We were sitting in the blacksmith's house and we were sipping tea that he had prepared just for us. I was still pretty tired, so tired I could barely stand.
"I admit I still don't get it" James said. "What happened?"
I tried to speak but my voice wouldn't come out. Chaim told me that if I ever used my powers too much it might have happened. After the spell was done, I had passed out. Now I was beginning to feel better, but it still felt like a car ran me over. Willy knew it was going to happen too, but he still looked worried.
"The spirit lied about she was" Chaim explained. "She wasn't Amelie - she was Danielle. And the reason she got stuck in the weapon it wasn't that she sacrificed herself for love but that she killed herself out of desperation for the lack of money. I should have known. No spirit gets stuck here for something they've done out of love". His eyes got sad.
"Remember, nobody is ever damned in any way for loving somebody. Anybody. The cleansing didn't work because I used certain words to evoke Amelie and her experience. Thanks to Oliver, I later changed those words in something that related to Danielle. It was hard to get her out, but in the end I did it".
"This might sound silly" asked Thea. "But why she didn't want to come out? It must have been horrible to be stuck in there".
If looks could kill, the one the smith sent Thea was going to chop her to pieces.
She blushed "I mean, it would be horrible to be stuck in anybody".
"Don't knock it 'till you try it" grinned Vits.
Chaim paid him no mind.
He replied to Thea, "She felt like she had some purpose there. It's the whole point of possession - using somebody to do something you can't do anymore. Most of the times, though, the spirit is very old and confused. They might mistake themselves and think they still have something to do with the living. She might be still looking for money or revenge and couldn't grasp the concept of the time that had passed".
The blacksmith still had a sour look on his face. I thought that he was quite an unpleasant person but, at the end of the day, I wasn't the one that had just experienced possession for a couple of days. Who knew how that felt like.
"I just want to forget about this" he said. "So please, when you're done drinking just leave".
"That's kind of rude" objected Vits. "Considering that we just saved your life and that you invited us here".
"I only invited you here because the kid was almost dying. I took pity on him".
I blushed and I felt my head aching. I almost passed out again so I gripped the edge of table.
"The master has had a hard day" James said with a low voice. "Please, respect his wishes and leave as soon as possible"
"You will leave with them!" screamed Paul Finnegan. "You locked me up and brought those crazy people here! I don't want to see you ever again!"
James turned as pale as a ghost. Right now, he might be feeling even worse than I did. I knew how much that job meant to him, it was plain to see.
"Hey there" barked Vits. "Those crazy people just saved your life and it wouldn't have been possible without the young lad's help".
"I DON'T CARE!" the man shouted. "Just go out of here!"
That's when Thea went to him and touched his arm lightly. Or should I say his elbow, because she couldn't reach higher than that. I felt very scared for what the man might have done to someone so defenceless and so tiny.
"I think I understand what you're going through" said Thea. "You're afraid it's your fault that you were possessed. But it's not, demonic possession can happen to anyone. Bad and good people"
I just knew that if Chaim and Vits weren't there, the man would have slapped Thea or something. I also knew that what Thea said sounded just like something she might have thought in the same situation, but it didn't feel like the kind of thing the blacksmith could be thinking. What's worse, I could almost feel the blacksmith thinking that this was some sassy way to assume that he was a bad person, after all.
"We're leaving here" Chaim reassured him.
He turned to James then "If you would like to join us, I would like to have you as my apprentice. You are a clever boy and you understood that your master was possessed, that means that you know a little of the supernatural or at least you can guess what happens which is very good in those kind of situations".
"Yeah, yeah" Paul mocked his former apprentice. "Go with them and become a freak".
"Or stay with him and become an idiot" Vits snarled back.
"I honestly feel bad for you" Thea smiled at the boy. "I don't know what sounds worse"
"But we're not freaks" I promised.
"Are you saying I am an idiot?" asked Paul.
"You've been saying that yourself ever since you stopped talking with the old lady's voice" Vits said sweetly.
"Let's just stop arguing" Chaim proposed. "What will the kids think? Let James decide what he would like to do".
