keep it to herself; besides, she didn’t want Colin to worry about Jae (more than he already was).

Nona stirred. The fast growing kitten had been curled up in her blankets all night. It pawed at her arm softly. Meghan picked her up and nuzzled her against her cheek. They headed down to breakfast a bit later, dressed and ready for the day. Spirits were good around the kitchen table. Jae had fallen asleep on a sofa downstairs and just stayed there all night, but even he seemed happier this morning.

Meghan did her best to shake off the nightmarish vision. It hadn’t gotten her any closer to finding out what was wrong with him. 

“That kitten is getting bigger fast,” said Mireya, playing with Nona.

“She follows me almost everywhere now and sleeps on my feet at night,” said Meghan. “Way too big to fit into a pocket now.” Nona looked up at Meghan just then, her white eye gleaming. Her head turned side to side, almost as if she was listening to something. She hopped onto Meghan’s lap and curled up, but not before giving her a lick on the arm.

Once they’d cleaned off the breakfast table, Jae suggested they take their homework to the wharf. It was nice outside, sunny and warm. It had been raining for the last three days. Quite a few students had gathered near the shore to study. Everyone wanted to be outside enjoying the weather.

Jae and the twins found a comfortable spot to sit and study. Nona scampered off to chase something. Probably a mouse, assumed Meghan. She watched the other students; some had their noses glued to the inside of a book. Some were questioning each other. A few were practicing actual magic. All were prepping for the exams looming over them.

Mireya, being a level above the three, studied with another group of friends she found nearby. There was a lot of giggling and pointing to a few cute boys not far away though. They weren’t getting much studying in.

The twins and Jae decided to take turns questioning each other for a written part of the exam. Mostly they questioned Meghan. Jae already knew the answers and Colin had no trouble remembering them either. This part of the test required them to recite (in written form) the predetermined answers they were to give when in the outside world. In order to keep their magic a secret.

They’d heard Jae say a few of these things when they’d first met him back in Cobbscott. And now that they were learning it themselves, they realized how many rules he’d broken when he’d gotten stuck there.

Meghan had a thought pop into her head. She wondered if this was part of what was wrong with Jae. Was he feeling guilty? About the rules he broke, or how he got his family in trouble? She was sure he had to feel that, at least on some level. But even so, she didn’t think it was all of it.

They spent an hour having Meghan recite the answers. She was slow, but did eventually get them all right. She wished she had Colin’s memory, he was so much better at this sort of thing.

Nona returned, sauntering back to curl up on Meghan’s lap. She stroked the kittens back absentmindedly. After reciting answers for an hour, they moved on to memorizing the Svoda Goals. Again, the main theme being that each of them was responsible to maintain the safety of the group. And live a life that was conducive to helping, not jeopardizing, the end goal: getting back home to their island off the coast of Maine, permanently.

Jae and Colin also had these down, so Jae questioned Meghan.

“Um... the first one was something about secrets,” she replied, shaking her head in annoyance of her poor memory.

“Yes, it is,” encouraged Jae. “But you’ll need to be specific if you expect to pass.”

Colin put the words own actions in her mind as a clue.

“Oh, right, I got it. As Svoda, we must make sure our own actions don’t divulge any magical secrets to the outside world since that would compromise our safety.”

Jae grinned. “Good job. How about the second goal?” This one was easier since it was an offshoot of the first.

“It is also every Svoda’s responsibility to watch over our fellow Svoda, and if compromises are witnessed, report it to the proper authorities,” she answered.

“You’re on a roll, Sis,” boasted Colin.

“Maybe we should stop while I’m ahead,” she jested.

“It won’t help you pass if we don’t keep at it. But maybe for today it’s not a bad idea.” He sighed, lying back on the ground. “This might be one of the last nice days of the year. The sunniest anyway. We can do more memorization later.”

“We could do actual magic practice,” suggested Colin. Meghan sneered. Her brother was always up for this. He’d even begun to draw small crowds of other students who couldn’t believe he never got tired. Meghan was glad Colin’s confidence was building, but she unfortunately, showed little improvement.

Jae agreed and got up with them. They collected driftwood, rocks, and books they’d brought, and practiced moving and stacking them. They had to coax Meghan to try; she failed miserably each time. They both feared she might not pass the practical part of the exam. So far, she’d never been able to stack the pillows in class, never mind move them. But they encouraged her nonetheless.

When she tried, she felt every eye staring at her. Normally this would not have bothered her, but for some reason when it came to using magic, she just didn’t have the confidence her brother did. It didn’t help that everywhere she looked she swore there was someone pointing and whispering.

Why? Because of what she was? Was being a Firemancer really such a freak thing? Their leader was one after all. Nona shifted between her legs. Maybe it was because she owned a Catawitch. She just didn’t get why they still did this. They weren’t the strange newcomers any longer. And they didn’t do it to her brother.

After a bit they gave up on the stacking and moving, Colin and Jae getting their kicks by throwing rocks out into the ocean. They had a contest with a few others to see who could throw the farthest, and make the biggest splash. Jae got frustrated and quit halfway through. His throws, getting worse and worse. But then so did each student, except for Colin.

Meghan grimaced. Instead of pointing and whispering, the other students clung to Colin almost like... “Oh my God. He’s popular,” she sputtered in realization, watching them adore him. “How the heck did that happen?” Her brother was never popular. The teachers all loved him too.

Colin grinned over the attention. His cheeks a bit red, and he still stumbled over his words a bit. But they all loved him. Meghan didn’t know how to feel about this. And from the look on her brother’s face he had no idea he was popular. He just really liked doing magic and was good at it.

Before long, the sun was setting and it was time to head home. And far too fast, the weekend was over and Monday rushed in with a vengeance. Any weekend relaxing they’d done was gone. Each student now keenly aware that the fall exams loomed, a mere week away. Tension reigned thick throughout the town, from parents, teachers and students alike.

The weekend before the exams, the twins finally got the leaf they had been waiting for. It was safe to visit their uncle. The twins took Jae aside after lunch to let him know.

“Finally got a message from Uncle Eddy, it’s safe to go. We won’t be gone long though.”

Jae nodded that he understood.

Timothy met them outside of the wagons and led them down a pathway they’d never been on before.

“New place,” explained Timothy. “Your uncle scoped it out yesterday.” He floated in circles over their heads as he talked, looking for any potential hidden dangers. Shortly, they were in a clearing near a small pond with their ghostly uncle hovering back and forth, waiting.

“There you are, there you are.” Eddy let out a ghostly sigh of relief. “Getting along better than the last time we were together, I hope.”

The twins glanced sideways at each other and grinned in reluctant agreement.

“Good. There’s no lesson today, and I’m honestly not sure it’s safe for you to be here. But I wanted to see how your progress is coming along. Do either of you have any questions pertaining to your exams? I realize you must both be anxious.”

Nona trotted along with Timothy, playing near the edge of the woods. Meghan watched her as an excuse not to discuss the exams.

“I don’t think the exams will be too hard, Uncle Eddy, but we’ve certainly never been so busy.”

“It’ll keep you both out of trouble,” he chuckled, winking.

“I don’t get into trouble,” argued Colin.

“Ah yes, but if you were not so busy, would you?”

“I don’t get into trouble,” he repeated.

Uncle Eddy laughed and changed the subject. “How about you, Meghan, how do you feel about the exams?”

“Okay,” she shrugged.

Colin knew she did not feel good at all. He didn’t feel any better about her prognosis than she did.

“I think the written part will be okay,” she told him. “But the magic, it’s just not happening for me, Uncle Eddy. I suck.”

“You don’t suck, Meghan, never think that about yourself,” he spoke kindly. “All you can do is concentrate, and do your best.”

“And if my best means I fail?”

“Then you fail. And you do it again. Many have. Is it such a devastating idea, that you might fail?”

Colin cleared his throat.

Meghan scowled.

“Failing is not the end of the world,” claimed Eddy. “It just means you haven’t learned everything you can yet.”

She nodded, but maintained little confidence that she’d pass. She loathed the idea of failing. There were enough reasons for people to whisper behind her back. Failing the exam would just give them more kindling for the fire.

“By the time your exams are completed, I hope to have located a safe place for us to meet again,” said their uncle.

“Do we have to wait for you to send a leaf first?” asked Colin.

“How about, you send me a leaf when you’re able to come, and I will let you know if it’s safe or not.”

“Okay,” agreed Colin.

Meghan huffed and crossed her arms. “Why are you hiding?” she blurted out. “Sorry,” she spoke quickly, letting her arms fall. “That came out wrong. But why do you have to hide?” It was a question both she and Colin wondered about, but hadn’t dared ask. Eddy went silent. After a long minute, he finally answered.

“There is a ghost out there determined to steal your book, Colin. I don’t want them to track you down, by tracking me down. So yes, in a way I am hiding. But this doesn’t matter today. What does matter are your exams. Put all else out of your minds this week.”

Vague answer, thought Meghan. And it didn’t get by either of the twins that he had specifically looked at Colin, claiming the book was his. Not theirs. He wasn’t telling them everything. Perhaps he was right though, today was not the day.

He pretend hugged the twins, being sure not to really touch them, so they didn’t have to suffer the icy brush of death that came with touching a ghost. He wished them luck and asked them to send along a leaf after each exam, to let him know how it went. They departed, followed as always now, with Timothy flying up overhead, and Nona trotting on the ground below.

##

THE FIRST EXAM MORNING was chaotic; no one had slept and anxiety was high. Sheila had asked Ivan to escort the foursome to their exams, just to be sure they arrived on time. Even Irving Mochrie went to work late.

“Hard work will pay off!” he told them as they departed, his face stern, but hopeful.

It just made Meghan extra nervous, seeing how seriously everyone took exam day.

Ivan took the lead, commanding them to hurry as they left the Mochrie house. He did not look at, or speak with them, the entire walk.

“What exactly is his deal?” bleated Meghan, watching his smug strut up ahead.

“Ivan, he’s actually quite shy,” answered Mireya. “And, oh, I don’t know... sometimes he’s rather a big turd,” she giggled nervously.

Meghan laughed, which she needed; her nerves were getting the best of her.

Ivan waited at the school entrance, and then made, what the twins believed to be, an effort at a smile.

“Good luck. I am sure you don’t need me to remind you how important this day is.” His eyes grazed Meghan’s, but briskly darted another direction. He promptly sauntered off.

“Does he have friends?” questioned Meghan. “I can’t even fathom who’d take the job.” She couldn’t help but find his actions infuriating.

“Ivan’s a workaholic,” said Jae. “I don’t think friends are high on his list of priorities. Dad loves him for it, but I,” he stopped, the twins waited, but he did not continue on the subject. “We better get inside.”

They were about to enter when an eerie shudder rained down Meghan’s spine. She whisked around, swearing someone was watching her. “What’s new?” she mumbled, shaking it off as nerves.

##

NOT FAR AWAY, AT THE entrance of the school grounds, Ivan Crane caught his breath and let the branch he’d been peeking through, drop. She’d almost caught him. “No matter,” he whispered with a wry grin. “It’s all too easy really. She’s utterly predictable. Easy to read. She’ll suit just fine, once,” he cut himself off. Meghan’s eyes honed in on his location. His smile faded as he deftly backed away onto the road. Right smack dab into another student.

“Oh, Ivan, excuse me. I didn’t see you there.”

“Um. Hello. Maria.” It came out awkward when he finally did speak. He wasn’t sure how to explain his sudden materialization out of the woods.

She smiled brightly, not even bringing it up. “Lucky you. Already graduated.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he said breathlessly. “You should be too,” he found himself saying. “Or at the least, in graduate level.”

Her cheeks blushed. “That’s very kind of you. But I volunteered to start over.”

“Really? You’re so smart.” He was honestly surprised by her admission.

“Well I did miss two complete school cycles. I spoke about it with my father, and the Banon. She left it up to me in the end. She thought intermediate would be a better place to start over. Maybe it would have, but I’ll get back to the advanced levels soon. Honestly, it’s been nice to do something easy and familiar. And I get to help the younger students too. I enjoy that.”

She would be a great teacher, Ivan thought. Without thinking, he blurted out, “I’m sorry about your mother.” He snapped his mouth shut. It was a terrible thing to bring up. Especially now, right before a test. And so late; her mother had died almost six months ago, after a long battle with an illness.

He wished magic could heal everything. But it wasn’t all powerful. Or all possible. He knew this on a personal level, all too well. He chided himself inwardly for bringing up the subject of her mother. His breath hitched when she grasped his hand and squeezed it compassionately.

How did she always manage to be ridiculously kind? Even after everything she’d gone through, watching her mother succumb to illness. 

“You’re a busy guy these days,” she said, letting go of him.

He nodded. But being busy was no excuse to wait so long.

There was a clang from the school that startled them both.

“Guess I’d better get going. Don’t want to be late on exam day.”

“Good luck, Maria. Although I hardly imagine you need it.”

“No. I suppose not. But I’ll take it anyway. Goodbye, Ivan. It was nice to see you.”

He nodded.

She hurried into the school.

He scurried off before he was caught by anyone else.

##

THEY STEPPED INTO THE school to find the hall abuzz. All students were routed into a small auditorium and organized into their class levels; elementary, junior, advanced and graduate. The trio mouthed good luck to Mireya, who was in junior level, and not expected to pass since it was her first try. Meghan, Colin, and Jae took their seats amongst the beginners.

It had not been so bad being amongst them on their own, but sitting with a group of youngsters, with an average age of eight to eleven, and with most all the other thirteen and fourteen year olds in junior level, they were uncomfortably out of place.

This was not helped by Darcy Scraggs or Dulcy Hadrian loudly taking their seats alongside the other intermediate level students, and sending fake greetings in their direction.

Meghan thought she’d had just about enough with the never ending gawking and staring. “So Jae,” she started, ignoring them. “There are four levels, and once you pass the four, you’re done?”

“Yup.”

“That’s not much, four grades,” she replied.

“It’s not that easy,” he told her. “It takes some students a few tries to pass one level. Everything has to be perfect, or you don’t move on. As you can tell, sometimes it’s a bit like a competition, to see who can get to a higher level the fastest.”

“It doesn’t seem like a fair system,” she mumbled.

He shrugged. 

Colin sensed his sister’s nerves tensing and caught onto a real worry: he might go to the next level without her. She might get stuck behind. With a bunch of kids. How humiliating.

She must be nervous. She’s letting her mind block break. Colin wasn’t sure how to help her. This usually went the other way around, she was helping him.

Jae continued explaining the classes. “It works well, actually. There is a bit of competition, but really, you get to learn at your own pace. Most kids start school around age eight, a few sooner, some later, like Daveena over there.” The trio laughed nervously. “With our traveling schedule though, most kids don’t get to juniors until age eleven or so, and then advanced level around fourteen, and then graduate starts at about sixteen. Ivan was sixteen when he passed graduate, the youngest ever; very smart and spectacular at magic.” He stated it matter-of-factly, not as if he was impressed.

Meghan huffed and jeered. “I suppose, when you’re like Ivan and have NO life, anything would be easier.”

She cast a knowing look to Jae. He grinned and agreed silently.

A bell clanged. The entire auditorium convulsed in unison. The school advisor, Muckle Mauch, asked for silence.

“Today is an important day!” the advisor reminded. “If you have studied hard enough, you will all succeed and move forward. Moving forward should be your highest priority since it leads to full initiation. Without getting through graduate level, you cannot attain full status.”

“What’s he talking about?” sent Meghan to Colin. Curious himself, he threw Jae a questioning look. He leaned in and explained in a whisper.

“Initiation means you have pledged your life to the Svoda, sworn to the Svoda way of life. Mostly ceremonial. But something everyone goes through.”

“Oh,” they answered together.

“Before we begin,” carried on Muckle Mauch, “we have a special guest, who will share a few encouraging words.” A door in the back opened and the crowd squealed as Banon Juliska Nandalia Blackwell strode in. A low murmur whizzed through the students.

“I can’t believe it!”

“She hasn’t come to exam day in ages.”

“This is incredible! I can’t wait to tell my parents!”

The students rose to their feet and vigorously welcomed their leader to the school. The Banon’s eyes swept through the eager young crowd, slowing briefly on Meghan; Colin would have bet his life that he caught the hint of a wink. He knew it had to be true when Meghan dropped her head in attempts to hide a smile. He caught the sensation of something strange in his sister, but couldn’t place it.

Juliska began to speak and the entire school hushed.

“I wanted to come here today and wish you all the best of luck. I realize this is an important day to all of you and your families, and if you have put forth the effort, then you have every right to be proud. I am confident your performances today will prove this.”

It suddenly dawned on Colin what he was feeling from his sister. She had a desire to prove herself to someone.

“That’s not like you,” he sent her. She cocked her head sideways, confused. “Never mind,” he sent back, wondering if it was Juliska Blackwell she was trying to impress. Colin suddenly felt sorry. Here was a woman who was building Meghan’s confidence, not that he personally thought she needed that. But he knew she did not believe in herself, no matter how she came across to anyone else.

“Meghan,” he sent into her mind.

“Yeah,” she sent back, listening to him and Juliska simultaneously.

“You’re going to pass today. We’ve studied all the topics. Besides, if you get stuck you can always ask me, it’s not like anyone would find out.”

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it nervously. Her eyes cried thanks. Colin had never let his sister cheat from him before, and he did not believe she would today, but if she knew he was there for her, maybe she would do better.

Of course, there wasn’t anything he could do to make her perform magic better. On that part of the exam, she was on her own.

The Banon ended her speech and swept out of the room.

“Each class to your test rooms please,” began Muckle Mauch. “Today’s test is a written exam; all you need are your heads. Pre-approved pens and papers are already waiting for you. I should not have to remind you that being caught cheating is an automatic failure.”

The students filed out to their respective rooms. Each student in the elementary class (about twenty students strong), was some form of pale, green, or blue. Teacher Lindy instructed them to all sit down.

“You have three hours to complete each exam today. I remind each of you that during your lunch breaks, in between exams one and two, you are not permitted to discuss your results. You may begin.”

##

COLIN OPENED HIS EXAM and instantly began writing.

Meghan’s heart thumped heavily, and she daydreamed about telling Juliska she had passed. She opened the exam. It took her until the last minute of the three hours to write out all the appropriate answers and examples required; she checked over the exam hoping she had not overlooked any small details.

Colin and Jae had both finished after two hours, but she had not noticed. Colin sat in the lunchroom, keeping his mind opened to her (just in case), but she came out of the room looking relieved.

“How did you do?” he asked her silently.

“I hope good enough to pass,” she sighed. They all sat quietly, watching as some students came out happy, some angry, and some, downright miserable, even crying.

“If time is up,” whispered Jae, “and you’re not finished, you have to repeat the level.”

Meghan did not realize how close she had been to an automatic failure, by finishing so close to the final hour. At the same time, she felt terrible for the students who had worked so hard and had to go home, failing so early on.

Her nerves came back as lunch ended and the second part was to begin. She had lucked out that morning, but would it happen again? She turned the paper over.

True or false.

Magic used against another person is forbidden. T / F

Give examples based on your above answer, on justifications for using magic on another person. (At least two required)

This is much harder her thoughts betrayed. Colin was already busy writing, but sensed his sister sorting through it.

“I think this is a trick question, because using magic against others is forbidden so the answer is true. But, they want a justified example of an occasion when you can use magic on someone.” After talking it through, Colin sent her a happy sentiment, telling her she was on the right track.

The only time you would be allowed to use magic on another person is to defend yourself, or if you had written permission from the Viancourt, or from the Banon, she wrote.

Colin and Jae were nearly finished, though time was only half used up. They were both confident and kept their focus as they finished. Colin sent a thought to his sister as he got up to depart the room.

“Get back to work and forget about me and Jae, you’re doing great.”

She smiled, took a deep breath, and continued.

Give three specific examples, on why you would need to report the actions of a fellow Svoda.

She choked for a second not sure she understood the question. She heard Colin’s echo.

“Talk your way through it again, like you did before.”

Her brain was hard at work when Teacher Lindy announced, “One hour remaining.”

She needed to hurry.

It all came together.

“This is the Svoda rule of turning in your neighbors if they do something to compromise the Svoda way of life. All I need to do is write down three examples of rules that could be broken. This one’s easy, seeing as Colin and I have already done that,” she said in light-hearted sarcasm.

“Now that you know you can, hurry up. You still have to write it all out, and be thorough,” Colin reminded her, breathing a sigh of relief.

Meghan began scratching her pen across her paper, finishing again, with only minutes to spare. At the end of the day, the twins had never been so exhausted. But now they had completed day one, they could discuss their tests with each other. Numerous children were going over answers, trying to remember if they had answered correctly.

