The Wizard Returns: Book Three of the Wizard Born Series (34 page)

“Yeah!” His face was bright, his eyes wide. Then he looked down at the T-shirt he wore. “But I need my clothes, first.”

“Mrs. Tully washed them and hung them on the line, I think. Let’s go see.” He led Aiven through the kitchen and out the back door, where they found Rollie and Bryce relaxing in the lawn chairs in the sun, each with a spell book. “We’re going to buy a horse,” Jamie said as he strode past.

Rollie turned to watch them walk by. “A horse? You don’t know a thing about horses.”

“No, but he does.” Jamie nodded toward Aiven, who scampered to keep up as they made their way around the shed to the side yard. There they found Aiven’s clothes, hanging from one of the lines that stretched between two T-shaped wooden posts.

Jamie inspected the shirt and the pants and frowned. “Still not dry.” He raised one hand to them, summoned his will, and his fingers began to glow. After a several seconds, he felt the clothes again and pronounced them ready. He pulled them off the line and handed them to Aiven. He grabbed the socks, too, and examined them closely. “These have holes in the toes, Aiven.”

“I know, but they’re all I have.”

“One pair of socks? I hope my Gramma buys you some new ones today.” He pulled one over each hand until his fists filled the ends. Then he focused on the hole in the one on his left hand, and urged the fibers to stretch across the gap and intertwine, like worms embracing and curling around each other.

“Oohhh,” Aiven murmured.

It took less than a minute to mend the sock, and Jamie focused on the other one and repaired it, too. He handed them to Aiven and said, “There you go. Almost good as new. Get dressed, and then let’s go find a stable. There used to be one in town, and I bet it’s still there.”

Jamie waited while Aiven changed clothes in the bedroom, and then they went outside to the front yard.

“Okay,” Jamie said. “There are three ways a sorcerer can travel using magic. He can translocate, which can be dangerous if you’re not sure of your exact destination ’cause you might end up inside a wall.” Then he held up two fingers. “Second way, which I use a lot, is to make doorways, but again, you gotta know where you’re going, and it puts off a pretty big signal to other wizards. The third way, which doesn’t put off a very big signal, and is pretty fun, is flying. Now, I think —”

“Fly!” Aiven said eagerly. “Let’s fly. Can we? Please?”

“That’s what I was going to suggest.” Jamie bent his legs and lowered himself for Aiven. “I want you to climb on my back and grab hold tight, okay?”

“What happens if I fall?”

“Then I’ll have to get another apprentice, I guess.” Aiven’s lower lip poked out and Jamie laughed. “I’m kidding. If you fall, I’ll catch you with my magic. But you’re not gonna fall. Now hop on before my knees give out.”

Aiven clambered up and wrapped his arms around Jamie’s neck and his legs around Jamie’s waist. Jamie hooked his hands under Aiven’s legs and gave him a tentative shake. “You’re on tight. Let’s go.” He floated a few feet off the ground and said, “Ready to go higher?”

“Yes!” he shouted into Jamie’s ear.

“All right. Here goes.” They rose and began to move forward, slowly at first, and then gradually picking up speed as they cleared the nearest trees.

“Whooaaa!” Aiven said, then giggled. “Faster! Can you go faster?”

“Oh sure, but not too fast, or a bug might fly up your nose.” Aiven giggled again and Jamie said, “I was kidding about that, but one did fly in my mouth once. If I have to go really fast, I put up my shield, but I can’t do that right now because I’m holding on to you.”

Jamie accelerated, enjoying the feel of the wind on his skin and in his hair. Aiven said, “This is great!” His face was pressed against Jamie’s cheek and Jamie could sense him grinning. “This is really really really great.”

The landscape rushed by beneath them: the road to town, trees, low rolling hills, an occasional house. They flew over a farm and Jamie told Aiven about putting out the fire when he’d first arrived on Friday.

“I’m glad you saved the horse,” Aiven said. “I hate it when they get hurt. I can feel it.”