"It's hard to do" James said. "Make a decision, I mean. I wish I had my parents to help me do that, but I'm an orphan so I got used to it at a very young age. Until yesterday, I thought my job was the best in the world and that my life couldn't be better. But today I met you all and I found out that life can be bigger than that. I admire the strenght, courage and kindness of everyone of you - each in his own way. I admire your power too".
He looked at me when he said that.
"Oliver's?" Vits laughed. "It's just a very strange coincidence, he's usually very lazy".
"And he will continue to be if you don't let him take some pride in his achievements" Chaim said. He was too kind to snap at Vits, but sometimes he said things in a manner that required no arguing.
I was still thinking about it when we were going home.
"I'm not very good at magic" I said to Chaim. "So why am I good at reading people's minds? Why was I so powerful earlier today?"
"Each person's magical path is utterly different" he replied. "I can't always tell why something happens to one of my students, because it happens inside of you. But I think it has something to do with what I told you when we first met, how good you are at asking questions. Being curious is a good thing, but you are something even better. You are full of desire to understand what's going on around you and to connect. You aim to be the missing link that connects one person to another, and us all to the greater whole. You want to be one with the universe and you want the universe to be one with you. When you don't know how to do so, you ask people. When you don't understand, you ask - because you need to know. That's your ultimate power and you are quite good at using it".
"That sounds too special to be me" I objected.
"Your insecurity is nice, it's not a bad trait. However, it's not an ideal one either. That and complaining. You don't do that because you're annoying and that's great, but you still do it".
"If I don't do that because I'm annoying why do I do that?" I asked blushing.
"You should tell me" he smiled. "But I think you complain because you want to make sure people around you are aware that you are in pain".
"Isn't it good? Or is it attention seeking?"
"It's not strictly bad, and don't worry - I'm not into the attention seeking concept. I think everyone draws to them the attention they need. Even if they are faking it, they're still asking for help. And you don't fake it. But it would be even better, it would make you even more pleasant, if you learned how to show your pain in a different way. You need to find a way to cope. It can be fighting back or letting it go. The wiser and stronger you get and the more people will know that you've been in pain but they will learn to respect you for it."
His words made perfect sense and I tried to treasure them, even though I felt that I was still too young to be able to follow his advice.
Later that day, Thea approached me just before dinner. Chaim and Vits were still busy showing James around.
"I know you've had a hard day" she whispered. "But there's something I would like to talk about. This morning, when Vits was talking about magic just before Chaim joined the conversation and switched topic, he was going to say something about the Blooms, remember? Like that they should have told you that magic existed considering...well, that's where he stopped. Considering what?"
She was right, of course. My head was still pounding and I really wished I could stop thinking and just go straight to sleep, but the day was not done and what Thea had said needed some pondering.
"I remember that" I whispered back. "I thought it had something to do with them being older than me, so they could remember what life was like before the War, but still... the way he put it, he made it sound like something more. I don't think we're supposed to ask about it though - so we need to figure this one out on our own. Do you think it might have to do something with the other mystery, whether they're trying to start a school or not?"
"Maybe" she conceded. "At least, regarding the part of our parents. I think that it was pretty clear: he was going to say something about your parents".
Finally, I understood what Thea was implying. I said " And most importantly he was going to say..."
"That the Blooms know who they were" Thea concluded.
It made sense. I had never been in an orphanage . Compared to all the other kids whose parents were taken away by the war, I was extremely lucky. Maybe the Blooms took me in because they knew my parents.
I ate dinner quickly then I went straight to bed. I was too excited and too tired. My head wished it could get some deserved rest but my mind wouldn't stop going. I kept thinking about my parents.
I paid almost no attention to James, who settled in the Adamah Guest Room, which was no longer a guest room. Like I usually did, I slept in the Aer Room, in the bed in front of Thea's but that night I fell asleep before we could talk about anything.
The next morning, an envelope was waiting for me on the table. It was from Marcel. I immediately opened it and read it out loud for everyone to hear.
Hello Oliver,
I am writing to you to let you know that I think it's time that we meet. I have a lot of things to tell you and I think it's best to do it in person. So, I was thinking that we should meet up at the bakery, the one where you used to work.