“I did fine,” said Jae.

Mireya wasn’t so happy; she hadn’t finished her exam. “I’ll be back in junior level again,” she said, sulking.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” her brother comforted. “You’re already in junior level and you’re only eleven, that’s really good. Keep it up and you’ll be vying Ivan for his graduation record.”

She hugged him and ran to catch up with her friend.

“How about you guys?” Jae asked as they walked.

“I passed,” said Colin confidently.

“You always do,” scowled Meghan. They both waited for her answer. “I’m not totally sure, but I think I did... good enough.”

“They’ll give us our grades before we move on from Grimble,” said Jae. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough. Don’t get too relaxed though, we still have tomorrow to get through.”

“Ugh,” grunted Meghan. “Tomorrow. I may have lucked out today, but tomorrow I have to actually use magic.”

Even Colin could not help her then. She would be on her own.

The twins sent a leaf to Uncle Eddy before bed, informing him they believed they had passed. The night was long and sleepless again. Chaos ensued once more as morning arrived, and Ivan again escorted them to their exam, day number two.

“Thank you so much, Ivan,” said Sheila. “I didn’t expect to be so busy, but I’m the only one working the library since Martha is out having her baby.”

“It is the least I can do,” replied Ivan, in a moment seeming almost human. “I am forever grateful for your hospitality.”

Sheila patted his shoulder lovingly. Ivan caught Meghan watching him through the corner of her eye; she shifted away. Ivan darted outside, ordering them to hurry.

“How exactly did Ivan come to live with you, again?” asked Meghan while they walked. She wasn’t sure why she even cared.

“Um, it’s actually a scary and a sad story,” said Jae. “His mother died when he was about three years old I think, in some kind of freak accident that no one ever talks about. I guess even magic couldn’t fix what happened. He lived with his father after that.”

“What happened to his father?” asked Colin.

“He was killed in the first Scratcher attack, back when we still lived on our island. We didn’t even know they existed. I was just a baby, then. Ivan lived with his grandfather after that, but he passed a few years back. Old age. Nothing catastrophic.” 

Thoughts of Scratchers surrounding their Uncle Arnon made their heads dizzy, and both twins were instantly sorry for Ivan, who was on his own, like them; of course, the twins were still holding out hope that Uncle Arnon was alive.

“No wonder he doesn’t have any friends,” whispered Colin. Megan eyed him, hearing the thought before he said it. Everyone always left him. The twins understood that sentiment.

Still, it was hard to feel sorry for Ivan for long when a minute later he was yelling impatiently for them to catch up. “At this pace you won’t arrive until tomorrow.”

“He’s like a grumpy old man in the body of a seventeen-year-old,” charged Meghan hotly. She’d said it too loudly. He stopped and spun around. She lifted her chin daring him to argue her point.

He replied nothing, but the savageness of his glare said enough.

They were at the school entrance and he left them there, disappearing down the road.

Colin held back a laugh.

Jae let out a rushed breath. “You guys really don’t like each other, do you?”

“He is the most infuriating guy I have ever met! I don’t care what happened to him in his past. He really is a grumpy old man in the body of a seventeen-year-old.” She stormed into the school. They followed.

After the clang of the school bell, Teacher Lindy advised them to line up with their class. Some students fought for front position while others vied for last. It took a minute for the twins to realize you went in for your exam depending on where you were in line. They were in the middle, behind Jae.

“I don’t imagine it matters that much,” said Colin, hoping he had not screwed up by not being more on the ball.

“It’s all myth really. Some think if they go in first the teachers might be in a better mood, or if you go in last, you have a chance of getting more points because the teachers are tired and just want to finish. None of this is true though. The teachers grade each student equally severely.”

Colin took Jae’s word for it, and the twenty children lined up nervously in the corridor. One by one, each student was called in; the twins had thought it would not take long for the line to move, but with only one teacher doing the elementary exam, and each student taking an average of fifteen minutes, time began to drag.

“Okay, I guess there’s something to be said for going first,” added Jae, after two hours had passed, and the trio’s nerves were at their peak. “I forget how the longer you sit and think about it, the more nervous you get.” He looked apologetically at Meghan, whose anxiety was more apparent with every passing minute.

Finally, it was Jae’s turn. He wanted to let Meghan go ahead of him, but once in line you couldn’t change places. It was an eternity before he came out, thankfully smiling.

“Good luck,” he mouthed to the twins as he escaped out of the school.

Colin was next; he tensely entered the classroom. It was not Teacher Lindy as he had expected. Mothballs. The examiner was Viancourt member Tanzea Chase. Colin had a hard time not plugging his nose. She sat at a table with a stack of papers.

“Name,” she asked, not looking up. Her wrinkled hands shook as she wrote. Colin wondered how many jobs she had. So far, he knew she was a member of the Viancourt, worked at the hospital, and today was a school examiner.

For an old lady, she sure does get around.

“Colin Jacoby, Ma’am,” he spoke aloud. 

Her eyes glanced over her spectacles inquisitively.

“Of course you are,” she smiled in a manner that sent a cringe down Colin’s spine. He wondered if it even mattered how good he did on the exam, with Tanzea grading him. What was her problem with him, anyway?

She looked at him inquisitively. “Task number one. Pick up that stack of pillows, hover them above the ground for one minute, without any of the pillows falling.” Her tone suggested she didn’t expect him to pass. Colin closed his eyes and gathered all the energy required. There was little in the immediate area so he searched outward, beyond the school, and into Grimble.

He lifted the pillows easily, but the minute was terribly long. Tanzea Mothball Chase scrutinized Colin’s every move. Not once did her eyes leave Colin to look at the pillows. When finished, Tanzea did not comment on Colin’s magic, but simply went on to the next task.

“Take the stack of pillows and move them to the square. Mind you, if they fall or shift, you lose points.”

Something strange happened during the test. Colin had the pillows moving in no time, but felt another magical energy in the room, trying to push his pillows out of alignment. He fought it and straightened them. Had Tanzea done it? Why? Did she want him to fail, or was it part of the exam, to test him with the element of surprise? He got the impression it wasn’t normally part of the exam. But he finished, and let out a relieved breath thinking it could be nothing less than a perfect score.

“Are you even winded, boy?” asked Tanzea frigidly.

Colin answered truthfully. “No, Ma’am.”

“Hm, okay. Well number three, then.”

He grew uneasy again. He had already done the exercise’s they had learned in class. It was a test though. He guessed it only made sense for them to ask something they hadn’t practiced.

Tanzea had her head down, scribbling notes. She took a long time. It made him question whether there was even supposed to be a number three.

“You see the chalkboard that goes around the room? Without using your hands to write, I want you to use the chalk and write out the Svoda goals.”

Colin started to panic, but not for himself. He knew the answers, plus collecting the energy needed was easy, but could Meghan do the same? He collected himself, reached out for the magical energy and pictured himself picking up the chalk and writing. He spoke the answer in a whisper while the chalk wrote out his answer.

Colin finished and opened his eyes; the words were not only written, but in a perfect straight line. Colin knew he had passed this part of the test, too. Tanzea Chase grimaced at the still not winded Colin Jacoby with great interest, but eventually put her head down, scribbling more notes. After a few more minutes of his silent standing and waiting, she told him harshly to leave and send in the next student.

Colin sent Meghan a thought. “I’m on my way out, you’re next, okay.”

“About time! You were in there longer than anyone,” she replied, her inner voice quivering.

“I was?” he exclaimed, not realizing.

“Thirty minutes, Colin! I’ve been going crazy, and if it took you that long, I’m doomed.”

“Don’t think that way,” he pleaded as he passed her. “Remember to reach out and feel the energy flowing around you, and then focus it on the task.”

Meghan did not answer, and Colin could sense an impromptu desire for her to plug her nose.

“Musty Mothballs?” he sent her. “The examiner is Tanzea Chase, from the Viancourt.”

“Name,” croaked Tanzea, again not looking up from her papers.

“Meghan Jacoby,” she answered uneasily.

Tanzea looked up. “Ah, yes.” She grinned in welcome. “I have notes here, let’s see. Where are those?”

Meghan, if possible, grew more anxious, thinking, Notes? What notes? Did Colin have notes?

“Here we go, that’s right, the Firemancer,” Tanzea smiled with a snobbish sort of approval. “You may not be aware, Miss Jacoby, but most seers do not thrive at hands-on magic. Unless they are using the element of their sight... in your case, fire.”

Meghan’s gaze perked up. “I really had no idea.” Is this why she sucked so bad? It wasn’t really her fault after all.

“I have been instructed to test you,” explained Tanzea, “but to also inform you that you’ve already passed. Unusual, yes. But it has been decided that your studies will be aimed toward that of Firemancy. You will be informed of your course direction at a future, yet to be determined date.”

Was it possible to have such great luck? Meghan had not known that being a Firemancer meant she would not be as good at normal magic. “What a relief,” she whispered, wondering if it was Juliska that made this decision?

“Your exam today,” interrupted Tanzea, “will consist of moving this pile of pillows to the square.” She pointed to a pile of pillows half the size of the other students, and to a square only two feet away. Meghan, feeling little pressure now, was able to get the pillows off the ground, only a few inches, but off the ground, and moved them into the square, where they plunked down with a soft thud. She grinned, satisfied.

“Okay, you’re finished, send in the next student.”

Meghan nodded and hastily exited the school.

“That was fast,” said both Jae and Colin, who had waited for her outside the school.

“I did it though, moved the pillows up in the air and two feet into the square.”

“Two feet, two whole feet,” mocked a voice from behind.

Colin and Jae wanted to question her about this, too, but it would have to wait. Darcy Scraggs emerged from the school behind them.

“What. An. Accomplishment! Look everyone, Little Miss Two Feet.”

“Ignore her,” droned Jae, motioning for the twins to follow him out of the schoolyard. Taunts of, “Little Miss Two Feet,” echoed as they departed.

Meghan was mortified.

Colin shot pleading looks at the students, begging them to stop.

Some that knew him, did.

That did not just happen, Meghan defied, crestfallen. My brother, coming to my rescue... she let out a breath of disbelief and annoyance.

Once closer to home, Jae stopped. “Did they really only ask you to move it two feet?”

“Yes,” she answered tightly. She’d had no idea she hadn’t been given the same test as everyone else. She sighed, shaking her head. “There’s more.”

“I should hope so,” said Colin angrily. “I had to move the pile around the edge of the whole room, hold it in the air for an entire minute, and then after all that, she asked me to write the Svoda goals on the dang chalkboard, without using my hands.”

“You did all that?” Jae asked.

“Yes, I think she was trying to tire me out.”

“But you weren’t tired at all when you came out,” exclaimed Jae.

“No, I wasn’t.”

“How do you do that? It would be incredibly draining to think of the answer, and write it on the board at the same time.” Jae’s tone held a twinge of jealousy.

Colin shrugged. He really didn’t know how to explain it. He just did it, and it was easy for him.

Meghan was humiliated. All relief she’d felt after first leaving the exam room had vanished. She’d hardly done anything at all. Plus she knew she’d already passed.

“So what exactly happened?” breathed out Colin.

“The teacher said she had been instructed to pass me and that since I was a Firemancer, I needed to have my studies arranged as such, and that I couldn’t be expected to have the magical prowess of others.”

“That actually make sense, Meghan,” noted Jae honestly. He wasn’t just trying to make her feel better.

“And I guess it explains why you’re not making any progress,” Colin spouted. It came out harsher than he’d meant it to, but she ignored it. He was starting to get the impression that he’d been given a much harder test than anyone else.

They continued toward home.

“You know,” continued Jae after a bit. “I’ve heard that if you have a special gift, like you do with sight, Meghan, that you’ll be really good at that, but not so much other stuff. And I think back when we lived on the island, people with gifts like yours used to drop out of school and enter into apprenticeships, for more focused learning.”

“Huh. Really?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what they have in mind. So maybe you won’t even be in classes with us again anyway.”

“That would be weird.” At the same time, she wondered who would be her teacher. Juliska would make perfect sense, but she was a busy woman. 

“Well, it’s all over for now. For us, anyway,” said Jae, sounding exhausted. “Mireya still has one more day though. Intermediate level, the tests get longer and harder.”

“So even though she knows she’s failed, she keeps going?” asked Colin.

“Practice,” was all Jae answered.

The twins sent another leaf that evening to Uncle Eddy, telling him the tests were over. They explained briefly as possible, all that had happened, with a promise to explain fully once they could see him.

The rest of the week went by much faster and at the end, when all exams were finished, pass or fail, it was as if the entire village of Bedgewood Harbor let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

##

IT WAS HALLOWEEN, WHICH meant that Thanksgiving and Christmas were not far behind. To the twins, this meant they did not have much time left with Uncle Eddy. However, with exams finished, they hoped to spend more time in Grimble. The perfect place to spend all hallows eve; the ghosts went all out to celebrate their favorite night of the year. It seemed that nearly all Svoda came out of the wagons to celebrate in Grimble, too. The twins hoped to see their uncle, or Timothy, but neither ever appeared.

“I can’t believe your father missed this,” hiccuped Sheila Mochrie, slightly lit on brandy. “It’s so nice to have a little fun.”

The twins and Jae agreed.

“Why couldn’t your dad come?” asked Colin.

“Behind at work I guess. Ivan’s not here either.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” huffed Meghan. “He doesn’t remind me of the type to appreciate fun.” The three laughed, and then laughed again at Jae’s mother singing to herself. At the end of the night, just after returning to the wagons, Sheila called out to a woman walking nearby.

“See you tomorrow at the SLC, Verna. I’m thinking pies this year.” The woman named Verna waved and smiled in agreement, and disappeared around a corner.

“Pies for what?” asked Colin.

“For Thanksgiving. The SLC, it’s an initiated Svoda thing, totally boring. One of the things they do is plan the holiday feasts each year.”

“Cool,” replied Colin, mostly thinking about eating pies.

“How could you possibly think of eating?” barked Meghan, her stomach sloshing with sugar.

“I didn’t eat that much.”

Having a sugar filled gut brought back memories of Sebastien; they would often pig out on junk food together. Meghan blocked her thoughts, trying not to think about Sebastien, but she weakened, recalling the kiss she had snuck on him the very night she and Colin had come to live with the gypsies.

“I wonder what he’s doing right now,” she muttered under her breath. “Most likely he’d be home. I’d probably be emailing him...” She missed him terribly. “Personally,” she said louder, “I’m in no hurry for the holidays this year.”

“No, me either,” agreed Colin. Neither twin was thinking of food at that moment, only of moving on, and leaving Uncle Eddy behind. Getting even farther away from home, and finding out what had happened to their other uncle.

Once again, harsh reality dampened a moment of fun.

##

THE DAYS LEADING UP to Thanksgiving were much more relaxed around the Mochrie house, and a festive atmosphere enveloped the entire village. The day before the holiday, the twins received a leaf from Uncle Eddy, asking them to visit. Jae joined them this time.

“I didn’t realize the Svoda would celebrate Thanksgiving,” commented Meghan after they stepped into Grimble.

“It’s a part of history that in your world is a little changed,” he said. “It had to be, in order to keep magic protected and secret. You’ll understand more tomorrow. It’s actually a big day for us.”

Timothy appeared. “Hi guys.” They chorused hello back.

Uncle Eddy decided that enough time had passed and it was safe to meet up at the old mill again. He was happy to see them and Jae, but still did not allow Colin to travel with the Magicante. It was currently securely stashed under his mattress.

They took turns explaining their exam results more thoroughly. Eddy was pleased overall. Although they couldn’t help but notice a concerned glint in his eye when Colin told them about his extra hard test.

Jae disappeared at one point and when he came back, surprised the twins with ghost candy, and they played with Timothy, high up in the air. He laughed hysterically, unable to remember ever having so much fun.

“I wish this day would never end,” said Colin, catching his breath.

“I don’t suppose there’s a candy that can make this day repeat?” asked Meghan, agreeing.

“No, wouldn’t that be a nice one though,” thought Jae, grinning happily. The twins thought he looked happier than he had in months.

“Not to be the bearer of bad news,” said Uncle Eddy casually, “but like it or not, the day is ending.” The twins were about to protest when everyone went silent. Just outside the mill a bush rustled. Someone was out there. And it wasn’t a ghost.

“Show yourself!” demanded Jae, running out to investigate. The twins cautiously followed. Everyone froze. There was a hand letting go of a bush, hiding a face. Meghan, Colin, and Jae all glanced at each other and then turned and pounced into the bush. They expected to land on their spy, but there was no one there. They jumped up and searched the area, but saw no one.

“We’re not crazy, there was someone in there... right?” Meghan questioned.

Colin and Jae nodded, looking bewildered.

Uncle Eddy and Timothy searched from up in the air. They found nothing.

“When we first came out,” said Colin, “I swear there was a face in that bush.”

“We all saw it,” whispered Jae. “Just bizarre. Don’t know how they’d have just vanished like that.”

Eddy flew back down to them. “I’m afraid too many eyes are upon us.”

The twins knew what this meant: they wouldn’t be able to see their uncle again, until he thought it was safe to do so. Eddy did an unexpected thing then.

“Jae, I just want to personally thank you for helping Meghan and Colin. I realize this must be a burden. I know your rules are strict.”

Jae shrugged, not outwardly concerned.

Meghan had a terrible thought. Was this what was bothering Jae? It seemed a far cry from the terrifying images she saw in her vision, but she supposed maybe she was taking it too literally. Perhaps it wasn’t a thing, or an actual person or monster even, hurting Jae, but a more metaphorical monster. Something suffocating him... like pressure. Not an actual person.

She felt like an idiot. Here they had just taken exams based on the very rules they were all breaking. Most importantly, Jae was breaking. And he’d already gotten into trouble because of the one’s he’d been caught for.

Was this all it was though? She wasn’t certain about this, but she’d add it to her journal. The severity of her nightmarish vision mingled into her thoughts and she slammed her mind block up so Colin could not accidentally see it. 

“Colin,” called out their uncle. “Keep that book safe. Don’t carry it with you unless absolutely necessary.”

“Okay.”

Eddy let out a forlorn sigh. “Be safe. All of you. I’ll contact you as soon as I can. If anything happens you need to tell me about, send me a leaf straight away.”

They nodded and smiled sadly.

Time with their uncle was running short. And now they’d have even less of it. He vanished, leaving them to walk home. Timothy escorted them. Even he looked a bit sad that they’d not get to visit as soon as they wanted.

Another perfect day ruined... it was a thought they all carried as they walked somberly through Grimble, back to the wagons.

Their brooding ended abruptly.

“Trouble is not even close to what you three are in,” sneered the voice of Darcy Scraggs.

Ambushed again. And in the same spot as before. By the Three D’s.

“Do you think it was them spying on us just now?” sent Meghan to Colin silently.

“I can’t picture them spying and not getting caught,” he shot back.

“Colin, this is the second time they have ambushed us in the same spot. I don’t want to give them credit any more than you do, however, they might at least be smart enough to spy without getting caught.”

“Touche,” he retorted. “So how do we find out how much they know?”

“Still working on that.” Meghan eyed their ambushers, watching them closely. The twins and Jae stood back to back to back. Colin drew a determined breath; he didn’t want to crash out of the picture this time. Jae was a mixture of looking sick and angry. He really didn’t need any more trouble. 

“So Darcy, going to let Miss Hadrian do all the talking for you again? It’s always so much fun listening to her,” needled Meghan.

Dulcy reeled with anger and started to open her mouth, but Darcy motioned for her to shut it.

Colin groaned. “Why do you always need to make her more upset?” He sent the thought to her rather than speak it.

“I’m trying to keep her sidetracked while we think of a way out of this. And hopefully not make things worse for Jae in the process.” Meghan kept her gaze on Darcy.

“I don’t think pissing her off is sidetracking her,” he argued. She ignored him, instead, incensing Darcy again. 

“What is it you think we’ve done, exactly? You claimed you knew something before. Far as I can tell, you’re full of crap.”

Her reply was not what any of trio expected.

An enormous blast of air swept Meghan off her feet; she flew backwards, her head barely missing a tree branch. She landed on the ground with a soft thud.

“Darcy! You’ve done magic against someone,” Jae shouted, totally stunned. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He expected the Balaton to show up any second. They did not.

Meghan snuck into Colin’s thoughts and told him to stand his ground. “I’m fine.” She got back to her feet. Just as she did, Jae flew by her landing with a much harder thud.

Colin remained, alone.

“I have every right to use magic on you three!” Darcy spat at them. “You’re hiding something. I’ve had some very interesting conversations with a certain member of the Viancourt, and that certain member gave me permission to do magic and not... get... caught,” she taunted.

