Firemancer Collection (Fated Saga Box Set Book 1) (22 page)

“I am not here to harm you, and anyways, 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, “You should stay and get your message. 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?”

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. His 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 began to fade beneath them. 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.

“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. “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?”

Colin was 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, but don’t fret. It’s likely it had nothing at all to do with the two of you.” 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 in 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 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 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 and heading back towards 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 after life, 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?” he asked.

“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 occasion’s 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.”

Chapter Two

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… 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 sand paper.

“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, ah, 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. Colin hurriedly climbed up the ladder deciding to wait for Jae at the top, hearing Corny shuffle his way back to his dark corner.

“Who is Corny?” asked Colin as Jae’s head popped up into the house.

“He’s real name is Cornell Tibbit. He went crazy after his family died. Some by illness, some by old age, one by the Scratchers. He is the last in his family line. Poor guy, I guess he couldn’t handle it.”

“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.

“Jae, stop lollygagging and get those preserves in here,” Sheila Mochrie’s voice ordered from the kitchen. 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, as 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?” asked Meghan, her expression focused. The girl named Dulcy caught up to Darcy. She twirled her shoulder length brown hair, snickering.

“Lucky for you, my time is short,” the girl said. She strode closer, her tan face scowling directly into Meghan’s. Her brown eyes were hateful and matched the color of her pulled back hair.

“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 put her attention back on the girls. “I’m still waiting,” prompted Meghan, her gaze firm.

Darcy’s eyes glared with fury. “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.
Did someone say valley girl! What an idiot
!

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

Meghan could not stop from laughing this time. Colin wondered if his sister had gone mad.

“In
cheap
clothing… now that
is
an insult,” laughed Meghan.

Darcy swatted Dulcy up side the head.

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

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

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

Meghan, still laughing, was scolded by Colin.

“What were you thinking?”

“We can’t let them think we’re weak, Colin.”

“Easy for you to say,” he muttered. They continued on their journey to Grimble. “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.” He knew she was right about the girls, but he still despised making new enemies. This was not a place they could simply pack up and leave behind.

As they entered Grimble, Colin realized he had not told his sister about Corny, living in the basement. Part of him did not want to 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,” she retorted. 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. 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 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,” said Meghan.

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

Uncle Eddy’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 strange 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. Uncle Eddy floated high into the trees, but saw nothing.

“Lets 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’ gazes turned to comprehension.

“I realize that both of you must have numerous questions for me,” Eddy continued. “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. 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 that everyone agreed with me,” he chuckled. “They did agree that 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 in 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, Uncle Eddy?”

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.

“Is that why we can talk to each other?” Meghan divulged the truth before she could stop herself. It was a fact they usually kept secret.

“Can you? No, I do not think that’s magic related. I would guess that has more to do with your twinly bond,” he answered.