If it's alright with you, don't waste any time replying to this letter. I know you will get this letter on the day after I wrote it for I told the postman to hurry up since it was a very special matter.
So, if you agree on meeting me, please join me at the bakery today at 2 PM.
Love, Marcel
I was very excited, but I could tell just by looking at my friends' faces that they weren't.
"This seems like a great opportunity" I said. "But before I make a decision I would like to hear what you all think about it".
"I'm worried, honestly, I think this is dangerous" Thea said.
"I don't trust Marcel and I don't think he has anything to tell you. To go and meet him may be useful to know what he's plotting - but it's probably just a waste of time, most likely" said Chaim.
"I agree with Chaim" said Vits, unsurprisingly, "A waste of time. Today we can learn something new. Your new friend James still has not started learning sorcery. We should ask him what he would prefer to do - go out and meet your uncle or stay home and learn something useful".
No, we shouldn't I almost said. I was the one who asked for everybody's opinion, but I honestly thought they were going to have my back on this. It meant so much, why couldn't they see? And James was a very good boy and I was pretty sure he was smart and kind, but why should he have the final choice on a matter that regarded my family? I knew Chaim and Vits were only trying to help me but it felt like they were patronizing my life.
James looked embarrassed.
"I don't know anything about this" he managed to say. "I wasn't even there when you got the first letter and I don't know who Marcel Bloom is. But I think that we should go. I can learn from books any day but it's a rare occasion to learn something from an adventure".
"You just had an adventure yesterday" complained Vits.
"This doesn't change my point" James replied stubbornly.
That was settled, then. Chaim insisted that I shouldn't go alone, even though I knew how to get there. I could tell that even though he was faking it pretty well, he thought there was something dangerous in this expedition.
When we reached Outwoods I faced him "If that's alright with you, I'd rather go inside the bakery on my own. I feel like Marcel won't tell me much if he fears that somebody he doesn't trust like he trusts me is listening".
That was only partly true. I also feared that I would be considered weak and childish if I needed to bring adults everywhere I went, especially considering how well I knew Outwoods.
As soon as I approached the bakery, it was plain to see that the situation was getting more odd than I cared to admit. I could hear strange noises coming from the inside.
But it was too late to turn back now so I went in.
I almost slammed the door on Marcel's face.
"So-sorry" I stuttered.
He smiled a twisted smile. I hated myself for not remembering what a creep he was. But it was too late for that as well.
"Hello Oliver" he said with a shrieking voice.
I meant to reply, but I only managed to gulp noisily.
But this was my foster uncle, after all. I tried to regain some courage.
"Hello. What did you wish to tell me?" my voice was insecure but I decided to get straight to the point - the atmosphere was painfully uncomfortable, his stares were cold as ice and I could tell there would be no warming up.
He creeped closer.
"Nothing" he said.
Then he got a hold of me.
"LET ME GO" I screamed "WHAT DO YOU WANT OF ME?"
"You're a sorcerer, aren't you?" he asked me with his stupid voice. "If I had a sorcerer all to myself, he could make all my wishes come true, now wouldn't he?"
"No he wouldn't" I spat back.
"Well he should" he said, holding me tighter. "Just think of all the great things, all the money..."
I guess he was talking to himself, because I was pretty sure he wasn't thinking of sharing any profit of my work with me.
His hands were around my throat.
"WHERE ARE MY FOSTER PARENTS?" I screamed with what little voice I had left. I thought they were going to be in the bakery.
"They left this morning for a nearby city" he said delighted. "Last night they heard rats in the bakery and they went to buy some poison".
I remained silent for a while. I wondered if I was ever going to get out of this and if the Blooms would have cared either way.
I could hear the rats making a mess of the kitchens and I hoped that they managed to eat all that they could. I felt very sympathetic for them.
"As soon as I heard the Blooms fired you, I damned myself for not finding out earlier - I could have sold you as an apprentice to somebody in need". The creep was still talking.
"It took a while to find out who you were living with this time but as soon as I knew, I was delighted. The idea of being able to kidnap a sorcerer kept me up at night. Even though I must admit, I thought you were stronger. Strong enough to entangle yourself from my grip using your powers. Well, nevermind. It will just be easier to carry you away".