Jae was back on his feet and he and Meghan had rejoined Colin. The twins glanced at him, unsure what to do. He tossed them a curt shake of his head. He’d never seen anything like this happen before. A court member making it so someone could do magic and not get caught... it was unheard of.

Darcy huffed. “You’re really going to make me ask for it, aren’t you?”

They just stared at her.

“Whatever you’ve been hiding... hand it over.” She aimed her demand at Colin. He staggered backwards into his sister. Did she mean the book? The Magicante?

“Oh, don’t worry,” said Darcy with a vicious laugh. “I know you don’t have it on you, but I expect you to deliver it to me by tomorrow. Then the authorities can deal with you... and you,” she barked at Jae.

“Why are you doing this, Darcy? Do you hate my family that much?”

“It’s not a matter of hate, Jae. It’s a matter of survival. You and your family have gotten lazy. You’re becoming a hazard to the group.”

“So that’s it. You and a few select others think my family is holding you all back. How so, exactly?”

“You three know so little,” she sneered, shaking her head. “Dulcy, Daveena.” Darcy snapped her fingers for them to follow her. They did without further instruction. “Don’t forget. Deliver it by tomorrow! Or you’ll all be... homeless,” she jeered malevolently.

Something snapped inside Colin. He faced the Three D’s backsides and raised his hand to strike. Jae realized instantly what he was about to do, and at the same moment Colin sent his spell, Jae shot one off to block it.

“Emissio,” yelled Colin.

“Obstructo.” Jae’s spell found Colin’s, blocking it from hitting its target.

Darcy spun around, a wide grin spread across her face. She shook her head as if dealing with nothing more than silly children before catching up with the other two.

Jae blocked Colin but faced him. “It’s not worth it. If that spell hit one of them, we would be in serious trouble.”

“I’m sorry Jae, I couldn’t help myself.” Colin wasn’t sure what exactly came over him.

Jae let out a rushed breath. “If I could have, and got away with it, I would’ve done it myself!”

Timothy floated back down. “Are you all right? Do you want me to fetch Eddy?”

“No, it’s fine, Timothy,” said Colin. “I don’t think we should worry Uncle Eddy about this.”

Timothy floated next to Colin’s ear. “Is this another secret?”

Colin nodded yes, half-heartedly. Timothy swirled high into the air in delight of having a second secret.

Jae examined the scene.

Meghan’s shirtsleeve had a slice through it, and Nona had jumped into her arms and was licking a small cut on her arm. It wasn’t deep, but there was a bit of blood on her shirt.

Despite looking a bit sick to his stomach, Colin wasn’t physically injured. 

Jae was disheveled and had the wind knocked out of him, but wasn’t outwardly injured either.

He expected the twins were feeling the same level of anxiety that he was. He shook his head in dismay. “Sorry, Meghan. I wish I could heal your cut like I did back when we were all in Cobbscott. I don’t get it really, but I just don’t have enough magical energy in me to do it.”

Healing wasn’t something Colin was ready to try yet.

“No worries, Jae,” said Meghan, tossing him a weak smile. “I think we have much bigger problems than a small cut on my arm.”

“We don’t look that bad,” agreed Colin. “We do need to come up with some kind of plan though.”

“Any ideas?” Meghan asked Jae. She lifted her arm, wincing; her cut was about two inches long but not deep. Nona kept up licking the wound.

“I did have one thought,” said Jae. “It’s possible, I don’t know how likely, but possible she’s just still angry over not being able to expose you.”

“Hm, revenge, sounds fun,” Meghan droned sarcastically.

“What I’m wondering more than anything,” said Jae, “is how a certain Viancourt member got hold of a spell that can hide using magic against another person. I wasn’t aware anything like that existed.”

“Isn’t that one of the rules though?” asked Meghan. “You can use magic against someone with permission from a Viancourt member, right?”

“True, yes,” said Jae. “But it would still be known. It wouldn’t be hidden. They’re allowing her to do it under the radar. No one knows it happened except for us, and them.”

“That does not bode well,” groaned Colin.

“And of all the people to give it to, why Darcy?” wondered Meghan.

“Okay, first... when we say certain Viancourt member, we are talking about Garner Sadorus, right?” interrupted Colin.

“That would be my guess,” said Meghan.

“Mine too,” agreed Jae. “If he wanted information, say for example, about two new strangers that Darcy would have easier access to...”

Meghan and Colin let out simultaneous groans, understanding his insinuation. Maybe they should tell Uncle Eddy.

Jae looked at them quite seriously. “Remember the day you first met your Uncle Eddy, when we had the ghost candy?”

Colin hadn’t thought of that in weeks. “The person on the roof,” he recalled.

“I can’t be sure of course, but this could have something to do with what you saw.”

“You think Darcy or Garner Sadorus could have something to do with what Colin saw on the roof?” Meghan asked.

Jae shrugged. “It’s one possibility. They sure seem interested in you guys. For whatever reason they won’t explain.”

Meghan bit her lip, unease settling in her gut. “Lots of interesting questions we’ve got here. Too bad we don’t have any answers.”

“And no idea how to get any,” Colin added.

Jae glanced back and forth between his new friends, wondering just what Garner Sadorus was trying to do. He may not have liked the Mochrie family that much, but this attack and obsession with the twins even seemed far-fetched for him. And it was all centered around this book. The Magicante. Jae was starting to believe it had nothing to do with him or his family at all.

In addition, this was also going on behind the Balaton’s back. And worse, the Banon’s. He toyed with marching up to the fort and telling the leader what was going on. She’d be sure to put a stop to it. Wouldn’t she?

Jae wasn’t sure what to do. He knew what he should do. But something nagged at him to just let things be. For now.

They silently made their way back to the wagons where they bid Timothy goodbye. The trio stepped into Bedgewood Harbor and stopped, half expecting to be ambushed.

The Three D’s were nowhere in sight.

In fact, it was fairly quiet and normal looking.

Nona jumped out of Meghan’s arms and wound around her legs.

Colin gasped.

The others jumped, easily startled. They saw nothing though, and stared at him in a what the heck was that for grimace.

He pointed at Meghan’s arm. She lifted it to look.

“What the...” she let out a mini gasp of her own. “It’s gone. The cut, it’s totally healed.” They all looked down at Nona, who purred in gratified contentment at her master’s feet. Meghan bent over and picked up the Catawitch, snuggling it to her face. “Nona, you are by far, the coolest cat ever!”

They headed toward home. It was difficult to remain disheartened as they walked through the town. Everyone was hanging decorations in preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday. Sheila and Mireya had spent the morning decorating the Mochrie cottage in autumn colors. The smell of pies baking wafted invitingly from the kitchen.

Problems? What problems? All the trio was concerned with now was eating pie.

Jae took them aside, and they decided to give the Three D’s warning some thought for the night. The only conclusion they could confirm was that Colin was not handing over the Magicante. Today. Tomorrow. Or any other day!

“I really don’t think they’ll do anything if you don’t hand it over,” insisted Jae. Even as he said it, he wasn’t certain at all. Darcy had attacked them by order of Garner Sadorus.

“You really think so?” asked Meghan quietly.

“They seem ready to take action,” argued Colin.

“They might be. But they’re doing it all in secret. Behind everyone’s backs.” Jae eyed each of them knowingly.

Colin nodded, understanding. “We should stay in public places. In groups of people. Where Balaton, or anyone, would be sure to see something.”

“Yeah, okay,” agreed Meghan. “This could work. Just don’t get in a situation where they could corner us.”

“I think it’s all we can do, for now at least.”

With that, they each let out a huge sigh. It was something, if not much.

They rejoined Sheila and Mireya and helped prepare dinner. The rest of the day managed to be quite pleasant, with an early, and most delicious, pre-holiday feast being served. Ivan did not join them, and Irving arrived just as the food was served.

He had a big grin on his face. “I’ve been promoted!” he announced to everyone.

Everyone cheered and congratulated Irving on getting his management of the bank back. Basically meaning he was now in charge of monitoring and maintaining the Svoda’s travel finances.

The twins hoped it wasn’t a sick joke by Garner Sadorus to give Mr. Mochrie the job, only to strip it from him again once he had ousted his son, and the Jacoby’s.

As what? Or for what?

They were not even sure. Other than, it all came back to Colin’s book.

The Magicante.

##

THANKSGIVING ARRIVED and the Mochrie house was full, being that both Irving and Ivan were at home, rather than at work. The entire Svoda village was shut down, even the hospital; there were no patients.

Colin thought of the beautiful sick girl with the silver hair he had seen there. Who was she? Was she better, and if so, why hadn’t he seen her around? His face reddened thinking about the girl. Meghan gazed oddly at him, attempting to invade his thoughts. He cleared his throat and blocked her. 

At noon, three guests arrived for a pre-feast gathering. They included Billie Sadorus, plus the Jackal sisters, owners of The Jackal Lantern. They were dressed in their usual 1930’s style dresses, including beautiful lace gloves. That’s where their good manner’s ended however, especially once they’d gotten into Sheila Mochrie’s pumpkin brandy (known to be the best in the village).

Jae licked his lips. “If we’re lucky, mom’ll let us try a little.”

Instead, a minute later she was asking them to bring a plate down to the basement for Corny. “I wish I could get him out of that dark cellar and up to the table, he’s just so darn stubborn.”

Meghan arrogantly volunteered.

Jae snickered. “Be careful, he might bite if you get too close.”

The way Jae said it gave her the creeps.

“You’re coming with me,” she said, dragging Colin along. “It’s a shame he won’t come up, he’s missing all the fun. Of course, fun doesn’t ever last too long around here.”

They glanced at each other, expecting something terrible to ruin their day at any moment.

“It can’t get ruined, every time,” whispered Colin.

“Wanna take bets?” she mumbled.

He begrudgingly followed his sister to the door in the floor, and they climbed down the ladder into the dank basement.  One single candle flame flickered in a far corner. It gave off only a dim light, barely enough to cast a shadow.

Meghan held her skirt off the dusty floor. Colin held the tray.

“Where is he?” she asked, straining her eyes to see. It took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. He wasn’t on his bed. Colin moved deftly and put down the tray on a table by his bed. He tiptoed back to the ladder, hoping to escape without seeing Corny.

“Maybe he’s out?” Meghan suggested, turning to face her brother. “Colin. Don’t move,” she ordered in a loud whisper, in a tone that always made him want to run. “Hi there, Mr. Corny, sir. We brought you some Thanksgiving Dinner. Still hot, over there,” she pointed toward the tray.

Corny’s hot, tobacco-stenched breath pelted the back of Colin’s neck. He took a slow step forward and then turned around even slower. Corny’s face hid in the shadows, but his gritty teeth poked through his unkempt beard. He stepped forward into the light pouring down from upstairs, holding a tablet of paper in his hand. He ripped out a page and handed it to Colin. It was covered with non-coherent scribbling.

“Thanks, Corny. I’ll um... hang it in my room,” stammered Colin.

The old man tore out another page forcing Colin to take it; it was covered with the same scribbling. He tapped at it with his hands. Colin looked at it again, but saw nothing but a bunch of non-sensical pen scratching. But Corny didn’t give up. He tapped at it again, grunted, grinned, winked, and nodded as if he’d gotten his point across.

Colin had no idea what this was all about, but he held his breath, grasped the pages and followed his sister up the ladder. She’d already made it halfway up. As his head poked up into the house there was a pull at his leg and he slipped down a few rungs, coming face to face with Corny’s sour-breathed tobacco mouth.

Colin sucked in and swallowed a gasp. There was a sound like paper ripping, followed by Corny vigorously shoving another scribbled page into Colin’s hand. He appeared satisfied now and shuffled back to his bed, ignoring the holiday dinner.

Colin scurried up the ladder. Meghan sat laughing in the hallway, explaining to Jae that her brother apparently had a new best friend.

“Ha ha, very funny, Sis. Don’t think you’d be laughing if it were you.”

“No, but I would,” laughed Jae. “Sorry, but Corny taking to anyone, is pretty funny. You’re the first person he’s gotten close to since he came to live with us.”

“Great. Thrilling. Can we eat now?” he asked through his teeth, laying the scribbled pages on the stair without a second glance.

“We don’t eat the holiday meal here,” said Jae, still laughing. “We all gather together for the real feast, later tonight,” he explained.

“Is this one of those occasions we dress up for?” hoped Meghan.

“Definitely,” he replied.

Back in the sitting room, the supply of pumpkin brandy dwindled. Sheila permitted the twins and Jae to try a small glass. It was like drinking pumpkin pie, but with a warming tingle at the end.

Irving, Sheila, Billie and the Jackal sisters sat around the fire, with brandy loosened tongues. Sheila listened intently to a story being told by the Jackal sisters. Meghan watched as Ivan glanced over the sisters, one of whom caught his eye and winked; he shifted away, frowning smugly.

“Something tells me those sisters aren’t so prim and proper,” said Meghan.

“They are quite proper, but the brandy does tend to bring out a sinister side,” whispered Jae.

Billie smiled at them, tipping her glass in their direction; she caught it just before the brandy sloshed over the edge. She made a funny face and put her fingers to her lips mouthing, “Oops...” and then nearly did it again.

“They’re looped,” said Colin, feeling cheerful.

Ivan left the room without a word. The sisters and Billie were laughing hysterically; the older sister named Kalila was finishing a story.

“And to think, I came that close, that week, of publishing that story as our moral of the week.”

“I caught it just in time,” yelped the sister named Kalida. “It was already headed to press.”

“I say, that would have been mighty funny to see the look on Garner and Ravana’s faces, if that story’d been published,” exclaimed Irving Mochrie, in tears from laughing so hard.

Sheila slid out of her chair.

Irving rolled his eyes in uncharacteristic bemusement. “No offense, Billie, being he’s your brother and all.”

Billie gave him an even larger eye roll, and they all wailed in laughter.

“They’re beyond looped,” muttered Jae.

“What’s a moral of the week?” asked Colin.

“It’s an article in The Jackal Lantern, a small story each week. There’s always some moral at the end, some lesson we’re supposed to learn.”

It reminded Colin of Kanda Macawi’s fireside stories. He was also surprised the Mochries held no ill feelings towards the sisters, after they’d allowed a story to be printed in their paper about Jae, and the family, after he’d been demoted in school.

There was so much about this world that made no sense.

Kalida Jackal excused herself after a bit, and wobbled her way to the spider filled outhouse. It took a long time before she returned, and when she did, her sister Kalila accosted her.

“Did you take a wrong turn, sister? Fall in perhaps? Maybe find a handsome young man along the way?” she winked, perniciously.

“All... of the above,” Kalida responded, her speech slurred. This caused the adults to roar again, this time so much so, that Meghan, Colin, and Jae decided it was time to leave the room. As they exited, they ran into Ivan coming in from the back.

“Are the festivities ending, then?” he asked.

“No,” droned Jae. “More like just getting started.”

Ivan opened his mouth to speak but closed it, instead heading upstairs. “I’ll be down for the festival later.” He paused, glancing over the scribbled pages Colin had set on the stairs.

“He is a strange cat,” thought Colin as they followed him up the stairs a moment later. Meghan caught onto that thought.

“Speaking of cats, I haven’t seen Nona all day.”

“Sorry, Sis, haven’t seen her,” Colin sent back.

“She’s come to spending more time on her own. She’s probably out scrounging for a nice juicy Thanksgiving mouse.”

“Ick,” Colin shuddered as they entered the bedroom.

An hour later, Sheila, slightly more stable, announced it was nearly time to depart for the feast. The boys and Mireya were finished dressing, and astonishingly, so was Meghan. Mrs. Mochrie had sewn Colin’s jacket, and it now fit perfectly. Downstairs, the company had gone, and Irving and Sheila had also changed into their holiday best.

It had been decided, in Sheila and Irving’s weekly SLC meetings (Svoda Liberation Committee), that this year their zone would bring the pies, after Sheila Mochrie’s somewhat slurred suggestion on Halloween. Sheila and Mireya had been baking all the previous day. They were each ordered to carefully grab a pie before leaving the house. Irving and Sheila each carried two.

Along the way, they met up with neighbors the twins had never properly met before, all holding various food items. Unsure of where they were heading, the twins let the Mochries lead the way. Soon they veered onto a path following a steep cliff, which poured down into the ocean. They stopped when they could go no further. The path ended when it met a scallop shell shaped cavern, punched into a rocky wall. There was just enough of an overhang to avoid getting rained on, if it should choose to do so. However, though on the cool side, the sky was lit up bright without a cloud nearby.

Candle sconces had been attached to the cavern walls. Hanging candle chandeliers swung softly overhead. It was surprisingly nice and toasty inside the cavern. Two long tables filled a good portion of the space. The first was laden with food. The second, lined with chairs.

They worked their way to the food table, setting down their pies. The twins were shocked at the variety of foods already there; turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes (cooked in brown sugar), and cranberry sauce, along with marshmallow salad, a strange large noodle, and at least seven different sorts of pies, and best of all, ployes! The twins could not believe it, seeing as it was a staple at many meals back home, and yet not a well known item elsewhere. Then they remembered that the Svoda’s island was off the coast of Maine, and were grateful that ployes were a staple in many Maine homes.

Meghan took a sad breath and tried to hide it with a forced smile. Colin didn’t need to barrage her thoughts to know what she was thinking about.

Home. Their real home. The place they most wanted to be, but could not.

And Uncle Arnon. Kanda. Sebastien and the Jendayas. All the people they wanted to see, but could not. 

They took in their new family and friends. It wasn’t the same. They weren’t family. Or friends they’d known almost their whole lives. They wished they could see Uncle Eddy, and even Timothy out in Grimble. But it wasn’t safe.

Meghan shook her head and nudged Colin’s shoulder. He nodded bleakly in reply to her. Thinking about these things wouldn’t do them any good, and only get them depressed and worried about things they had no control over. 

The twins took seats alongside the Mochrie family, and to their delight, Billie Sadorus sat next to them. Jae explained a short speech would be given before the feast began.

An announcement by her Pantin, Meghan remembered her name was Hollee, proclaimed the arrival of Juliska Nandalia Blackwell, and seconds later, she stepped into the cavern, in fine fashion. The three members of the Viancourt and their families sat nearest the Banon, and all Svoda rose from their chairs and bowed slightly as Banon Blackwell arrived, claiming the head position at the table.

“Welcome all, to another Thanksgiving Day,” her speech began. “We have much to be thankful for this year. First and foremost, that we are still here to celebrate another Thanksgiving Day.”

Cheers went up through the crowd. Banon Blackwell smiled, pleased.

“Secondly, that each and every day, we take steps that get us closer to celebrating this magnificent holiday in our true home.”

She paused as the crowd cheered again.

“And lastly, to knowing that whilst we are stuck in our ever shifting world, that magic still lives, as seen by the arrival of our newest Svoda, Colin and Meghan Jacoby.”

The crowd turned their heads unexpectedly toward the twins. Colin was instantly red all over, but Meghan, determined that nothing else would ruin her day, lifted her chin and nodded a greeting with great enthusiasm.

Darcy Scraggs, sitting next to the Sadorus’, brooded over the attention Meghan was receiving. Garner focused his cold stares on Colin, who leaned back into a shadow to avoid them.

“We’re in a public place,” he muttered. “He can’t try anything here.”

Jae cast Colin a side-glance, hoping his thinking had been correct, and that Garner would not try anything. A public event like this would almost be too perfect to set up some sort of trap. But his icy stares removed themselves from Colin and returned to the Banon, who continued her speech.

Both Jae and Colin let out a simultaneous relieved breath. Meghan had refused to act as though anything were wrong at all. And continued to hold her chin high in defiance.

On Banon Blackwell’s cue, all Svoda raised their glasses.

“To our fellow traveling friends and family. One day, we will all raise our glasses together!”

An enormous cheer reverberated throughout the cavern and the feast officially began. There were no servers, except on behalf of Juliska Blackwell, whose Pantin took care of her every need. Soon, empty bottles of wine and brandy lined the table, along with dirty dishes and leftover food. After a few hours, the crowd began to disperse and Sheila Mochrie, still a little tipsy, boasted about being glad that her zone wasn’t assigned to clean up the festival that year.

“Jae, what does your mother mean when she says her zone?” asked Colin.

“Each member of the Svoda Liberation Committee, the SLC, belongs to a specific zone; it goes by where you live. I think we have nine zones here, so about fifteen people or so in each zone.”

“You said the SLC is an initiated Svoda thing?” questioned Meghan.

“Yeah, they attend meetings every week with other zone members, to keep up with news, announcements, work on ways to get us back home, stuff like that.” They reached the Mochrie cottage. “Boring adult stuff,” he added with a yawn.