The outskirts of town soon came into view. “Boy, this place sure has grown,” Jamie said. “I hardly recognize it. Eddan would think he was in a different town if he were here right now.”

“Where’s the stable?”

“It used to be on the river road. I can find it, if they haven’t moved it.”

Jamie found the thin ribbon of road that ran from the town to the river, and spotted a long wooden structure on it. “I think that’s it.” When they neared it, he slowed and descended. A tall man with a shaved head and a bushy black beard was leading a horse to the open stable doors, and Jamie set down a few yards away from him.

The man jumped back with a start, jostling the horse, who snorted in indignation.

Aiven slid off his back, and Jamie said, “Hello. Is this your stable?” The man gaped at him wordlessly, and Jamie pointed to one of his ears. “Are you hard of hearing?”

“No...uh, I’m not.” He cleared his throat and looked closely at Jamie. “Are you...are you the new sorcerer?”

Jamie introduced himself and Aiven, and the man said, “My name is Niall. What brings you to my stable?”

“I’d like to buy a horse, if you have one for sale.”

Niall seemed to gather his composure and narrowed his eyes. “I might. Depends on what you’re looking for.”

Aiven motioned for Jamie to come closer and he whispered in Jamie’s ear, “Don’t make him an offer without talking to me, first.”

Jamie winked at him and turned back to Niall. “I need one that I can ride occasionally, and maybe pull a light carriage. No plowing.”

“I have a few like that.” Niall nodded toward the open door and they followed him inside with the horse.

A row of fifteen stalls stretched to the far end of the building, and most of them had horses in them, all with their heads out, looking at Aiven. Jamie could sense their keen awareness of the boy, and Jamie felt Aiven reaching out to them with his mind.

Niall led his animal into an open stall and brushed off his hands. “Now, let me show you what I have that might interest you.”

“What’s wrong with the one you just brought in?” Jamie asked, but Aiven nudged him and gave his head a tiny shake.

Niall closed the door to the stall. “He’s not for sale.” He led them to the next one and gestured at the spotted gray horse inside. “This one is, though. He’s a fine animal. Strong runner, good breeding. I can sell him to you for a good price.”

Jamie glanced at Aiven, who shook his head again. Niall led them to the adjacent stall, but Aiven walked past it to the following one. In it was a golden brown mare with a splash of white on her face and a pale mane and tail. Aiven held his hand up to her and she nuzzled his fingers. He turned to Jamie and smiled. “We want this one.”

Niall frowned. “Her name is Sugar, but she might be too expensive for you. I have some others you shook look at first.”

Aiven shook his head firmly, and Jamie said, “We’d like to try this one out.”

* * *

Jamie, Aiven, and Sugar followed the dirt road back to the stone house. Aiven sat atop the splendid animal on an old, worn saddle and beamed. “She’s a beauty, Master Jamie. She really is.”

Jamie patted Aiven on the thigh as he jogged beside the horse and the boy. “Yes, you picked out a fine one. But stop calling me Master Jamie, will you? It’s bad enough with Mrs. Tully doing it.”

“But you’re my master.”

“No, I’m....” He shook his head. “Just don’t, okay? Call me Jamie. Besides, I’m only seven years older than you. It sounds wrong.”

They trotted along the tree-lined road, dapples of sunlight filtering through the leaves and forming glowing lattice-works on the ground. Aiven said, “Mrs. Tully’s going to love this horse.”

“Remember what we talked about? It’s
my
horse, but I’m letting her use it to get you to and from her home. She won’t take the horse if I try to give it to her outright. She’s too stubborn.”

They rounded the corner and the stone house came in to view. Aiven craned his neck up high. “Who are all those people in the yard?”

Jamie looked ahead and shrugged. “Looks like a bunch of girls...and that’s Bryce standing on the stoop. I wonder what’s going on.”

When they neared the house, Bryce cupped his hand to his mouth and called, “It’s about time you got back.” He gestured at the girls standing before him. “They’re all yours.”

He started to open the door, and Jamie said, “Wait! What do they want?”