It felt like forever. I was daydreaming and I had a fever. I thought I heard someone say something along of the lines of:
"You got it wrong. I am Oliver".
But it must have been a crazy dream. Who would have said something like that?
I felt the pressure releasing me and that gave me enough strenghth to regain my mental lucidity.
In front of Marcel and I, I saw a boy. I had never seen him before. He was small and looked about my own age. He had blond hair and light blue eyes. I wondered if he was some kind of angel until I realized he was covered in cakes. He must have eaten them in a hurry, but I admired his guts because that apparently didn't stop him from trying all the flavours.
"Have you heard, big man?" he shouted. "I am Oliver".
That sounded just wrong. Marcel had seen me when I was little, but was he clever enough to recognize my features? The boy must have come from a faraway city, though, because his accent was very different from mine. I hoped that wouldn't give him away. I had no idea why he wanted to take my place, but he was welcome to do so.
"That makes sense" Marcel said, making the least sense he had ever made in his lifetime. Probably.
And then something amazing happened. He let go of me.
I crashed down to the floor. Marcel tried to catch the mysterious boy but he was quicker. He was incredibly fast and stealthy. His movements reminded me of a mouse.
A rat... and he's been stealing all the cakes...a crazy thought went through my head and I started laughing hysterically.
Marcel seemed to notice the cakes that were all over the other Oliver's face as well. But he was thinking of something else:
"You really must be Oliver" he decided. "The Blooms told me everything about how lazy you were and I have heard you used to eat all the cakes in a fashion that reminds me of what you must have done earlier today".
That made me really angry. Even though I was still deeply affected by what had happened just minutes before, I was about to blow my new cover. I really wanted to reply something sassy, but nothing came to mind. And it was probably better this way. I found myself thinking of Vits - he would have known what to say.
Finally, Marcel reached the boy. My heartbeat stopped for a second.
Then the boy kicked Marcel in the stomach and, once the man fell down, punched him in the face.
I almost fell sorry for Marcel but I couldn't help it - I started laughing maniacally again.
When I regained my composure I approached the boy.
"Thanks" I said. "But why did you do it?"
"Are you kidding? You seem like a very nice kid and that man was killing you".
"He wasn't killing me" I protested. "He wanted to keep me alive in order to do magic spells for him".
"Yeah, might be" he said stubbornly. "But when his hands were around your throat and you stopped breathing and fainted, it didn't look like it".
He was right, of course. But I was still so shocked that I couldn't bear to think about it.
"Maybe you should know the whole story" the boy said. "I am just your typical fourteen year-old boy who also happens to be a wanderer - so, basically, always hungry".
I thought about Thea who was the same age and also a wanderer. She didn't look always hungry, not even when I had first met her. But I didn't say anything. Maybe Thea wasn't typical or maybe she just fed on books.
"Anyway" he went on. "I am always going some place I had never seen before. Because you know, there's wanderers and wanderers. Some just wander around in the city they were born while others, like me, travel around the world".
Thea was of the first kind. Maybe the ones that did more travelling were also hungrier.
"In how many cities have you been?" I asked. I had no idea how big the world was, I never studied it.
"Three or four" he boasted. Even in my limited idea of the world, that seemed not so much. I had already been in three cities myself, four if you count Chaim's super big castle and the woods that surround it as a city.
"That's not much for fourteen years" I teased.
He blushed angrily "I didn't start travelling as soon as I was born!"
Vits would have said something like, When did you start? Yesterday? but I decided I wasn't going to be that person - the kid just saved my life.
"I came here last night and I immediately smelled the delicious smell of the cakes that were cooking in the oven. I was so hungry I couldn't help but get inside. I just wanted to look at how beautiful they were, but next thing I knew I was eating them".
"Destroying them, more like". I couldn't help it. I still remembered too well how hard it was to prepare so many cakes.
He didn't even look guilty. He just went on with his story. "I stayed here til morning - you know, someplace warm to sleep, I'm sure you can relate".