“I am full and tired,” said Meghan, yawning with him. “I think I might take a nap and change.”

“Don’t wrinkle your clothes,” giggled Mireya, dancing in circles. “You’ll want to wear them again later.”

“What’s happening later?”

“The story of the real Thanksgiving,” she answered, dancing her way upstairs.

“Oh, right,” said the twins, in unison.

“You said our history has the story wrong,” recalled Colin. Jae was about to speak when another voice broke in.

“It’s the Retelling Festival.” Ivan Crane had said it. He’d just come up behind them. “It’s a very interesting and informative event,” he boasted.

“Great,” teased Colin. “You’ll have lost my sister’s attention. She doesn’t go for interesting. Or informative.”

Meghan was not given the chance to defend herself. Ivan let out a harsh breath.

“Why would I give your sister my attention? She seems to have more than enough to go around.”

Everyone froze at Ivan’s icy reply, but none more so than Meghan, who stood in complete awed silence.

##

AN HOUR LATER, IRVING Mochrie announced it was time to depart for the Retelling Festival. Meghan still fumed over Ivan’s insult, and was not even close to blocking her thoughts from Colin.

“Me, need attention? I’m simply trying to fit in, and show people I’m not afraid. I do not need attention. Where does he get off?”

The ranting continued until finally, they arrived at the pathway leading to the festival. Magnificently carved pumpkins and old looking lanterns lined the pathway. Candles flickered inside to light the way. Some sat on the ground. Some hung overhead. Some were pitched on spikes, hammered into the ground. It cast a warm, hazy glow around them all. But it did nothing to soothe Meghan’s temper.

A short distance later, they arrived at an outdoor amphitheater. Irving and Sheila directed them to sit near the middle. A roped off section ran across the first row.

“Two guesses who sits there,” said Colin, hoping to avoid Garner’s cold stares.

“They do like to make a grand entrance,” whispered Mireya. Sheila gave her a stern look, indicating that wasn’t nice, but then joined with her daughter in a giggle, realizing it was true.

“Think the drink’s still got our mom,” said Jae, as the twins got seated next to him.

One good thing, Meghan decided; Jae was a lot happier and she hadn’t had any more frightening visions of him lately. To her complete dismay, this thought was instantly followed by Ivan Crane plunking down stubbornly in the seat next to her. He forced an irritated grin on his face and turned away, to look anywhere else.

Colin wondered why he did it. He looked just as miserable as Meghan.

She sat with her nose in the air, thinking, two can play this game. I wonder if he is aware of how unlikeable he is. I mean, is he trying to piss me off, on purpose? Or is it just a natural talent?

“I wouldn’t take it personal, Sis,” Colin sent to her. “Ivan doesn’t appear to like anyone. Much.”

Meghan, for some reason, found her brother funny and laughed, loudly. Her steaming animosity melted, and Ivan made an obvious point to converse with one of the Jackal sisters, sitting in the row behind them.

Meghan looked around, unsure what everyone was so excited about; listening to a speech was not her idea of fun. She hated to admit it, but interesting and informative, was not her thing.

A man came onto the stage. His voice reverberated clearly through the amphitheater.

“Welcome, welcome, the Retelling will begin shortly, please be seated.” He jumped off the stage and took a seat a few rows in.

After the announcement, Juliska Blackwell arrived in high fashion, wearing a woolen, but sleek, form fitting long coat, with streaks of black and deep red. At her sides were the same two Balaton that had been guarding the gate the day Meghan had gone to visit.

“Juliska rarely goes anywhere without those two. The Wandrer brothers,” explained Jae. “They’re the last in their family line. The one on the left is Jenner, and the one on the right is Jelen. Real tough men, don’t want to piss off that crew.”

Meghan smiled slyly as she’d already met them. The Banon’s perceptive gaze swept across their row and landed on Meghan. Colin wasn’t certain, but he could have sworn Juliska winked at his sister. Meghan returned the gesture with a tug at her lip, and by lowering her head to hide her smile.

Colin watched Juliska smile wider, her gaze landing on the seat next to his sister. Not on him, but on Ivan. He nodded at the Banon, in a polite, distant greeting. She nodded back, a pleased look on her face.

Why? What was this all about? Why was she so happy to see Ivan sitting next to Meghan? Colin scowled. He didn’t like it. He didn’t even know what he didn’t like, but something about their silent interaction felt off. Why could his sister not see this? Oh, right. Because she was too blinded by some strange motherly infatuation with this woman.

The Banon took her seat and right after, the Viancourt members entered, along with their families. Garner wore a flamboyant coat that was so thick he could barely take his seat. It wasn’t one the twins had seen before, but just as ridiculous looking. He’d smoothed out the spikes in his hair and slicked it back. His wife, Ravana, was simply, but elegantly dressed and took the seat by his side. At first glance, one would think her thin and frail, but to inspect her more closely, her features were strong. Her gaze tenacious. She carried herself as if she held some high position of rank that required the respect of everyone around her. Almost more so than the Banon herself.

They heard a snicker and Billie Sadorus muttering behind them. “Leave it to my brother to outdo Juliska Blackwell, the queen of entrances... bothersome pig.”

The twins and Jae tried not to laugh, and Meghan noticed from the corner of her eye, that even Ivan, the cold-hearted wonder, cracked a small resemblance of a smile.

Tanzea Chase entered alone, using a cane to help push herself along. She wore a drab looking jacket that looked so old the twins swore they could smell mothballs way back in their seats.

She was followed by Darius Hadrian and his wife, Hannelore. No one gave them much mind. They were simply dressed, and completely lacked any defining, standout features at all. They were almost the exact opposite of Garner and his wife, taking the route of blending in, almost to the point of being able to just disappear amongst a crowd.

What followed behind them however...

Their daughter, Dulcy, and clung to her arm, her wiser and fiercer counterpart, Darcy Scraggs. She waved up at the twins with friend-faked enthusiasm. She let go of Dulcy and tapped at her wrist. She wasn’t wearing a watch, but the twins got the point. Darcy still expected them to hand over the Magicante.

Meghan, Colin, and Jae cast each other quick wary glances.

Ivan caught them. He peered back and forth between Darcy and them, an inquisitive look swimming in his eyes. But he said nothing, or asked nothing.

Someone doused the lights. Darkness descended around them. The crowd was instantly still and quiet. A single spot light shimmered on the stage, where a young boy sat on a chair.

He grinned. It was hard not to smile in return. Even with a missing tooth, he was elated to be on the stage. He spoke in a young, charming manner, with a slight lisp because of the gap in his teeth.

“Welcome to the Retelling Festival. The story of our journey to the Bedgewood Isles.”

Squeals of excitement raced through the audience.

Meghan and Colin gasped. The stone seats in the amphitheater started to shift, tilting backwards so they were gazing upward at the sky.

“I love that part,” said Jae, with a chuckle.

“A little warning would have been nice,” grumbled Meghan.

Colin was too enthralled to care.

A voice began speaking. It was not the little boy, but that of an experienced storyteller.

“That’s Balloch Flummer, owns the bookstore,” whispered Jae.

“The voyage was underway,” Balloch started. “Three ships across a vast ocean: the Freedom, the Malden, and the Albion.”

The night sky lit up with silhouettes of three ghostly looking ships, floating across as if sailing through the stars.

“These great ships held a people with hope in their hearts as they sailed to a new world, waiting across the great Atlantic.”

The audience cheered madly as a ghostly crew worked the ships.

“We’re watching a movie,” sent Meghan to her brother. “On, like, the biggest screen ever!”

“Finally, a history lesson even you can handle.”

She did not reply to his retort, and watched the sky as the narrator continued.

“Our ships sailed for many days when a rainless storm erupted from the depths of the ocean.” As he spoke, the scene in the sky changed; the ships began to rock violently with wind and waves ravaging them.

“Our magic began to weaken and the protection surrounding the great ships failed.”

A massive eruption took place in the sky; the magical field that surrounded the ships dissolved. “As our protection failed and our magic weakened, we were hunted by ancient enemies.”

Two gigantic birds, with wingspans as wide as a ship, soared into the sky, and boos wafted through the attentive Svoda crowd below.

“The Shrieker birds shrill cries alerted their allies that the hunt for our ships was over, and thus, the battle began. The Freedom, the largest of the three ships, was the first to fall under attack. Their enemy came from below the water.”

The sky changed again. Underneath the ship Freedom, two great snake-like heads emerged, one on each side of the ships hull.

“The Freedom’s crew fought the beast. However, the weakening spells of the crew were no match for the Amphivena’s knife-like scales and tailless body.”

Overhead, the Amphivena tied its heads together, wrapping itself around the ship, preparing to crush the mighty hull.

“While the Freedom fought,” Balloch spoke on, “the second ship, the Malden, was assaulted by the Salt Spiders, the crawlers of the sea.”

Hairless, web-legged fiends the color of the ocean began hurtling themselves on board the ship. Lying flat, the salt spiders looked like malevolent doilies skimming the water’s surface; jagged harpoons covered their thin legs, ready to launch at their enemies.

“The Freedom and the Malden remained under heavy attack,” continued the Retelling. “Two were already dead on the Freedom, and one crew member had been knocked overboard on the Malden, only to be viciously murdered by the Salt Spiders.”

The audience’s attention was given to the third boat, so the twins joined, assuming that the Albion was next. The voice began again as the battle raged on overhead.

“The Albion watched helplessly as their sister ships were assaulted, and kept watch around their own ship, waiting for what was inevitably to come.”

The great ship Albion lurched upward with no warning, its hull nearly cracking under the pressure of the movement. A voice echoed down out of the sky, from one of the crewmembers on the ship. “We’re being hit from below! They’ll tear us to shreds.”

“Surfacing under the Albion were the Slopikes,” explained Balloch, “whose jagged spikes impaled the wooden ship. Their shells are indestructible. No spell can penetrate them.”

The Slopikes were a slow but deadly force. The scene in the sky was chaos; three ships in great peril. The Shrieker Birds dove between the ships, knocking people overboard, where they would meet their doom, if not by the raging water itself, by the Amphivena, Salt Spiders, or the Slopikes.

“Exhausted and losing faith, the ships and their crews resorted to their final energy reserves: belts stocked with potions and stored magic. When all hope seemed lost, the raging winds subsided. The waves stopped crashing and the rainless storm dissolved, replaced by precious calm. Whatever magic was used to create the storm had weakened, unable to hold its spell any longer. Without the storm absorbing all the magical energy around them, the crew found their strength renewed.”

The audience cheered on the ground below.

“With great effort and sacrifice, they began regaining control of their ships. Three men and two women on board the Freedom attacked the Amphivena together, shooting a spell that would cause any normal man to wither and die. The crushing beast released its grip on the ship and faded into the depths of the ocean. The Freedom raced to the aid of the nearby Malden, infested with Salt Spiders. Many people on board had been captured and rendered helpless, having been bound in seaweed-like cocoons. With no known spell to repel the spiders, the enemy began claiming the Freedom as well.”

Balloch Flummer paused, beginning again in a lowered, dramatic voice.

“In our most dire moment, a young man fighting on the Freedom found himself backed into a corner with nowhere to hide. The spider launched a harpoon at the young man, missing him, but breaking open a barrel of fresh drinking water, washing away the salt water on the ship’s deck. The spider recoiled, clearly in pain. Realizing instantly what this meant, the young man ran through the ship shouting, ‘Fresh water! Use fresh water!’”

Balloch’s voice rang exuberantly as he continued.

“With hope returned, cries of Viridatas, the spell to turn salt water into fresh, were overheard by the nearby Malden and they urgently began to do the same. Soon, they forced the Salt Spiders back into the ocean, their webbed legs spinning their way across the calming waters. The cocoons were cut down and the people freed.”

The audience shouted cheers at the sky.

“One ship remained under attack,” the storyteller reminded. “The Albion. The Shriekers, seeing their allies fail, broke off their attack, soaring into the rising sun. No longer hearing the birds call, the Slopikes ended their rampage on the Albion, and swam into the depths. The damage to the Albion was severe. Half the ship remained under water. The great ship was lost. Sinking.”

The narrator took a break from speaking and the scene in the night sky changed to the Freedom and the Malden racing to aid the sinking Albion.

“The Albion knew their beloved ship was lost. The Freedom and Malden approached, lowering their boats to save the remaining passengers of the Albion, whose own boats had already been released into the waters - boats which were nowhere to be found.”

Balloch paused in somber remembrance before his lamentation continued.

“The Albion sank, taking twenty souls who lost their lives during the battle, down to the depths with her.”

The audience went quiet, except for the sniffles of saddened Svoda. The narrator began again and the scene above changed.

“The two remaining ships searched in vain for the four boats released from the Albion. It was believed they carried over sixty survivors. They found no sign that the boats had survived the battle, and after the third day... the search was called off.”

The storyteller’s voice broke up as he continued.

“A mass funeral was held in respect for those lost during the battle. Four hundred and forty-four remained alive, with over a hundred missing and presumed dead.”

A long minute of silence took place as the Svoda paid their respects to their brave ancestors. Then, the scene above morphed from gloomy darkness to brightly sunlit skies, and the remaining ships sailed onward to their new home.

“What do you think so far, Sis?” asked Colin, overwhelmed by the story.

“I can’t believe we’re sitting outside under the sky, watching an action packed movie.” She instantly sensed Colin’s anger rising. “Don’t worry, Col, I get the point. I just don’t understand why they’d want to relive such a depressing story, year after year.”

They tuned into the narrator.

“The Freedom and the Malden arrived at their new home eight days later, battered and beaten, but not broken. A few settlers, who had arrived months before, waited on shore, alongside our Native American allies, the Tunkapog.”

“Now you had to hear that!” exclaimed Colin loudly into her mind. 

“Tunkapog. Did he say Tunkapog? Kanda is a Tunkapog,” was all Meghan could manage to send back.

“The arrival was bittersweet,” the story continued. “The two arriving ships made port, and the crew explained their nightmarish journey. The arriving settlers dauntingly moved into their new homes. Homes built by those that had arrived before them, along with the aid of the Tunkapog, who remain to this day, one of our greatest and longest allies.”

“Okay, this is too much,” said Meghan, accidentally aloud. She instantly tried to shrink in her stone seat as glares and shushing ensued, including an extremely rotten look from Ivan Crane. But she couldn’t easily explain it was shock, not disdain or boredom that caused her outburst.

After the crowd turned their attention back toward the skies, Colin sent her, “Good one, Sis. Does this mean Kanda knew the Svoda? Did she know we were from a magical family?”

Meghan did not reply.

The story drew them back in.

“By the end of the first day the ships were emptied. The Tunkapog set out to prepare a feast for the weary travelers. Their knowledge of herbs and flowers not only tasted magnificent after the mundane foods of the journey, but eased the settlers’ pain, too.”

“Hm,” huffed Meghan. “No wonder I always felt so good after drinking Kanda’s tea.”

Balloch continued. “The Retelling will conclude tonight with the same speech given by Nethaniel Bedgewood at the end of that first feast.”

A new voice filled the night sky.

‘I am humbled to be amongst friends. We are forever in debt to our new neighbors, the Tunkapog, for their help these many months in preparing our new home, and for tonight, this needed and gracious feast. I am also delighted to learn that we were able to cure the Tunkapog from the fatal disease brought here by bad magic.

‘To my fellow settlers, I have also made the decision that from this day forth, in memory of our journey, and those lost to us, that this day each year we will hold such a feast. It will be called Thanksgiving, a day to remember and give thanks for what friends and blessings remain.’

He toasted the entire group, which filled the massive beach. Cheers and cries returned the toast.

‘If I could have your attention, one last time,’ Nethaniel spoke. ‘I have made another decision, one that affects us all. Now that we have a home, I feel it is only fitting that we also have a name.’

Full attention was on Nethaniel Bedgewood as he spoke, from the audience in the sky, and on the ground below.

‘From this day forth, as an endless reminder of the peace each and every one of us strive for, we shall be known as the Svoda, the People of Light.’”

The crowd in the scene roared, along with the crowd watching on the ground below. The scene above began to fade and the sky once again became dark and starless, as a light snow began to fall over them all. The stone chairs shifted back into normal sitting position, the lanterns reigniting once again, and the crowd began to disperse. Much more somberly than it had started.

Ivan tilted his head toward Meghan. “Not what you expected was it?”

Can he speak any other language other than smug? “You talking to me?” she replied just as snidely.

“I was simply noting the fact that you did not think this would be worth your time.” He got up and left, leaving a speechless Meghan, for the second time that night.

Colin and Jae swore they saw steam bursting from her ears, and after a tense minute, she finally mustered out the words, “I hate that boy.”

They filed out of the amphitheater.

Sheila leaned her head on Irving’s shoulder as they walked home. He held her arm tightly in one hand and grasped his daughters in the other. Jae walked behind alongside the twins. Ivan sauntered strode a few steps behind them.

Meghan would have bet he was watching her, and she wanted to turn around and throw something at him. She picked up her pace, Colin and Jae followed.

“Wasn’t that incredible?” he exclaimed to the twins.

“It was pretty wild,” agreed Meghan.

“Banon Blackwell stores up extra magic all year for that,” Jae said.

Colin had questions he wanted to ask, but Meghan cut him off.

“This is not the place, Col, we better wait.”

They slowed. Meghan noticed Ivan had fallen behind. He appeared to be ensconced in his own private conversation, paying no attention to them now. Irving, Sheila and Mireya were far ahead now.

They pulled their jackets snugly around themselves. The November night was chilly. The snow wasn’t heavy enough to stick, it melted before it hit the ground, or right after.

Just before they reached the final turn to the Mochrie cottage, the trio found their path blocked. They froze, uncertain what to do.

“So, Mr. Jacoby, do you have what I asked for?” It was Darcy. She was alone this time though. Minus her two counterparts.

“No. I- I have nothing for you,” he stuttered in reply.

“Well well well... going to be some trouble brewing, isn’t there?” She raised her hand as if about to use a spell on them; the three gasped and ducked as Darcy shrieked with laughter and scurried away.

“Is it possible,” thundered Meghan through clenched teeth, “to go just one stinking day without having a problem around here?”

“What kind of problem?” It was Ivan, looking rather superior (so Meghan thought at least).

Jae answered. “Just Darcy Scraggs. Been hassling us a lot lately.”

“What about?”

“Oh, no one thing really. More like our general ability to exist.”

“Sounds like good ‘ole Darcy. Good luck with that.” He sauntered off, losing interest.

“That was too close,” said Jae, relieved. “On too many counts. Darcy isn’t giving up. And I don’t know what Ivan would do if he found out about you guys, the Magicante, or what Darcy did.”

“And I don’t intend to find out,” said Meghan, incensed. “As far as I’m concerned, Ivan Crane can just fall off the face of the planet!”

Colin and Jae tossed each other an amused gaze, watching Meghan storm off toward home. They followed and once inside, got out of their warm jackets. Jae hit at Colin’s arm. He looked up and followed Jae’s gaze... there was an odd scene unraveling.

Irving, Sheila and Mireya were bending over the basement door, their ears glued to the floor. The others joined them.

“Is that knocking?” asked Jae.

“Corny?” questioned Sheila.

Irving bent over to open the door. The others stepped back, waiting as the door creaked open, but nothing happened. They leaned in closer, when out of the musty darkness below a wrinkled hand pushed up through. It held a piece of paper. Jae grabbed it and Corny’s hand disappeared; they could hear the sandpaper shuffle as his shoes skidded across the basement floor, back to his corner.

“I think this is for you, Colin,” mused Jae with a low chuckle.

He grabbed it. The drawing was identical to the others.

“That’s four now,” counted Meghan. “You totally have a new best friend,” she teased.

“Whatever,” he snapped back.

Ivan’s eyes combed over the page from the top of the stair; he took a fleeting glance at Colin before disappearing into his room.

“How strange,” said Sheila. “He does appear to have taken a liking to the boy.”

“That’s good, for Corny,” replied Irving. They shielded their laughter, disappearing into the kitchen.

#

LATER, UPSTAIRS, MEGHAN told Jae they had some questions for him. They waited impatiently for Mireya to fall asleep. Once she was soundly sleeping, Jae motioned for them climb up to the loft. The twins eagerly followed. Jae opened the small door to the hidden crawl space and they crawled inside. After two feet, they entered a square room, which was tall enough only to sit in.

“We need to talk softly, but it’s safe,” he said, lighting a candle. Colin’s heart raced. He felt as though he were passing along dark secrets to a spy, and as he thought that, he realized it was somewhat true.

“I’ve never figured out what this room was built for,” said Jae, “but it sure is handy tonight.”

Colin’s curiosity got the better of him and he assaulted Jae with questions about the Retelling.

“That was an unbelievable story, Jae. Do those enemies still exist? Have you ever seen them? I can’t believe there are scarier things out there than Scratchers.”

“I can’t say for sure that they do,” answered Jae. “But our real enemy does; the one who actually ordered those creatures to take down our ships.”

“Who is that?” asked Colin.

“The Grosvenor,” replied Jae. “Immortal beings,” he explained in a low whisper.

“That sort of thing exists?” muttered Colin.

“Unfortunately. Do you remember when I told you, back in Cobbscott, that magic was almost wiped out a long time ago? The Grosvenor are responsible for the battle that caused that. They even killed off their own kind, it didn’t matter to them.”

“Their own kind?” questioned Meghan.

“Vetala. Otherwise known as Vampyres. Not Vampyres in the sense of what your world thinks of them. They don’t suck blood. What they do is just as monstrous though. They can suck the life force out of any living thing,” Jae told them.

“And the Grosvenor still hunt you?” asked Colin.

“Yes, and if they get the opportunity, they will destroy all magic but their own.”

“You mean they want to take over the world kind-a-thing,” Meghan confirmed.

“On the bright side though, even in all the years since that battle, they have not succeeded.”

The twins exhaled in unison. They were now included on the list of magical things to destroy. They saw no bright side.

“Do they send the Scratchers after you?” Colin asked after a minute.

“It’s likely. I think the Viancourt believes that’s the person you heard speaking to the Scratchers, at the pine tree back in Cobbscott-”

“The one you called the Scratchman,” interrupted Colin.

“Yes. It is possible that what you saw could have been one of the Grosvenor, which is a terrifying thought to consider, that one of them could have been so close. They are very powerful.” 

Meghan did not want to think about terrifying any longer, and decided it was time to discuss the Tunkapog. “Did you know that the campground back in Cobbscott is owned and run by someone from the Tunkapog Tribe?”

“Yes,” answered Jae slowly. “That’s right. I don’t know why it never dawned on me before now. You’re good friends with the owner of the campground, Kanda Macawi,” he remembered.

“She is our longest friend,” said Meghan. “Our Uncle Arnon knew her long before we were even born.”

“I guess nothing should surprise me about you two anymore,” Jae noted.

They sat for a moment trying to figure out what it meant. But again, there were no answers. After a few minutes, Colin got a chill and they decided it was time for bed.

“This new world we’re stuck in sure keeps getting stranger and stranger,” sent Colin into her mind. “I wish we could talk to Uncle Arnon. I have so many questions I want to ask him.”

“Yeah, well that ain’t gonna happen,” she shot back more harshly than she’d meant to. They were both tired of having no answers to their ever-growing pile of questions.

The trio crawled out of the tiny room and disappeared behind their curtains.

Two dreadful things happened during the night:

First, Meghan had a nightmare that was identical to her vision of Jae, and once again, her new ability forced her to watch her friend being tortured. She awoke, petrified. Jae had been happier lately. Why would this nightmare return? A sense of helplessness settled like a suffocating veil over her thoughts.

Second, much to the dismay of Colin, he was abruptly awakened in the night by a foul smell, and opened his eyes to see the face of Corny Tibbit bulging down at him. He handed him two more sheets of paper, covered with the same scribbling as before, and then shuffled away.

Jae was the only other in the room to witness the occurrence. “Weird! Wicked weird,” he said, locking the bedroom door.

The smell of sour breath and the sight of rotted teeth sifted through Colin’s restless mind, seeping into his dreams. Meghan, after finally falling asleep after her nightmare, found her and Colin sharing another dream.

“My dreams may be dangerous,” she silently yelled at him, “but yours are just gross!”

##

AN UNEXPECTED KNOCK at the door interrupted breakfast a few days later. Ivan, who was racing down the stairs, shouted, “I’ll get it.” Shortly after, he walked into the kitchen holding two letters in his hand.

“Pantin Hollee delivered these.” He kept one and half-heartedly handed the other to Meghan. Irving glanced at the letter in Ivan’s hand.

“Is that what I think it is?” Irving asked. He shook his head. “Hard work does pay off!” He nodded, as if a point he had made a thousand times was suddenly proven true.

“What is it?” asked Colin.

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 21.

Congratulations on this honor,

Pantin, Hollee Troast

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“SUCH AN HONOR,” BREATHED Sheila, dreamily. “Only youngsters Banon Blackwell feels are truly worthy are asked to attend each year.” 

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? What exactly counted as worthy?

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.

Guess I’m not the only one who thinks she didn’t deserve it. Colin frowned. Then jumped as Sheila burst out in exclamation.

“I forgot! Your exam grades arrived 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 to the Up and Comer’s Dinner. 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.” Irving let out a gratified sigh. “I can hear the jealousy now. Two letters in the same house! Has that ever happened before?” he asked the air.

Great, thought Colin. He doesn’t think my sister deserves it, but he’s sure willing to gloat about it anyway. Irving Mochrie could sometimes be a bit of a jerk. Colin felt bad for thinking it. But it was true.

“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 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, right after arriving in Grimble, 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 after all. You’re a lucky girl to have her around.”

Ivan glanced distrustfully at Meghan, believing she was not telling the complete 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.

Breakfast ended. Irving departed eagerly for work, with a promise from Sheila not to overly boast about his news. Ivan followed soon after. Jae headed up to their shared bedroom and slid into his cubbyhole of a room. The twins followed. Colin was not sure how Jae was feeling, but he was getting more pissed by the minute.

Meghan shook her head and laughed at the artwork covering the backside of Colin’s wall. Corny’s handiwork hung behind his bed.

“I don’t think you should go to this dinner,” Colin bleated to his sister.

“Why on earth not?”

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

“You’re just 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 at them.

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 can’t see it, but she’s up to something.”

“Can you hear yourself?” Meghan charged. “You act like she’s got it out for us or something. She’s done nothing but help us.”

“You know what, forget it. I don’t want to argue,” Colin 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 out of the house after him.

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

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

“I was trying to be nice,” she yelled after him, with folded arms, looking as stubborn as ever. Jae darted past Meghan, catching up with Colin, handing him a coat. He’d left so fast he hadn’t grabbed one.

“Girls,” Jae 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.”

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

“She knows it’ll make me mad,” he retorted. “And what’s worse, I fall for it every time. I am the older brother. I was born FIRST,” he yelled as if she could still hear him.

Colin thought about what Eddy 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?” 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 was cold enough, he thought for sure, this time the snow would stick. 

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

“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 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, while they walked home, Colin decided he had been stupid to get upset with Meghan; after all, a fancy affair was right up her alley. He just didn’t like the attention Juliska was giving her. Not because he was jealous, so much as worried. Meghan thrived on attention. And it blinded her, to obvious things she should see.

Just as importantly, 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. 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 with 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 this time, 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 and 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 kept himself as hidden as possible, and located his uncle easily enough. He was surprised when Timothy never joined him though. The young ghost always seemed to know when they entered Grimble.

Eddy was concerned when Colin showed up alone, without his sister. But he didn’t have to wait long as Colin unloaded everything. In a long, angry gush.

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. That his sister was blind to whatever was going on, but something was going on. And he was sure Juliska didn’t like him. At all. And pretty much just saw him as in the way, or something... but mostly, the woman could not be trusted.

How badly Meghan did on her exams. How awesome he had done. How much he wished he could just go home and talk to Uncle Arnon... how much everything pretty much just sucked. He went on and on, until finally there was nothing left to say.

He finished, feeling rather deflated.

Eddy had a mournful gloss covering his ghostly eyes. “That was quite the mouthful.”

Colin sighed. “Yeah. I guess I was kind of holding a lot in.”

Eddy floated down, closer to eye level. Which was hard to do being Colin was so short. His uncle wasn’t a tall man, but much taller than his nephew.

“So now that you have all that out of the way, 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. She never does. 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, like I’m some kind of annoyance. Like I’m in the way. That somehow I offend her just by living.”

Colin’s voice rose again, renewed with an energetic angst.

“And... And... When is it my turn?” his rant continued. “Meghan always gets everything. I’m older. Only by a few minutes, but older. I’m smarter than her. 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 plunked down miserably onto a pile of wood. Part of him was relieved to finally just say everything he’d been thinking. The rest of him was ashamed of it. Eddy joined him, his ghostly frame hovering in a sitting position next to him on the woodpile.

“Colin. Don’t be ashamed of how you feel. And don’t doubt yourself. Sometimes our wildest concerns turn out to be true. Can you trust Juliska Blackwell? I think this has yet to be seen. If you feel the need to be cautious and concerned, then so be it.”

“Really? You don’t think I’m just being a jealous brother. Or overly paranoid.”

Eddy wore a troubled smile. “Maybe just a little when it comes to the jealous brother,” he winked. “But mostly, no. I would always tell you to trust your instincts, Colin.”

He sighed and groaned. “I don’t know why I feel like I do about Juliska. I can’t explain it really. There’s just something about her I don’t trust. I want to like her, it’s just every time I try the opposite happens.” He looked up at his uncle and shrugged.

“You need to believe in yourself, Colin. You and your sister were thrust into a new life without any warning. But like you said, you’re smart. You’re observant. You see things others might not. Truth be told, you get that from your father.”

“I do? Really?”

“Yes. I can’t tell you much about your father, Colin. But he had a way of seeing things others missed as well. Not the gift of sight, like Meghan. More of a natural intuition. A gut feeling that was almost always right.”

He was like his father. He smiled. He wasn’t sure why this made him so happy, but it did.

“Trust your instincts, Colin. Never make rash decisions because of them. Be cautious. Be careful. But do give them credit.”

“I will. You know, Meghan’s smart too. In her own way. She’s really taken a liking to Juliska though and,” he cut off his words. 

“And?”

“I guess it’s that,” he hesitated. “It feels like Meghan is moving on. Moving forward. And I’m just not ready to.”

“You think she’s going to leave you behind? Just like she was afraid you all might leave her behind, in school?”

“I suppose. A little.” 

“This is why I have tried to impress upon you both, the importance of sticking together. It doesn’t mean you can’t have separate lives, but you must keep your bond secure and open to each other. I’d wager you’re both thinking about things more alike, than unalike.”

“Right now, the only thing on Meghan’s mind is what to wear to her special dinner.”

Eddy chuckled. He got up off the woodpile and floated in front of Colin, lowering himself so his ghostly frame was partly sunken into the ground. He peered into Colin’s eyes.

“Just remember to trust yourself. And never let anyone, including your sister, make you believe that you’re any less of a person because you think differently, or because you are shorter than them. Height does not automatically equal intelligence, strength of character, or kindness. All qualities you possess in spades, Colin, and so much more important than how tall you are. Let me ask you something, 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 really the magic that makes you powerful, Colin. It’s what you do with it. How you use it. And how you do not use it.” Eddy 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. You can always choose to be that person.” There was a dim sort of twinkle in Eddy’s ghostly gaze. Like he was proud, but also sad, in a way. Almost as if he had a lot more he’d like to say, but did not.

Colin mulled over the advice. Even with magic on his side, he was not sure he could portray that kind of confidence all the time.

“Now, you must return home. I’m still not sure it’s entirely safe for you to be here. Travel like you did to get here. Stay hidden as much as possible. In fact, leaf me once you get home to let me know you got there without incident.”

Colin glanced around. He noticed Timothy was still absent. He asked Eddy about it. “I expected him to show up after I got into Grimble. He always does.”

“Ah, yes. Timothy. Haven’t seen him in a few days. Not too worried though, he disappears from time to time. Always shows up again.”

Colin decided not to worry, he had enough of that raging around his brain already. But without Timothy or his sister, he found the walk home much lonelier than he had expected.

##

THE DAY OF THE UP AND Comer’s Dinner arrived. Meghan and Colin had not spoken since their big explosion over a week prior. They had spent most of that time in various parts of the house ignoring each other. The more days that passed, the more nervous they each secretly became, over the fact that Colin had not handed over the book, like Darcy was demanding.

Jae didn’t try to moderate between them, just split his time, or kept to himself. They assumed he was thinking of the same thing. And wondering how much more time they had before Darcy or Garner tried something else.

If they left the house at all, they kept to public places or within groups of people, or at least nearby. Colin didn’t sneak out again on his own. He’d been lucky not to get caught when he’d visited his uncle in Grimble, but he wouldn’t chance it again. He groaned, caving in. This feud with Meghan had to end. He decided to try to speak with her that afternoon before she left for dinner. He figured she’d be in a good mood.

However, when he approached her, he chickened out. She was muttering to herself testily about riding to the dinner with Ivan. He decided to try again later, after the dinner.

He and Jae, and the rest of the Mochries did see them off. The carriage arrived about thirty minutes before the dinner began. A light snow was falling. It was everything he and Jae could do to keep their grins and laughter to themselves, watching Ivan begrudgingly help her into the carriage. She just as begrudgingly accepted. Nona jumped in after her, tagging along.

They watched the carriage pull away. Colin pulled his jacket around himself and told Jae he’d been in soon, he wanted to go for a quick walk. He promised not to go far, and to be careful.

Jae was leery about letting him go on his own. “You know what? You’ll be fine. Garner will be at the dinner. And I heard Darcy gloating the other day about her own invitation. They’re busy.”

“Of all the people to get invited, even including my sister, Darcy’s makes no sense at all.”

Jae nodded in agreement. “Garner probably got her in.”

“Ugh. You’re right though. I still won’t be gone long. Getting cold. And I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Yeah. That’s getting super weird at this point. I can’t believe Corny snuck in again.”

Colin had no idea what to make of the grizzled old man. He’d awakened in his bed with the guy staring down at him again. Corny had dropped two more pages on the bed and shuffled out of the room back to his basement hideaway.

Jae headed back indoors and Colin wandered, in no particular direction. Before long, he looked up to see he was stepping onto the wharf. The same one where his sister had been a walking fireball and given her first prophecy. He let the restless ocean mists 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 skin; somehow, it prevented his thoughts from overwhelming him.

#

AS THE CARRIAGE PULLED away, Meghan realized she should wave goodbye. She stuck her head out of the window to do so and noticed Colin walking toward the wharf. “Jealous,” she muttered.

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

“Nothing,” she replied, bringing her head back inside.

It was surprisingly warm. There was a small fireplace 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. The poor thing had such thin hair, it was almost nonexistent.

After a few minutes, Meghan let out an annoyed sigh. She refused to have her evening start off badly and attempted to make conversation.

“So, Ivan,” she said, startling him into looking at her. “What exactly do you do here? What’s your job?”

“I do my share.”

“Right,” she said sardonically.

“You asked.”

“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, 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 don’t know me at all. Do you even comprehend what it means to be nice to someone? Do you have any friends? Do you even know what the word means?”

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 outside into the snow. It was coming down heavier now, sticking to the ground and piling up fast.

“Is this your game, Ivan?” she yelled out the window. “Go from hardly speaking to me, directly to saying I am a stupid, shallow girl without a care in the world? You’re the drama boy,” she returned smugly. She didn’t actually believe he’d choose to walk in the bitter cold, versus get back in the carriage.

Meghan wished she had stuck with her original plan and kept quiet. She asked the driver to stop, sucked in deeply, and then climbed out.

“Ivan, please come back inside. It’s freezing out here. You’ll be soaked and frozen solid if you keep walking.”

“And you care why?”

“I don’t really. I’m just trying to be nice. Because I am actually a nice person. You would know that if you weren’t such a jerk all the time.”

He scowled, but stopped walking. Snow swirled around their heads. It was turning into quite the winter storm. Ivan let out a low grumble and hopped back in the carriage. This time he allowed Meghan to get in on her own.

As the carriage ride continued, they warmed up nicely thanks to the toasty fire. Ivan leaned around the fire and held out his hand as if to shake Meghan’s.

“Truce. For tonight at least.” His eyes shouted displeasure at the arrangement, regardless, she leaned in to shake his hand.

Her hand slipped into his. An ember popped in the stove. Her eyes flitted to the flames. And Meghan was no longer in the carriage. She was sucked into a vision.

It was dark and cold, but she still wore her dinner gown. She got on her hands and knees feeling carefully until she came to an edge. A familiar edge. A familiar edge that brought nothing but dread. A dim light draped down over her.

As in her vision, or dream of it, each time before, a second pillar just out of reach appeared in the darkness, imprisoning Jae’s beaten body.

“Not now. Not now.” She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around her legs and rocked back and forth, crying. Jae had been better recently. Happier. And she was on her way to a dinner that was supposed to be fun. Could nothing actually be fun in this messed up world she now lived in? Was it against the law or something?

Meghan sucked in a sniffle. Something changed. There was a voice there had never been before. Calling out to her. It echoed, from far away, but she recognized it.

“Ivan,” she sobbed. “Get me out of here. I can’t watch this again.”

But almost like she had to, her eyes dragged upward, watching the loathsome being drowning Jae in its heavy shadow. An odd sense of calm came over her. She calmed herself, taking in and letting out a few breaths.

“What would Juliska do?” she whispered. The question came to her quite suddenly. She attempted to break herself away from the immediate scene she’d seen over and over enough to last a lifetime, and look at the vision like an outsider trying to piece together a puzzle. She cast away the emotion, thinking logically about it.

“Right before I got sucked in, I was shaking Ivan’s hand. An ember popped in the fireplace.” 

In the background from the second pillar, Jae’s voice pleaded with Meghan. “Please, make it stop. You can help me.” Something in his voice made her believe she was close to figuring it out.

“How can I help you?”

One fact dawned on Meghan while each of the previous nightmares came into memory.

“Ivan. I had run into Ivan each time.”

She stood up, but was no longer herself. Ivan took her place on the pillar. She looked through his eyes as if seeing with her own. Something wet dripped down her face. She reached up and wiped away the tears. But they were not her own. They belonged to Ivan.

“It’s not my nightmare. It’s not my vision. This belongs to Ivan. I’ve been seeing his nightmare. Which means... he must know what’s wrong with Jae.”

With a gasp and a jerk, she was back in the carriage. Lying half on the floor, half in Ivan’s lap. He clutched her close, repeating, “I’m sorry,” in her ear. All condemnation and arrogance had left him.

She moaned, reaching up to her head. There was a slight pang just for a moment, and then it vanished. Ivan said he was sorry again.

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“I know what you saw,” he confided hesitantly.

She sat up, escaping his grip. “I was right. I got it right. It’s your nightmare I’ve been seeing, not my own.” She stopped, shaking her head. “Wait. How did you know what I was seeing?”

He let his arms drop to his sides. She stared into his eyes, waiting for an answer. It took him a moment, and he was uncharacteristically befuddled when he spoke.

“The night I found you... on the floor upstairs at the house, I heard you talking. I’ve had the dream so many times.”

Meghan was not sure how to feel. She had no idea that her gift would allow her to see the deepest dreams and nightmares of other people. She said nothing at first. Ivan helped her up into the seat and sat next to her. She couldn’t take her eyes away, and yet had no idea what to say.

Ivan turned away and stared out the window. It was almost dark now.

Nona pawed gently at Meghan. It comforted her. Encouraged her. She hardened herself, nodding in response to her Catawitch’s reassurance, refusing to let him shut down.

“Ivan...” she called out softly.

He turned to look at her, his momentarily wounded pride replaced by a thick cold wall.

Meghan swallowed hard, but forged onward. “What’s happening to him?”

“I don’t have any answers for you,” he replied flatly. “Forget you ever saw it.” He vaulted out of the carriage, which had come to a stop. They had arrived at their destination.

“Ivan, wait. Please,” she begged. She hopped out and trudged through the falling snow, with Nona at her heels.

He stopped and spun around. His gaze furious.

“Forget about what you saw, Meghan. I’m sorry you had to see it. I really am. But you cannot help.”

Ivan marched inside, leaving her alone. Just before stepping in, he stopped and forced a tight grin to form, pretending the entire thing had not happened. He was greeted and asked to come inside. Meghan saw Juliska herself standing just through the door, greeting her guests. She cast a long gaze out the door when Ivan came in alone. 

Meghan had left her coat in the carriage. She shivered and turned to go back and get it, but the driver had already pulled away. They were at Juliska’s fort. The carriages were being lined up and parked in the large courtyard, but Meghan had no idea which one was hers.

“Screw it. Let’s just get inside.” The snow was a mix of heavy white powder and not quite frozen water. It dribbled down her hair, setting tight wet ringlets across her head. She didn’t even want to see the makeup mess dripping down her face. This was not the entrance she pictured herself making. There was a fleeting moment in which she almost decided to go home.

Nona pawed at her leg, meowing softly. 