He made a face. "Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm sure you can't relate so don't judge me harshly. When your beloved uncle came here, I simply hid. He likes talking to himself so before you got here I knew everything about his plans and who you were. The man was clearly out of his mind so I decided to help you. But I wasn't sure of when the timing would be right...then you started turning blue and I realised I had to do something".
"Thanks. You are so brave. I hope that if the day ever comes that I have to save somebody's life, I can do the same". Technically, I had already saved Paul Finnegan's life but I wasn't sure that really counted.
The boy looked at me like he thought I was going crazy. He smiled."You best hope that that day never comes".
His words sounded so wise. I wondered why I had so much to learn from everybody that surrounded me.
"There are friends waiting for me outside" I remembered suddenly. "I have to get back to them and you could meet them, if you want".
"Sure thing" he said.
As soon as I greeted my friends I could tell from the worried look on their faces that I must have looked like hell. They didn't even pay any attention to the new boy.
"What happened to you?" Thea asked immediately.
I told them the whole story. When I had finished, Thea looked like she was about to cry. But not in a weak way, more like in an angry way. Chaim looked worried about my neck, which was still pretty numb and about my mental integrity. Vits looked somewhat bored but I knew him well enough to understand that he was probably the most worried of them all. James didn't know me too well, but he tried to reassure me and I could tell he meant it.
"And who's this boy?" asked Vits, when he finally noticed the new kid.
"Oh, he's Oliver" I smiled.
"Another Oliver?" frowned James unhappily.
The boy looked lost. "My name isn't Oliver, of course! That's only what I told Marcel in order to save you. He would have never traded me for you if he didn't think I was you".
"That doesn't make sense" Thea objected.
"You should have met Marcel" I smiled. "He doesn't make any sense".
"Yes, I should have. We all should have" she snapped back. "We should have been there with you, especially me. Because I told you I thought it was dangerous and you didn't believe me!"
That left me at a loss for words. Despite knowing her very well and being able to understand so much about her, there were things I still couldn't get. Like the fact that she appreciated me enough that she didn't want to lose me.
"So", Vits turned to the boy. "What's your name?"
"James" he replied, looking at James.
"What?" James asked.
"James" he said again. "My name's James. James O'Leary".
"OLIVER!" James cried out at me. "I thought you said he was another Oliver, not another James!"
"I'm not another James!" the boy screamed. "I am just James! I have every right to be!"
"No you don't" James explained. "Because I am James too".289Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEKir6rdw7
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"So what?!" the new James said. "That's so immature of you - what are you, like three? To think that people can't have the same name?"289Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrxEleQL68
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"Before you guys start arguing about that too" I jumped in. "I must tell you, you also are the same age".
James Leedes looked thoughtful. Finally, he said "That guy has a very thick accent. Maybe he didn't say James".
"I did! And my accent is not thick!"
"It is. And it's not the only thing that's thick" replied James Leedes, staring at the boy's hair. It was incredibly messy and it looked like it could swallow a brush if you tried to comb it.
"Guys, stop it!" Chaim said, in a voice a little bit higher than usual. But didn't scream, he would never.
"James O'Leary saved Oliver's life. We should be extremely thankful. And we are. Where are you from, James?"289Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMwt1jeDHQ
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James said the name of some faraway island. I suddenly remembered something.
"Hey, it doesn't sound like four cities away" I complained.
"Yeah, but it didn't really count like travelling back then because I was still learning how to do my own thing" he explained, like it was obvious.
"I think we should ask James to join us and learn our trade" Vits reflected. "From what I've heard, he sounds skillful. And he's got no place to go".
"No we shouldn't" the other James tried to bite back, but it was only a whisper.
Chaim told James O'Leary about his castle and the subjects we learned there. He did know something about the supernatural and he accepted to join us.
"From now on, we should call you Jimmy to avoid any misunderstanding" Chaim announced.
I wasn't sure why he had picked that name, if not because James O'Leary was notably smaller than the other James, but he didn't seem to mind.
We were about to head home, when we heard a strange noise coming from behind us.
I turned around. At first glance I thought it was Marcel, but Marcel didn't have a naval cord attached to the earth.
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