Meghan smiled. It was sort of like the little thing was talking to her. She understood what she meant, perfectly. Without the use of a single word.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

She made her way inside, wet, exhausted and shivering.

Juliska greeted her at the door with a sigh. “I was afraid something had happened. Pantin Hollee,” she called out. The Pantin came over at once. “Take Meghan to my private quarters.” Hollee nodded curtly and pulled Meghan up a flight of stone stairs, down a long corridor and into a warm room. She sat her on the edge of a bed while Hollee dabbed a towel over her wet hair.

Had she gone too far with Ivan?

Had she not gone far enough? I should’ve forced it out of him...

A door at the back of the room opened and in swept the elegantly dressed Juliska Blackwell; she wore a long sleeved slimming gown in pure black.

“I made my excuses and got away for a minute. Now tell me, what is this all about?”

Meghan closed her eyes and tried to explain.

“On the ride here I discovered some information about a vision I’ve been having.”

“Not good, I take it?” Juliska gathered from Meghan’s voice.

“No.”

“Have you been able to figure out what it means?”

“No. I did put it together that it belonged to Iv... this guy.” She decided not to reveal her source. She supposed it was obvious. She and Ivan had shared a carriage here.

Juliska took the towel from Hollee and dabbed at Meghan’s face.

“It would appear you have a good start on the problem then,” the Banon told her, looking pleased.

“I guess.” She shuddered, the coldness sweeping through her, unwilling to relent to the warmth trying to find its way in.

Juliska handed Hollee the towel and fluffed Meghan’s dry hair. “There. All good again.”

“Thanks,” Meghan muttered.

“Take a few minutes and gather yourself.”

Meghan nodded.

“When you’re ready, Hollee will show you down. She’ll help you clean up.” Juliska got up to leave. “Remember this Meghan. A respected seer understands she must always keep it together. Looking crazy in public leads to... well, looking crazy in public,” she laughed lightheartedly. “As you must learn to see, you must also learn to live with seeing.”

Meghan sighed. “You always make so much sense. I wish...” she did not dare speak the words she felt.

“Wish what?” Juliska asked. Her voice held the slightest tone of unbridled eagerness.

“I wish someday I could make as much sense, to myself.” Meghan chickened out, keeping her real thoughts to herself.

Juliska nodded and returned to her guests.

Meghan wished she’d been daring enough to say what she had really been thinking.

I wish I could live here with you.

Around you, everything makes sense and seems easy, even when it’s not.

When I’m here... I feel like I’m at home.

Meghan felt immense guilt for feeling that last one. This place should not feel like home, no matter what. Home, was with Uncle Arnon.

The Pantin helped Meghan get cleaned up. Once ready, looking and feeling like herself again, Hollee led her down to a back entrance, which Juliska often used when entertaining. The doors opened into a grand room, filled with guests milling about. Greeting each other. But the room went quiet and all eyes froze on Meghan as their leader welcomed her to the dinner from her own private quarters.

She fell into her part instantly, a wide grin spreading across her face in greeting. There were too many envious eyes to count. Including Darcy Scraggs, who to Meghan’s dismay was also in attendance. She searched for a familiar face other than Darcy’s, but Ivan was the only other face she recognized, and she highly doubted he wanted to see her. In fact, he avoided her most of the evening.

It did not matter however; appearing to be Juliska’s guest of honor Meghan had no problem meeting all of the guests in attendance, which consisted mostly of the members of the Viancourt, plus a few older students she had never met. They, of course, knew who she was, as the new kid in town.

Meghan ignored the icy stares of Garner and Darcy, purposely parading next to Juliska. As the evening wore on, Meghan had nearly forgotten the incident in the carriage and was having the best time of her life. After dinner, nearing the end of the evening, Pantin Hollee clanged her glass, gathering the guests’ attention.

“Banon Blackwell has an exciting announcement,” said Hollee with eager eyes. The small crowd hushed, waiting with mounting anticipation. Juliska joined her side, Hollee nodded and left her to speak.

“Before our evening comes to an end, I have a special announcement. It is time,” she paused dramatically, “for an Initiation.”

These were words the students all hoped to hear. The graduated students waited anxiously, each hoping they had been deemed worthy to join the Svoda as a fully-fledged and initiated member. It was their primary goal after finishing school.

“Ivan Crane. Please step forward.”

The crowd was stunned. His name was not what the group expected to hear. Other than Meghan and Darcy, he was the youngest in attendance at seventeen.

Ivan stepped forward and knelt before the Banon, with a look of overwhelmed awe on his face.

“Your Initiation will begin after the transfer to our next world. Congratulations, Mr. Crane. You have proven yourself a loyal servant to the Svoda.”

“I am truly honored, Banon Blackwell, and I pledge my life to the Svoda,” Ivan replied humbly.

The small crowd clapped, and crowded Ivan, congratulating him on his Initiation announcement. Most, with looks of great envy and disappointment that they’d not been selected. Meghan kept her distance, confident he did not want her congratulations.

Soon, the evening was ending and guests began to depart.

Meghan grew ill. Quite suddenly. Her head got dizzy as she waited in line to say her farewells to Juliska. A few spots behind her in line stood the ever-observant Ivan Crane, who noticed Meghan start to sway. He swooped in, putting his arm around her waist.

“There you are,” he said. “I was looking for you.” Ivan steadied her, smugly. She wanted to push him away but realized she might fall over if he let go. She had no idea what was wrong.

“Ah, our newest Initiate, Mr. Crane,” said Juliska, her eyes brightening. “It’s been a pleasure to have you.” She brushed a concerned hand against Meghan’s face, which was growing paler by the second. “I trust you will get Ms. Jacoby home safely, and quickly,” she added, realizing Meghan’s current condition was not suited for public exposure.

“Yes, of course, Banon Blackwell. Right away,” he promised. “Also, thank you on behalf of myself, and Ms. Jacoby, for your hospitality this evening.”

She leaned, whispering in Meghan’s ear. “Don’t be a stranger now.”

“I won’t. Thank you. Good night.”

Ivan scurried outside, Meghan in tow.

“You’ve become quite the little chum to Banon Blackwell, haven’t you?” he interrogated while assisting her into the carriage.

“Are you making fun, Ivan? Because honestly, I’m not in the mood.”

“In all honesty,” he said, “you look sick.”

“Thanks,” Meghan responded sardonically, adding, “My head is spinning.”

The carriage took off with a start. Nona jumped onto her lap meowing raucously.

“What is it?” Meghan asked.

Nona lifted her paw touching Meghan’s cheek, somehow calming her dizziness, bringing a clearer picture into her head.

“Something’s wrong,” understood Meghan. “Colin!” she gasped. She had been blocking him all night, but he had been trying to reach her. “I- I can’t feel him anymore, he’s...” She put her hands over her mouth, not daring to say what she truly felt.

Empty.

Alone.

Colin had always been in her mind; even when they blocked each other, the essence of the other always there.

“Do you know where he is?” asked Ivan, not questioning how she knew he was in trouble.

“When I saw him last he was walking toward the wharf. But that was hours ago.”

Ivan dove into action, jumping out of the carriage, which was moving at a snails pace through the falling snow. They’d barely made it across the long roadway leading to Juliska’s fort back to the main part of the island.

Meghan and Nona followed at his heels. They tried to run but the heavy snow impeded their progress. Meghan’s feet froze in no time; her dress shoes were no match for the weather.

As they neared the Mochrie house, Ivan veered off, grasping Meghan’s hand, forcing her to come with him. Once inside, he threw a pair of oversized boots and coat at her, while explaining to the bewildered Mochrie family what was happening. Jae jumped up off the sofa, having fallen asleep. His gaze caught Meghan’s but they exchanged no words.

They immediately dressed and minutes later all raced frantically for the wharf.

Meghan called out to Colin but he did not answer. They ran to every shadow that could have been her brother, but the forms were either frozen driftwood or jutting rocks. Then a petrified thought struck her.

What if he isn’t here? The truth was that Colin could be anywhere. He might even have wandered into Grimble. How would she ever find him? The bitter winds wailed with blinding snow, making it near impossible to see.

“Please answer me, Colin,” she begged. “I’m sorry, I’m not mad anymore. Please tell me where you are.” The emptiness inside her flourished, and tears froze to her plump cheeks.

“Are you sure he’s here?” asked Mireya. “How do you know he’s hurt?”

“Because, he’s my brother,” was all she could think of to say. “And no, I’m not positive he’s here, it’s the last place I saw him.”

“He said he was going for a walk,” stammered Jae. “I’m sorry. I should have realized something was wrong when he didn’t come back earlier. I fell asleep. I didn’t realize so much time had passed.”

“You couldn’t have known, Jae. Let’s just find him,” she said with growing desperation.

Meghan and Jae both thought briefly on the demand they had not met: turning over the Magicante to Darcy Scraggs.

“I think we should sound the alarm,” bleated Irving. “We need more help. And fast.”

Ivan sped off to heed Irving’s wishes.

“We will have the entire village searching if we have to,” insisted Irving. “Don’t worry! We will find him.”

In the distance, over the raging blizzard, a bell clanged loudly. Lights popped on and the Svoda village came to life. Ivan returned, and he was not alone. Two Balaton followed. Meghan was glad that Ivan had already explained.

“This snow is falling harder with each passing minute,” one of them said. “We need to hurry!”

“We’ll check outside the wagons, too,” said the other. With a pop, they vanished.

The group left the wharf, confident they had searched every inch of it. Meghan was glad Ivan had forced her to wear boots; she couldn’t imagine what condition her feet would be in if she hadn’t. She walked onward, recalling that Colin had not been dressed for this weather either. The thought of him lying somewhere, buried, almost knocked her over.

How stupid could she be? She’d been out having a grand old time, and her brother was where? Lying buried in the snow? Held prisoner somewhere?

The group called out his name, but not once did they get a reply. Irving and Sheila forced the group to stay together so no one would get lost; between their numbers and the blinding snow, progress was agonizingly slow.

Thirty minutes later, a Balaton materialized.

“Nothing yet, but anyone capable is searching. Banon Blackwell has been informed of what’s happening and sent her personal Balaton to help.” A second later, he vanished. The group trudged onward, making their way to the center of the village, hearing voices of other Svoda calling out for Colin.

The emptiness in Meghan’s mind was growing. Expanding. Stretching through her entire being. “How could I let this happen?” She held her stomach for fear she might be sick.

Only Ivan heard her. “What do you mean? You didn’t cause this,” he replied, through the blustering snow.

“You don’t understand, Ivan. He’s my brother. My responsibility. My uncle would never forgive me if I let anything happen to him.”

“You cannot control what you cannot see,” Ivan told her. She was about to reply when a faint voice entered her head.

“Colin. Oh my God. Where are you?” she yelled frantically over the storm. The group listened anxiously. “He’s alive,” she yelled, “I can hear him.” Meghan remained still, sensing out for where he was. The connection was weak.

She painstakingly walked in the direction that felt the strongest, leading them to a snow covered pathway behind The Steel Gin.

She walked as fast as she dared, hoping not to lose his presence in her mind, when she stumbled. There, below her feet and covered in snow, lay the blue and unconscious body of her brother. The sight of him stunned her and she couldn’t speak.

Irving, without hesitation, clutched Colin’s lifeless body. His eyes were frozen open in what they could only describe as fear. 

“Balaton,” Irving shouted in fierce determination. Two appeared, one of whom immediately saw, and grasped Colin, before popping out of sight with him in tow. Irving turned to the gathering crowd with a furious glare.

“Magic has been used against that boy!” he declared. The gathering crowd stood in paralyzed disbelief. This had never happened before.

The connection with her brother failed and Meghan grew dizzy, slumping toward the ground. Someone caught her before her head collided with a protruding tree stump.

It was Ivan Crane who lifted her off the snow covered ground. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

She gazed at him, struggling to remain conscious. “I don’t understand,” she murmured, grabbing his coat for balance. Her hand dropped. She lost consciousness and was whisked away as deftly as her brother. The Mochrie family, bewildered and exhausted, rushed to the hospital and awaited news of the twins.

##

MEGHAN AWOKE BRIEFLY. A nurse gave her something to make her sleep. Her last conscious memory was that of her feet burning, the results of warming up too quickly.

Her dreams were vivid and strange. One second she was in Ivan’s nightmare, except that Jae’s broken body was joined by Juliska, Ivan, and the Mochries, all pointing and laughing malevolently at her.

The next minute, the pillar dissolved and the darkness turned to bright light. Meghan found herself sitting on a rose petal watching a woman sleeping soundly on a floating feather. Something about this was familiar to her, but she couldn’t quite place the memory.

This scene merged into another dream, in which Ivan chased Meghan through the woods. She fell and he gently picked her up off the ground, whispering he was sorry. Meghan did not think he looked sorry though. Conflicted better described it.

His face leaned into hers, his cold breath hitting her face as he searched her eyes for some hidden truth.

Oh God! Is he going to kiss me? She cringed, covering her face.

He dropped her, his eyes swarming in fury. Nope, not kissing her.

Ivan fell to the ground, yelling incoherently and punching his fists into the dirt like a child having a tantrum.

“Who you are does not change anything!” he shouted, regaining control of his conflict. His eyes scathingly jerked from the ground up to Meghan. He edged closer to her, like an animal stalking its prey.

“I will sacrifice anything that gets in my way,” he told her, pulling out a knife. Meghan screamed, inching backwards across the ground. But he caught up and pinned her easily. He raised the knife over his head, ready to plunge it into her body.

Then, he was gone.

She was sitting in a dreamy memory of the old mill in Grimble, with her brother.

“Colin!” she yelled, hugging him fiercely. Instantly, she knew she’d found him. He was real. At least his thoughts were.

“I was hoping I’d find you,” he said. “It’s harder than I thought to track someone through their dreams though. Go figure. We don’t want to share our dreams and can’t seem to stop. I want to share one,” he trailed off with a what can you do, shrug.

She let go of him and let out a puff of air. “You could not have found me at a better moment, Col. That last one was a doozy.”

“What was all that about, anyway?” he asked, having caught a glimpse of Ivan with the knife.

“Ah. Who knows! Stupid Ivan,” she blew it off and looked at her brother apologetically. “I’m so sorry, Colin. I didn’t mean for all this to happen. I should have listened to Uncle Eddy. Kept the connection open. This is all my fault.”

“Not all of it. I was responsible too. We were both being a bit stubborn. And you did find me.” He looked like he had more to say, but held back.

“What happened?”

“I was ambushed.”

“Who?”

“Never saw anything, or anyone, other than a shadow, sneak up on me. But Meghan, they stole the Magicante.”

“What?”

“It’s gone.” He looked down, disappointed with himself. “This is the part that’s pretty much all my fault. I went for a walk with the book on me. I’d been reading, and stashed it under my jacket. I didn’t even think about it when I left.”

“What do we do, Colin?”

“You mean what can you do? I don’t think I’m going to wake up anytime soon, and I’m pretty sure Uncle Eddy’s not going to be happy when he hears it’s gone.”

“I wish he would tell us what is so important about that book. I mean, it’s magical and all, but what’s in it that he doesn’t want anyone else to see?”

“I think that’s for you to find out, Sis. Just promise me you’ll be careful, whatever you do.” His voice wavered, sounding distant.

“Colin, don’t go.”

But he was gone.

Meghan bolted upright, inhaling air deeply. The Mochrie household stood over her, anxiously, in the hospital room. The sunlight told her it was morning.

“Have some water,” said Sheila putting the cup to her lips.

“My brother, how is he?”

“I am afraid Colin is in a coma,” answered Irving honestly. “We are so sorry, Meghan. It appears someone used some sort of spell against him. Doctor Stamm is working hard to sort it out. Don’t worry, he will, in time.”

Time. How much time? Hours? Days? Weeks?

She didn’t dare think in periods of time longer than this.

There was only one thing Meghan could do. As soon as possible, she would go to Uncle Eddy and tell him what happened. Unfortunately, the visit would have to wait as the doctor determined she needed to stay for one more day.

The Mochries went home to get some rest after the long night, minus Jae. He offered to stay behind, wide-awake after his nap and the search. He wasn’t sure what to say at first, so he handed Meghan a note.

“This came for you while you were sleeping,” he informed her.

“It’s from Jul... the Banon,” she corrected. “She says she’s sorry about my brother and hopes I am better. She says not to worry, that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.”

“She is a good leader,” said Jae. “She won’t rest until the culprit is found.”

“I just can’t believe it.” Meghan propped herself up.

Jae helped shove a couple pillows behind her back, looking crestfallen.

“I can’t believe I fell asleep and missed that Colin hadn’t come home.”

“Jae, it’s not your fault. But listen,” she glanced around to make sure no one was too close out in the hall.

He leaned in.

She whispered. “Whoever attacked Colin stole his book.”

“He had it with him?”

“Yes. I shared a dream with him, just now.”

“Wow. Really?”

“Yeah. Normally, it’s not fun. Today it was quite welcome.”

“How often do you share dreams?”

“Um, it varies. If you haven’t guessed already, we can speak to each other telepathically, too.” She couldn’t express why exactly, but an overwhelming need to come clean had overcome her.

He grinned. “I actually did kind of guess that. The dream thing though, that’s a new one to me.”

“We found each other in a dream and Colin told me he’d forgotten to put the book away before heading out. Someone attacked him, and stole it.”

Jae got up and paced around the room.

“I can’t believe someone hurt him, and all within the confines of the town. Something isn’t right.”

“I was going to ask you, I thought the Balaton always came if they sensed magic being used against another person.”

“In the past, I would have always answered, yes. Unless, someone cast another spell to allow it.”

“Darcy,” growled Meghan, already planning her vengeance. “Ugh! Not Darcy. She was at the dinner last night. Garner too.”

“They could have worked with someone else I guess. We’d never prove that though.”

Doctor Stamm arrived, insisting Meghan drink another sleeping potion, and rest. She fought, but he won in the end and she downed it. He left, telling Jae she’d be asleep soon.

“What’s your next move, Meghan?” he asked as the potion kicked in.

“I’ve got to talk with Uncle Eddy,” she replied with a yawn. “After that, I haven’t decided yet.”

Jae leaned in again, whispering in her ear. “Remember, you are the sister of someone who was attacked, it’s possible... very likely... you’ll be followed.”

Her eyes popped open. She hadn’t thought of that.

“I’ll be careful,” she promised. “I’ll figure out something. I have to.” Speaking became difficult. Her eyes heavy. The potion worked fast.

Later that evening, Meghan awoke feeling recuperated, but Dr. Stamm would not allow her to return home until the next morning, and only with a promise to rest for another day. Once home, Meghan thought she would go mad waiting for the right time to sneak away and visit Uncle Eddy. There had been no more contact with Colin since the first night; he was deep in a coma, further than even she could reach now.

In addition to that, Ivan had barely shown himself since the night of the dinner party. Was he friend or foe? She wasn’t sure what to make of him. He was hiding something from her. Something vital about Jae. And Ivan’s hard outer shell hid a fragile disposition underneath; one he might never show her again, and was obviously pissed about showing her to begin with.

Meghan was bored from lying in bed all day, with Nona curled up at her feet. Jae brought up dinner, along with news; she was allowed out of bed the next morning.

“I was hoping to go into Grimble with you,” he said. “Turns out my father needs me at the office. I don’t think I can get out of it.”

“That’s okay, Jae. I can go on my own.”

“What if something else happens? I’m not sure you should go alone.”

“Actually, alone might be better. I can hide more easily if I need to.”

“Okay,” he finally agreed. “Be careful, we don’t need you in a coma, too.” Meghan knew he was genuinely concerned and wondered, since they were talking freely, if maybe he would open up to her.

“You sure do work hard, Jae. You must be a great help to your dad.”

“It’s all good training, I guess,” he said, shifting uncomfortably. “Dad takes me to work, mostly so he can watch me practice.”

“I’ve never seen someone work so hard, not even my brother.”

“Colin’s smart, it comes easy for him. Not me. Exams this time around were easy as I’d done them all before. I don’t normally pass so easily. I think that’s why my dad keeps me working so hard, he wants me to succeed now, so it won’t be so hard later. At least, that’s what he tells me,” he droned. 

“My Uncle Arnon always said school is important, but so is being a kid, which you can’t do later.”

“Your world is much different than ours.” There was a longing in Jae’s eye as he spoke.

“I’m learning that,” Meghan said, thinking of the argument she’d had with Ivan in the carriage. She yawned from the boredom of lying in bed all day.

“You should rest,” he said, getting up. She didn’t want Jae to leave yet, he’d finally started talking.

“I’m not tired,” she insisted. “It’s just all this lying around, can’t help it.”

“I gotta get into bed anyway,” he said. “Morning’ll be here fast enough. Night, Meghan.” He disappeared behind his curtain just as Mireya drifted in with another serving tray.

“Mom thought you might enjoy some tea before bed.” She grabbed the dinner tray and replaced it with the tea tray.

“Thank you. You guys have been so nice to me and Colin.”

Mireya smiled and turned to leave. “Oh... Ivan checked in on Colin tonight. Said he’s the same, no change. But that Dr. Stamm feels confident they are getting closer to finding a cure.”

“Ivan?” repeated Meghan.

“Yup. Night,” Mireya chirped.

“Night,” Meghan mumbled back. She wished Ivan would just come talk to her directly. It was late and time for bed, but she wasn’t tired in the least and settled in for another fitful night.

#

COLIN WAS STUCK DEEP within a dream, running and spinning like an airplane in an open field. Sunbeams shone down. Flowers were in full bloom. The grass was nearly waist high.

He was not alone in the dream. A girl with long silver hair spun alongside him.

She looked familiar, but he could not place her. She was by far, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, and she was small, like him.

They stopped running. She came up to him, just out of reach, and smiled.

“Do I know you?” he asked her.

“No,” she replied, looking at him with eyes that felt as though they were reading through to his soul.

It was a strange feeling this girl gave him. His stomach fluttered excitedly, and yet he wasn’t nervous. Or afraid. Something about this girl was comforting, like seeing an old friend.

“You’re sick, aren’t you?” she asked him.

“Yes. I was attacked, knocked out. In a coma I guess.”

“So you are real?”

“Yes. Are you? I swear I’ve,” it hit him. The sick girl in the hospital. The memory of seeing her must have slipped into his unconscious.

She stepped closer and reached out to touch his hand. “I’m real too. I know we’re dreaming, but,” her voice clipped off with a sharp inhale. “I don’t have much time.” She grasped his hand firmly, suddenly afraid to let go.

“What is it?”

Her figure started to fade, taking on a hazy glow. “You’re the only person who can help me.” Her voice was desperate and her grasp weakened.

“Help you? What do you mean? Who are you?”

The silver haired girl’s frame dissolved into the sunshine.

Darkness swallowed the light.

Colin fell backwards.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

Then, nothing.

##

THE NEXT MORNING, MEGHAN waited for Jae and Mireya to get up and dressed before getting up herself. She was hoping to sneak out of the house, and then out into Grimble, unnoticed. Just after she’d dressed, she stopped.

“What is that noise?” she turned to see Nona perched on the bedroom windowsill, pawing and scratching at the window. Meghan went over to take a look. “What are you trying to show...” she trailed off, dumbstruck. “No way.”

There was a bird sitting on the branch of a snow covered tree. Looking ragged and roughed up. It looked just like the bird that had followed them from Cobbscott. She shook her head. It made no sense. How did a bird, any bird, know that they were the people it had traveled through with? Yet it appeared to be following them. Which was just wacked.

Meghan opened the window and a gust of cold air rushed in. The bird moved closer rather than fly away. She eyed it suspiciously. “Are you following me?” she demanded as if the bird could understand her.

It turned its head from side to side like it was considering her question.

“Since you’re following us, I don’t suppose you saw who attacked my brother and stole his book?” Her eyes rolled upward. “Why am I having a conversation with a bird?” On the other hand, nothing was as it appeared in this world. She eyed the bird suspiciously again.

Nona jumped onto the branch. Meghan was afraid she might have her way with the bird and kill it before she had a chance to understand why it had showed up at her window. To Meghan’s bewilderment, Nona licked the bird’s tattered face. It didn’t even flinch. Meghan reached out for the bird and it allowed her to pick it up.

“You look awful,” she said, using her sweater to wipe its snow coated feathers. “I can’t imagine what you want, but Nona trusts you, so you must be okay. Perhaps you’re just homesick, like me.”

She took the bird to the bath-room and washed it, then took it downstairs and made a little bed for it by the fireplace. “So much for sneaking out,” muttered Meghan. Mireya came in, instantly spotting the bird sitting in a small nest of towels.

“Where’d that come from?” she asked. “It’s beautiful.”

“Not sure. Nona found it outside the window, looks to have been roughed up.” The bird was beautiful and now that it was clean, it was also terribly thin. Mireya stroked the bird gently.

“You know what’s strange, Mireya, I can’t place it, but this bird seems familiar, like a distant memory or something.”

“Maybe you knew it in a past life,” she giggled in her playful manner, running off to see if they had any food fit for a bird. She came back a few minutes later with an old cage.

“Mom found it in the basement. She said Corny’s back to being his old quiet self again.”

Meghan didn’t care about Corny, but gladly accepted the cage, placing the bird safely inside, nestled in the towels.

Sheila Mochrie came in, pulling a stray cobweb out of her hair, with a small basket in her hand. “My my my. Lost animals seem to find you,” she told Meghan with a wondrous smile.

“Yeah. I guess. Which is odd really. I’ve never even had a pet before.”

“Well we’ll fix it up before sending it on its way. Can’t leave the poor thing to fend for itself if it’s injured. Luckily I found some bird seed.” She handed it to Meghan and disappeared into the kitchen.

The cage was set near the fireplace to keep the bird warm. Meghan had never seen a bird look tired. This one looked exhausted. She gently placed the homemade nest inside the cage, filling the food and water dishes. The bird stirred for a moment taking a beak full of the water, then collapsed again. Nona jumped into the cage and rubbed her back against the bird; her way of saying goodbye, and jumped out, watching Meghan lock the cage door.

“Okay, Nona. You ready to get down to business?” Nona meowed and led the way. No one said anything as she left, but she told Mireya she was going to stop in and see Colin.

It was not overly cold, but the snow covered ground made it slow going. More than once Meghan swore she had that feeling of someone spying on her and stopped to look around. She never saw anyone. Once out in Grimble she stopped for a bit, and hid behind a nearby tree to see if anyone followed her out.

No one did. At least no one she could see.

She let out a breath. Hopefully she’d make it to her uncle, unseen.

It was much warmer in Grimble, with no snow at all.

“I won’t ever get used to this,” she said, taking off her coat and scarf, stashing them high into the tree. She assumed that Timothy would show himself, but when he did not, she headed to the old mill hoping her uncle would be there. It was empty. She grabbed a leaf, preparing a message.

“I’m in the place we always meet. Meghan.” She kept it vague in case as Jae suspected, she was being followed. The leaf floated away. Ten minutes later, Eddy appeared, and even for a ghost, he looked disheveled.

“If I could put my arms around you!” he cried. “It is good to see you up and moving. How’s Colin, any change?”

Meghan had asked Jae to send a leaf explaining what had happened, leaving out the part about the missing book. She dreaded it, but wanted to explain in person.

“The doctor thinks he’s getting closer to finding which spell was used, but no change yet. He’s still in a coma.” She leaned in closer, talking in nearly a whisper. “Jae feared I might be followed.”

Uncle Eddy understood at once. “I worried about that too.”

“I expected Timothy to find me,” she noted more loudly.

“Yes, getting worried about the lad. Haven’t seen him in nearly two weeks,” said her uncle, seeming distracted.

“Did he move on?” she asked.

“No, I don’t think so. He would have said goodbye,” her uncle assured her.

“I hope he’s all right. I know he’s a ghost, but he’s just a little kid.”

“I’m sure he’s just busy getting himself into some sort of trouble. Oh, nothing to worry about, I’m sure. I can handle Timothy. You need to be with your brother.”

“Yeah, um, there’s something else,” she admitted reluctantly, searching for the right words to explain, in case they were overheard.

“What is it?” he asked, his voice distressed.

“Colin lost his favorite thing,” she said softly. “More like, it was stolen.”

Her uncle reeled, keenly aware she was talking about the Magicante.

“I’m going to find it,” she promised straightaway. “I’m not sure where to start though.”

“Yes, well, that’s always the hard part, getting started.” He floated in circles for a minute before letting out a ghostly whisper.

“Meghan, I didn’t want to burden you with this, but it appears I have no choice. You must find it! Failure is not an option.” Her uncle’s serious tone left her uneasy.

“I know, I promised Colin I would find it.”

Eddy checked one more time, to make absolutely certain they were alone, before explaining what he meant.

“It’s more valuable than I’ve let on, Meghan. And in the wrong hands, or stupid hands, it could be made to do very despicable things; not only to the Svoda, but to every... living... thing.” His voice was so low she could barely hear him.

“What do you mean by despicable things?” she asked, her unease turning to fright.

“It contains ancient information, things forgotten by most and heavily sought after by those who do remember. Power, that could change the course of every world, for good or bad.”

His words petrified Meghan near as much as the thought of losing her brother. He came down to her level, looking her in the eye.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to frighten you. But Colin must absolutely get this book back. It is imperative. He will need it.” The desperation in his voice sent a spiral of dread sinking down her spine.

She opened her mouth to ask just what he meant. Just why this book was so special to her brother when Nona meowed out a warning. Someone is coming. Meghan wasn’t even sure how she knew this, but she was positive this is what her Catawitch was telling her.

“Meghan, I realize you’re confused,” said her uncle. “I’m sorry I can’t help you more. If my presence is discovered, many lives will be put in danger. You must figure this out. You must get the book, back. Or... well let’s not think about the or. You can do this.” He smiled knowingly.

A second later, without warning or farewell, he vanished into thin air.

Meghan spent exactly three seconds staring blankly into nothing.

Confused didn’t even begin to describe how she was feeling.

Nona meowed again. Meghan jerked her head, instinct telling her to follow the Catawitch. They escaped the old mill, sneaking out the back into the woods, avoiding whoever had arrived.

The farther in they went, the landscape changed. The dead and decaying trees of Grimble were replaced with ones filled with luscious green leaves and needles. Though lush and colorful in comparison to the ghost town, it was still quiet and devoid of things like birds or insects or breezes.

They were headed downhill. After another minute, a warm mist caressed Meghan’s skin. She shed her sweater, the weather suddenly warm, almost tropical, although still, and stuffy.

“Where are you taking me, Nona?” The cat meowed and trotted along. Meghan followed obediently. Not too much later she froze.

Voices.

She took a moment to catch her breath and scan the area.

They were approaching the bottom of a hill. The thick trees were thinning. At the bottom of the hill was a gully, lined with tiny huts made out of mud and straw. She took a few steps closer not paying attention and walked right into a flyaway spider web. She wrestled it off her, and hid behind a tree trunk fearful she’d made too much noise.

Nona pawed at her. Meghan let out a breath she’d been holding.

Where was she? What the heck was she doing? Would she even be able to find her way back out of this place? It took her a minute, but she stepped out from behind the tree and peered down into the gully. She ducked back again when something moved below, between two of the huts. Cautiously, her head slid out from behind the tree.

“No one can actually live here, can they?” she muttered to herself. It looked more like a hideout. Or compound.

She ducked back when two ghosts came around the far end of the huts, floating around the perimeter. Guards, she assumed. Keeping watch. “Over what? Is the question.”

Meghan didn’t know how she’d do it, but she needed to get down there and see what was going on. Nona had led her here for a reason. How this was related to Colin, or the book, she couldn’t even imagine.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Nona,” she whispered. She looked down at her feet but the Catawitch wasn’t there. “Nona?” she called out in a loud whisper. “Well that’s just great.” Her shoulders slumped and she let out a huff. “Not even my loyal Catawitch stayed with me.”

She was nowhere to be found. Meghan decided it didn’t matter at this point. She’d figure out what was going on. She hoped she hadn’t misread Nona, and the cat hadn’t really brought her here because she was scrounging up a mouse or something.

Meghan shook her head. “No. She wanted me to see something.” She peered down into the huts, hoping to understand why Nona had led her to this place. She inched her way closer, but still couldn’t make out much more. She got down on the ground and crawled little by little, when she spotted a fallen tree about ten feet ahead of her. It still had some pine needles on it.

“Maybe I can hide in there,” she whispered, crawling along the ground. She saw the perfect spot, a hollow big enough for her to... Meghan froze, hitching her breath.

Her gaze followed a shoe, attached to a leg, which crawled backwards out of the very hollow she was heading for.

The smallest noise would alert this person to her presence. Meghan desperately searched for another place to hide. She’d have to get up and run; it was sure to cause a racket.

A second leg backed out of the tree. Her eyes widened and nostrils flared as she realized it was too late. She was on her hands and knees, facing the backside of her unknown companion.

She went to push backwards, but a hand reached back to pull itself away from the tree, and instead of finding ground, it landed on Meghan’s face. She did not budge, every muscle perfectly still. Breath held.

What if this was the person responsible for hurting Colin?

The hand didn’t move from her face.

Meghan imagined whoever it was, they were in shock just like her.

The hand dropped slowly and a sickly face turned toward her. In unison, and too loudly, both parties cried out, “Meghan!” “Ivan!”

Ivan dragged Meghan into the tree hollow; it was a tight fit, which neither of them were pleased about. The two ghost guards belted over the huts looking for the perpetrators of the noise. After a minute, the ghosts were satisfied that they had heard nothing and went back to their normal rounds.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded in a loud whisper.

“I should ask you the same thing. Why was your brother attacked?”

She refused to answer, not sure whether to trust him or not.

“I’ve been tracking Colin’s attacker,” Ivan acknowledged, seeing her determination not to speak.

“What! Why?”

“The Balaton are looking for an insider. I think it was an outside job. Any reason you can think of as to why that might be, Ms. Jacoby?” he asked curtly.

And to think, I was beginning to believe he might be human, she thought.

A stern faced Ivan waited for her reply.

“I have no clue who attacked my brother,” she stated. “Nona led me here.”

His eyes widened. “That’s a good sign, then.” He turned back to the ghosts.

“Do you have any idea what’s going on here?” she asked him.

“Best guess is that they’re guarding something. I came into Grimble to ask around a bit. Started talking about the attack with a couple of ghosts in town, and spied another listening close by. He took off all a sudden like, seemed suspicious to me so I followed him here.”

Meghan’s first thoughts led to Colin’s book. Could it be in the mud huts? Maybe this had nothing at all to do with Darcy, or Garner Sadorus. Perhaps this had something to do with Duppy, the hideous looking ghost that had confronted them about the book as well.

Meghan was about to speak when Ivan cupped her mouth and put fingers to his own. “Shh.” The ghost guard was coming around again.

Meghan still wasn’t sure if she could trust Ivan or not, but she was glad at least, not to be alone. She waited until the ghosts had rounded the next corner, and decided to be bold; she would have to if she was going to talk Ivan into invading the huts with her.

“Ivan, can ghosts or anyone from Grimble get into the wagons?”

He frowned. “Not supposed to.” He didn’t sound confident that it couldn’t happen.

“It was over a book,” she admitted.

“Your brother was attacked over a book? Are you sure?”

“Positive. It’s not a monetary thing, well, it could be I guess. It’s what’s in the book that matters. I think.” She bit her lip and shrugged. Eddy hadn’t really told her much.

“We need to get closer,” he decided.

“Any ideas on how to do that?” she asked, glad he had not instantly abandoned her.

“I’ve been spying for hours, and those two ghosts doing rounds take a good couple of minutes on the other side. Do you see that small alley there?” he pointed in between two of the huts. “I can’t quite tell, but I think there’s a cart or something we might be able to hide in.”

“Okay,” she agreed without argument.

He nodded, shushing her again as the ghosts came back around. They waited, ready to spring for the alley as soon as the ghosts were out of sight. Meghan went first, dashing through the other side of the tree, followed by Ivan.

They reached the alley. It was a cart, but it was filled with skunky smelling rags.

“I can’t get in that,” she complained.

Ivan pushed her in, landing beside her.

“Breathe already,” he chided. “It’s bad, but I’ve smelled worse,” he added, pulling a stinky rag over them, for cover. He let out a low chuckle.

“You’re getting quite the kick out of this, aren’t you?” she pouted.

His dry, arrogant smile answered her question.

“I’m going to need a major bath after this,” she moaned.

“I won’t argue with that.”

She shot him a scowl.

They cautiously peeked up over the edge and into the compound. Two ghosts played poker with a ghostly deck of cards.

“You’re cheating,” accused a scrawny ghost.

“I ain’t been cheatin'! You take it back,” demanded a short, chubbier ghost.

“I won’t,” the scrawny one goaded. The chubby one responded by throwing his cards at the scrawny one.

A familiar ghost appeared, scolding the players.

“Will the two of you idiots shut the hell up! We got a big operation going on here. Go do your rounds.”

“Duppy!” Meghan asserted coldly. “He confronted Colin and me,” she explained, realizing Ivan wouldn’t understand.

“The secrets keep piling up, don’t they?”

“I’ll explain later,” she huffed.

Footsteps approached.

“Do you hear that?” she asked.

“Yes, not a ghost, either,” answered Ivan. “It’s coming our way,” he warned.

They held their breath as the footsteps passed by their rank hiding spot. Meghan took a daring glance over the edge. Whoever it was, they were dressed in a deep red, hooded cloak. They were breathing heavy, like they’d just run hard; the figure stopped for a second, letting their breath calm. After a moment, it continued, stalking around the corner.

Duppy floated haughtily to meet the hooded figure.

“At last,” he said in a growling voice. “’Bout time, too, my employer grows impatient.”

The hooded figure silently took a package from within its robes and laid it on a table sitting in the middle of the hut compound. Meghan’s gut told her it was the Magicante. It was the perfect size to match it.

Duppy hovered over the package, rubbing his hands together greedily. “My employer will be pleased,” he sneered, pointing to an envelope on the table. “Payment in full.”

The hooded figure grasped the envelope emptying the contents; it was a roll of paper. Or maybe an actual scroll; Meghan couldn’t get a close enough look.

“It’s not money,” she muttered, wondering what was so important about those papers that it was worth hurting her brother over.

The cloaked figure indicated he was satisfied and turned to leave. Meghan and Ivan ducked back into their stinky rag hideout until the footsteps of the living person were out of range.

“Don’t know about you,” said Ivan, “but I’ve had enough of stinky rags.” He bounded bravely out of the bin, landing with a soft thud.

“Don’t need to say that twice,” she retorted, following him, although not quite so gracefully. Her confidence was high though, knowing that ghosts couldn’t harm her, and the living figure had left.

Duppy saw them instantly. His mouth turned up in a scowl. “Guard the package,” he ordered in a growl.

“How?” the two poker playing ghosts asked. “We’re ghosts, we can’t touch it.”

“You imbeciles! Maybe they weren’t aware of that. Besides, I wasn’t talking to you.”

Another, very much alive, hooded figure exited one of the huts.

All Meghan could see was the figure’s eyes; a fierce shade of blue.

“Okay, wasn’t prepared for that,” breathed out Ivan. “Hope you’re ready for battle.”

“Battle? You do realize I suck at magic, right?”

Ivan rolled his eyes at her. “It’s probably not a good idea to let your opponent know that.”

“Oops!” she grimaced.

“Meghan,” he said in all seriousness. “I haven’t seen what this guy can do, but if I can’t take him you’ll be on your own.”

Meghan knew he was right. “Just tell me what to do.” She let out a shaky breath. This was nothing like fighting bullies for her brother. Someone could get seriously hurt. Mainly her.

“Concentrate. Allow the energy to fill you, and then let it out. Preferably on the other guy, not me, if you don’t mind.”

“This is not a good time for insults, Ivan.”

“I wasn’t. You knock me out by accident, and you’re left...”

“Alone! I get it!” she said heatedly. “I’m not completely stupid, Ivan.”

He shrugged, leaving her side. The hooded figure, who wasn’t much taller than Meghan, observed their every move, all while guarding the package. Ivan worked his way around the inside perimeter of the mud huts.

“No other people,” he mouthed to Meghan. Ivan began his interrogation. “What do you want with that package?” There was no answer.

Meghan crept around the opposite side of the huts, happening across a ghost locked in a cell. “Timothy! What are you doing here?”

“I knew one of you would find me,” he boasted, relieved to see a familiar face.

“Sit tight. I’ll get you out, okay. How are they holding you, Timothy? You’re a ghost.”

“Magic, I guess. I’ve been stuck here two weeks.” Meghan kept her eye on the hooded figure and Ivan, while she tried to free Timothy. The hooded figure stepped closer to the room where Timothy was imprisoned. Meghan did not think it was possible, but Timothy, already dead, turned paler than he already was. He backed into the farthest corner possible.

“Watch out, not nice,” Timothy said, hiding his eyes.

“Sit tight, Timothy. I won’t leave you, okay.”

With swift movement, the hooded figure jumped onto the table standing over the package. He snapped his fingers and a host of ghosts materialized, swirling overhead. He motioned for them to attack.

They dove from all directions. The ghosts might not be able to use magic on the living; however, being saturated with the cold feeling of death each time a ghost sliced through their bodies was definitely a distraction. After a minute, the ghosts ended their attack, rising above, swirling around waiting for orders.

Meghan and Ivan shook off the shudders creeping through them. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but it couldn’t do any lasting damage.

“I need to get that package,” Meghan said decidedly. The moment she said it, the hooded figure glanced her direction, his shocking blue eyes squinting at her.

He towered over the book, ordering the ghosts to attack again. As soon as Ivan found a brief pause in the attack, he threw his arm, palm out, at the hooded figure, who was not expecting the blow. It knocked him off his feet, down over the side of the table and skidding across the ground.

Meghan jumped at the chance to get closer. As she reached out to grab the package, she saw the hooded figure push up the sleeves of the robe, revealing young looking arms underneath. Were they fighting a child? A teen maybe, definitely not an adult.

This discovery did not stop the battle. The robed child fought back, shooting a heavy blow toward Ivan, who blocked it. Meghan grabbed the package and fled back to Timothy. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ivan fly through the air, straight through a ghost, and land hard against a wall.

She called out his name as he hit the ground. Hard.

The robed child noticed that Meghan held the package and lunged at her. She panicked, unable to focus and collect the energy to produce any magic. Ivan picked up his head and with his last bit of strength, sent a blow toward their enemy. It was only enough of a blow to give Meghan the smallest of head starts.

“Run,” yelled Timothy. “I can’t die again, get out of here.”

She didn’t want to leave, but perhaps she could run and find her uncle, and he could rescue Timothy.

She spotted the closest exit.

The ghosts began diving for her.

Then she saw Ivan sprawled on the ground. He was not moving.

“No. I’m not leaving,” she decided. She spun around and cried out, “STOP!”

Taken off guard by the command, the ghosts froze and waited for orders. The hooded child halted ten feet in front of her, watching intently.

“Tell me who you are, and why you want this book,” she breathed heavily. There was still no answer. “I know you’re just a child,” she taunted.

A young male voice spoke. He was stern and strong but calm and confident.

“Not that it matters, but I just turned fourteen, hardly a child. You should concern yourself with the fact that I am stronger than you, and my master will have that book.”

Just then, a familiar Catawitch jostled around the boy’s legs.

“You,” whispered Meghan. Her instincts back in Cobbscott had been right. The Catawitch Jae had caught visiting her, was evil.

“Hello Meghan,” she purred.

“This is your master? This boy?” asked Meghan. The robed child winced at the word, boy.

“I told you he wanted to meet you. You should have listened when you had the chance.”

“Who is your master, then?” she demanded of the young man. “What’s his business with my brother’s book?” He refused to answer, and inside Meghan’s head the echo of a voice erupted.

“Oh, not now, Colin. It couldn’t be a worse time for you to contact me.” She wanted terribly to hear his voice, and respond, but even more desperate right now to get his book back and survive.

The ghosts above were getting restless. Ivan was still completely limp and unconscious on the ground. Timothy remained stuck in his prison.

“I need help,” she uttered despondently.

Everything slowed.

Sort of like someone had ordered everyone to move in slow motion.

Then it all just stopped.

Nothing moved forward. Not even Meghan.

It was as if time stood still. Paused for a moment.

The locket Meghan wore around her neck, the two roses entwined with pointy thorns, began to radiate golden beams of light. They shot out of the locket forming into a silhouette; the shape of a woman sleeping soundly on a feather.

She awakened. And arose. Her graceful figure basked in light as she approached Meghan, whispering softly in her ear.

“Help is coming. You’re not alone and you are ready for this, Meghan. You will know what to do. Help is coming...” She backed away, reclaimed by sleep atop the feather. Her shimmering image regressing back into the locket.

Chaos screamed back to life.

Meghan took a deep breath as the ghosts began diving.

The young man in the hood with the piercing blue eyes strode menacingly toward her.

“Ghost candy,” she remembered in a flash. “I can use it to do a spell against the ghosts and then the kid can’t touch me! At least for thirty seconds.” She reached into her skirt pocket; she had just three pieces left.

“Here goes nothing.” She popped a piece into her mouth just as the hooded young man shot off a spell aimed right at her. The transformation took place just in the nick of time, the spell ripping straight through her ghostly frame. He appraised her, impressed by the unexpected move.

The ghosts didn’t expect it either and stopped their attack, hovering all around her, unsure what to do. Meghan focused hard, determined to take out a few of them. Ghostly energy raged around her; she found it easier to collect than when in human form. She held out her hand and spoke the Sphaera spell she’d seen her Uncle Eddy use on Duppy. The energy pulled itself into a perfect sphere.

The ghosts saw it and swarmed.

Meghan threw it away from her body. There were so many ghosts, it hit one straight on, blasting it into a million ghostly bits.

“I did it!” she bellowed, hurrying to collect another sphere. Time was short. She’d turn back into her human self soon.

“Bring her down,” ordered Duppy, wretchedly.

Meghan stayed on the defensive and after blowing up two more ghosts, her body began the transformation back to living again. As her feet touched the ground, she ate the second piece of candy and dispersed of three more ghosts.

“This isn’t what we signed up for!” one of the attacking ghosts called out. Another agreed. And then another.

“Idiots!” shouted Duppy. “You can’t die again!”

The ghosts didn’t care. The rest made a beeline for the woods to avoid being her next target. The hooded young man watched her every move, waiting for her to become human again. She stared him down, unwilling to take her eyes away. Her body became solid again. He shot off another spell. She dove to the ground and it shot over her, tearing into one of the mud huts.

Meghan shoved the final piece of the candy into her mouth.

This was it. She only had a short time, and still had Duppy to contend with.

Then after... she’d be human again with little to no way to defend herself against the young man waiting to attack. Why couldn’t he be as easy to deal with as the ghosts? Not that she wanted to blow him up, for real. Her opinion wavered. She was pretty certain he’d blow her up if he could.

She was a ghost again. Duppy was ready for her. She threw herself aside, away from his spell. Her body spun a few times, but she stopped with her head up and feet down.

She held out her palm, a sphere forming.

Duppy did the same.

He aimed and threw, just as she shot upward, and over, coming down behind him.

“Hey Duppy,” Meghan called out. She didn’t wait for him to answer. As his head turned, she thrust the sphere right at him. It hit him head-on. He exploded; millions of tiny bits rained down over everything.

She smiled. Satisfied.

And then started to sink to the ground.

The last of the ghostly energy failed. She plunked to the ground, human again. She made to stand up, but her legs faltered. “Guess I drained myself.” She forced herself up and leaned against one of the mud huts.

The young man and his Catawitch eyed her. Meghan cringed at the sinister smile forged on both their faces. There was nowhere to run. She’d won against the ghosts, but she’d lost the book, hadn’t freed Timothy, or saved Ivan. He was still unconscious on the ground. All she’d accomplished was a delay of the inevitable.

The young man raised his palm. She had no idea what he was about to do to her, but she held her chin high and refused to close her eyes or look away.

The Catawitch hovering around his legs let out a warning meow.

Meghan gasped when it charged at something.

“Nona!” she cried out. Her loyal Catawitch hadn’t abandoned her after all. Nona was smaller, but no less vicious or determined in her attack. The young man in the cloak gave it no mind, unconcerned by the fighting cats. He edged closer to Meghan.

Up above, over their heads, a bird fluttered in and landed atop one of the huts. Meghan gasped for the second time in just minutes. It was the same bird she had locked in the cage a few hours before.

A hazy shimmer radiated around the bird and it took off in a dive, straight behind the cloaked young man. He hadn’t seen the bird and had his palm raised with a spell ready to throw at Meghan. She ignored it, her gaze firmly fixed on the bird diving behind him. Beams of light began pouring from the bird’s body, and then the most unexpected thing she could have imagined, happened!

As the bird descended, its shape began shifting. The wings disappeared and human arms formed. Where there had been claws, now were feet. Tattered clothes replaced the feathers.

A thunderous voice reverberated through the huts as the bird-human shouted a spell while landing with a firm thud. The spell hit the unsuspecting young man, knocking him to the ground. The book, the Magicante, flew across the ground landing near Meghan’s feet. His spell shot at her but skewed off to the side, missing her.

He jumped back to his feet and scowled. “Elisha!” he called out to his Catawitch. “Let’s go!”

“The book,” she reminded.

“Not today. We’re leaving.”

His Catawitch vaulted into a nearby fire pit. The boy dashed to her side, grasping her back, and they vanished, dissolving into the fire.

“Oh. Wow.” Meghan couldn’t believe her eyes. Or that she was still alive. She took a few steps, her legs steadier. Nona bounded to her side and jumped into her arms. They touched noses, relieved that each other was okay. It was strange to be able to sense what the Catawitch was trying to tell her. Although, as she thought about it, not really. It wasn’t much different than how she and Colin communicated, except Nona didn’t use words. It was more like feelings or expressions that Meghan understood perfectly.

“You knew? Didn’t you?” she asked Nona. “How? How did you know the bird was more than just a bird?”

Nona meowed and jumped out of Meghan’s arms, glancing upward. There was a distinct sound of wings flapping. The bird-human had already shifted back into its bird form again. It sat atop one of the huts.

“Who are you?” asked Meghan.

It ruffled up its feathers in reply.

“I wish you would tell me, so I could thank you properly. I guess, if you ever need anything, you know where my window is.”

The bird winked mischievously at her, squawked, and then flew away.

Meghan’s gaze dropped, landing on Ivan. He didn’t look good. He wasn’t moving. She ran over and tapped him gently on the face trying to wake him. There was no response. She knelt closer and discovered he was not breathing.

“Oh my God. This... this can’t be happening. Ivan can’t be... dead.” Moments ago her own death seemed imminent, only to be saved by a miraculous bird-human. Now Ivan, who had risked his own life to save hers, lay on the ground, dead.

The Magicante sat next to her on the ground.

Nona pawed at the book.

Do I dare open it?

What can this book possibly do to help me?

Ivan is dead!

She pulled it out of the wrapping and flipped it open. She bit her lip and held back the tears stinging at her eyes.

“Mr. Ancient Magic Guy, um, I could really use some help.”

The book replied. Rather than snidely, darkly. Eagerly.

“It’s about time you got around to something challenging. I assume from the dead boy’s body, you need a reawakening?”

“What’s a reawakening?” Meghan asked timidly.

“Watch, and learn,” it replied.

The book started to shake violently in her hands; so much so, she could no longer hold on and let it fall to the ground. The leaves tore off the pages, shimmering and spiraling over Ivan like a tornado.

Golden beams shot out from the leaves slicing into Ivan’s body. After a minute the tornado slowed, the golden beams faded, and the leaves reattached to the book, which promptly closed upon finishing.

Meghan wasn’t sure what she expected as she leaned over Ivan’s unmoving body. She jerked backward with a rushed intake of air. Ivan drew in a deep living breath and his eyes flickered open.

Meghan drew back in awed exaltation, beholding the Magicante with indescribable new reverence. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Don’t look so disappointed,” Ivan said in his usual rude manner. She blew it off, helping him up.

“You’re not dead,” she cried.

“No such luck today, Ms. Jacoby. Where did everyone go?” he asked, noticing they were alone and all was quiet.

“Everyone left,” she answered, not wishing to explain further. Ivan saw the book lying on the ground and picked it up. Meghan worried he might keep it, or turn it over to the Viancourt. He had no idea it had just saved his life.

“So this is what the battle was over? An old book. Magicante,” he read the title.

Meghan decided, then and there, not to tell Ivan he had died, or that Magicante had brought him back to life. He laid the book down, rubbing the back of his head.

“You were thrown against a wall,” she explained, apologetically.

“That part I remember.”

“Uh, excuse me,” a small voice interrupted.

“Timothy!” She ran to his cell. “How am I going to get you out?”

Ivan strolled over. “And who might you be?”

Timothy regaled Ivan with a long introduction, while Meghan attempted to loosen the door of his prison, to no avail.

“Timothy,” she interrupted. “Who put you in this cell, a ghost or a living person?”

“The one you were battling, I think. Alive for sure, it could have been...”

“That’s okay, Timothy,” said Meghan, cutting him off, baffled at how a living person had done magic on him.

“I can tell you the spell to open this door,” said Ivan. “But for some reason, I feel too weak to do it myself.”

“I wonder why?” she mumbled under her breath. “What is the spell, Ivan?” she asked, determined to free Timothy.

“Fenestra,” he answered.

She repeated it twice.

She poised herself and gathered the energy needed.

I’m getting better at this, she thought, raising her hand, palm extended.

“Fenestra.”

It opened.

She had done it.

#

MEGHAN PICKED UP THE book. Nona and Timothy followed close by as they all followed Ivan out of the woods. Meghan found her sweater on the ground just outside the huts and used it to wrap up the book in.

“Not that it matters at this point,” said Ivan. “But how did you get the book? And why did everyone leave?”

“Everyone just took off. Couldn’t tell ya why,” she lied, winking at Timothy.

He was getting good at keeping secrets, too. Ivan stopped and cast her a seriously frown. She said nothing more, just shrugged. He shook his head and dropped the subject.

Soon, they arrived back at the old mill. Uncle Eddy wasn’t there so she left a message with Timothy, who set immediately to deliver it.

“Be careful, Timothy. Don’t talk to any strangers.” Meghan had an enormous desire to get Ivan home, and checked out by the doctor. And to check on Colin, whose voice she had not heard since the beginning of the battle. What terrible timing it had been.

“You go along without me,” said Ivan unexpectedly when they entered Bedgewood Harbor.

“But you’re hurt,” she argued.

“And what will I say happened to me?”

“You fell.”

“I have a friend I can see. Don’t worry. Go and check on your brother, tell him you got his precious book back.” He was not exactly smug, but not exactly nice either. He strode off in a direction of town she had never been to. Part of her wanted to follow him. She hoped Ivan could be trusted. He was probably pissed that she didn’t tell him the truth about what had happened.

“He knows what he knows,” she resigned, continuing to the hospital.

Meghan had hoped that the voice she had heard during the battle meant that Colin had come out of his coma. To her dismay, his condition had not changed.

“I thought for sure I heard you, Colin. I got the book back, so don’t worry. Get better, okay.” She kissed his forehead and headed home.

Her legs and brain were jelly. She needed a hot bath. Some sleep. For her brain to just shut down for a few hours. Maybe a heavy dose of something sweet. 

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 overdo it just because you’re feeling better.”

Meghan almost laughed. I’ll try to remember that, she told herself.

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. These clothes might not be wearable again.

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 NOTHINGNESS turned to darkness. Then to light. Then to a dream. A gray colorless dream. He was standing in a forest of tree trunks. The trees were so tall he could not see the tops of them. And the trunks were so wide it took many steps to walk around them.

Silver hair rounded the tree just ahead of him. He picked up his pace trying to catch up with the girl. He went around and around, at least three times he thought, before suddenly she was there, in front of him. She reached out and grasped his hand.

“You’re shaking,” he whispered.

“I don’t have long. They will discover I’ve gone.”

“What do you mean?” asked Colin, gravely concerned for his dream girl.

She inhaled quickly, her frame popping out of the woods. He called out but there was no reply. He ran around and around the tree trunk again, almost running into her when she popped back in front of him.

“They knew,” she said frantically. “Somehow, the last time you found me. They knew someone had found me.”

She vanished again, this time, popping in behind him.

He whirled around, grabbing onto her shoulders in attempts to keep her there. It didn’t work.

“I need your help,” she whispered, disappearing again.

Colin hurried around the tree trunk, hoping she would return. She did.

“Who are you?”

“Catrina,” she replied. “And I need your help, Colin Jacoby, as much as you will need mine. You are the only one that can help me...”

“How can I help you?” he begged to know. His hand fell through her body; it took on a ghostly form.

Her eyes opened wide. “Please, don’t forget about me.” Quite viciously, her gray ghostly frame flew upwards into the nothingness, which pulled backwards like a veil being yanked away.

Colin shouted and reached for her, but his dream changed. The gray dream world disappeared. 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.

“Short version, I got the book back. I’ll tell you all about it later.” She bounded up the stairs, wanting to shout that Colin was awake, but first, sent a leaf to Uncle Eddy.

“Colin is 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, hightailing 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, which made progress slow. Halfway 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... it was like part of me died.”

Colin blushed, unused to this kind of attention from his sister.

“I promise to try to never get attacked again,” he sent back to her. She bit her lip to hold back a laugh.

“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 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.

Footsteps trudging through the snow caught their attention.

“Merry Christmas, Ditch Witches,” croaked the voice of Darcy Scraggs.

“What do you want?” asked Meghan, bored of Darcy’s games.

“I’m getting quite tired of you two screwing up my plans.”

“Have you ever considered making better plans then, Darcy?” challenged Colin, much to the surprise and delight of Meghan.

“You will so pay for that,” she retorted. “One of these days, I will figure out what you’re up to!” She haughtily strode away.

“You know, Col, as much as I wanted it to be Darcy that hurt you, I don’t think she had anything to do with it.” Meghan hated to admit it.

“No. I think she’s your basic run of the mill bully. Not that Garner isn’t up to something. But, I’m not going to worry about it today.”

Meghan twisted her head, staring at her brother with a raised eyebrow.

The sun was setting over the horizon, the air was crisp, and today, nothing could dampen their spirits.

“C’mon Little Sis,” said Colin, shifting his body so he could reach up and put his arm around her neck. “It’s Christmas.”

She put her arm around him, laughed, and they disappeared inside.

#

MUCH LATER THAT NIGHT:

“Hey, Meghan,” it was nearly three a.m.

“Yeah,” she mumbled.

“Do you think we’ll get to meet some other long lost relative, wherever we go next?”

“Doubt it, Col. Probably be much more boring than Grimble.”

A minute later, he called out, “Meghan,” again. 

“Go to sleep, Colin,” she pleaded.

“There’s my sister,” he closed his eyes.

“Goodnight,” she muttered as another echo filled her ear. “What now, Colin?”

“Huh,” he replied. “I didn’t say anything.” He rolled over, opening his curtain, checking that the door was locked. Corny had not visited him for a while, but they had decided to keep the door locked, just in case.

A reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall across from Colin’s bed caught his eye. His breath hitched. Corny’s scribblings were readable! How had he not noticed it before? Corny had been writing backwards. And sort of sideways, but looking into the mirror it formed words.

“They will take it, keep it safe,” Colin read.

It was written on every page. Over and over.

He lay back down, dumbfounded, and very much wishing he had been smart enough to see it before he had been attacked. He made an instant decision to start being friendlier to Corny Tibbitt.

“May need him on my side if anyone gets it in their head to steal the Magicante again.” He tried to fall back to sleep but heard a distant voice from his sister’s mind.

“The,” and “father,” were the only words he could make out.

“Meghan, are you dreaming, or playing a joke on me?”

“Thanks to you, I’m not asleep enough to be dreaming, and I am way too tired for jokes.”

“Then whose voice is in your head?”

Meghan sat up. “That wasn’t you talking?”

“Sorry, Sis, it’s a distant echo. Not in my head, just yours.”

“If it’s not you, who is it? Why can I hear another voice in my head? This better not be the next stage of my Firemancy... hearing voices!” she huffed. “Goodnight already,” she shot to Colin.

He did not answer as he had drifted off to sleep.

He dreamed of the silver haired girl.

Not long after he bolted upright in bed, instantly and fully awake. It was still night and the Mochrie house was fast asleep, including Meghan.

“The hospital! That girl, Catrina, she was in the room I thought was Meghan’s.” His conscious mind finally put two and two together, realizing that his dream girl, and the hospital girl, were one and the same. He jumped out of bed sneakily getting dressed and tiptoed out of the house.

The night air was biting cold. He entered the hospital and went to the level where he had first seen the girl. The room was empty. A nurse he did not recognize slept behind a counter. Colin cleared his throat, waking her.

“Sorry,” he said. “I wanted to ask, where is the girl that was in that room?” He pointed out the one.

“Girl?” she questioned, half awake. “Not sure who you’re talking about, young man,” Seeing Colin’s disappointed face she added, “Sorry, kid, we never use this level for patients, seeing as we barely ever have any. Just a break area now.” She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes.

Colin stared into the empty room, reluctantly leaving the hospital, wondering if he had remembered wrong.

“No! That part was no dream. She was there. I saw her sleeping.”

Catrina’s words echoed in his head.

“I need your help, Colin Jacoby, as much as you will need mine. You are the only one that can help me.”

Colin replayed her warning, and somewhere deep in his soul, knew he needed to find her, and soon.