“They’re here to see Fred. You wouldn’t happen to know where she put her packets of love potion, would you?”

“I have no idea.”

“Then you can babysit them until Fred gets back.” He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Nice horse, by the way.” Then he went inside, leaving Jamie to deal with the girls.

Chapter 26

Evelyn, Fred, Melanie, Brinna, and Mrs. Tully walked back to the house, their arms loaded with things they had bought in town. Mrs. Tully’s basket was full of carrots and strawberries, and the rest of them carried cloth bags that hung low to the ground.

“I think our moms will love the brush and comb sets we got them,” Fred said. “I wish I had bought one for myself.”

“I can bring you one tomorrow, if you’d like,” Brinna said.

“I think your fathers will like the knives, too.” Evelyn said as they rounded the last curve. “They’re beautiful, I think, even their wooden cases.”

Fred made a wry face. “Brinna, it’s too bad you didn’t have something that said
Rivershire
on it, like a coffee mug or paper weight or something. If you ever get tourists here, you’ll need stuff like that.”

Brinna wrinkled her brow. “Tourists?”

“Visitors. People who go to stay someplace for the fun of it.”

“Bryce’s parents have a display case full of stuff from places they’ve visited,” Melanie said. “Decorative plates and silver serving ware from cities like Florence and Paris...Tokyo. Bryce hates it.”

“Why?” Brinna asked.

“He feels like his parents are trying to impress people with their money.” She said the last word like it had a bad taste to it. “He does his best to distance himself from it.”

“Sounds like Master Jamie,” Mrs. Tully said with a nod.

Fred playfully nudged Melanie with her elbow. “And ever since Melanie realized that Bryce is like that, she’s been head over heels for him.”

Melanie blushed nearly as red as one of Mrs. Tully’s strawberries. “That’s not the only reason.”

“And Fred?” Brinna’s tone became teasing. “Is that why you’re so keen on Jamie?”

“No,” Melanie answered for her. “She loves him because of his curly blond hair and his pretty blue eyes and his handsome face and because he’s a wonderful, wonderful guy.”

“All true,” Evelyn said. “And Fred’s been after him since they were five years old.”

Brinna looked at Fred and smiled. “Is that so?”

“Yes. I can’t deny it.”

“She and Jamie were marked for each other before they were born,” Evelyn said, and told them about how Rachel and Lisa’s bellies had touched when they were pregnant, and had felt a special, magical tingle.

“That is very romantic,” Brinna said to Fred. “You were born to be together.”

“Melanie and Bryce have a great story, too.” Fred told them how they’d fallen in love while spending so much time together, searching for Fred when she’d been kidnapped.

“Courting certainly is...different where you come from.”

“We’re not typical for our world, not by any means.” Fred sighed. “I can’t wait to get to the house. My arms are about to fall off from carrying these bags. I want to...huh?” Her mouth fell open as she looked ahead.

They followed her gaze, and in the yard they saw Jamie and Aiven, standing next to a golden brown horse, surrounded by six teenage girls.

“What are they doing?” Evelyn asked.

Fred’s jaw tightened. “Jamie’s showing off to those girls.”

“No he’s not,” Melanie said. “I think Aiven is. Look.”

As they neared, the horse pranced backward across the lawn with Aiven walking beside it, then it stepped forward smartly to its starting point and lowered its head dramatically, as if bowing. The girls applauded and laughed. Jamie walked up to Aiven and patted his shoulder, then seemed to notice Evelyn and her group, who had nearly reached the edge of the yard.

“Well, look who finally made it back,” he said.

Fred gave him an icy glare. “Are you having fun?”

“Not really. I’ve got work to do.” He gestured toward her. “Girls, this is the witch you came to see.” They turned as one to look at Fred, their young faces bright and eager.

“What’s with the horse?” Fred asked.

“I’ll tell you in a few minutes. Right now you need to take care of your customers. By the way, Feather and Flower stopped by and brought the two coat hooks.”

“Did they say anything about how the love potion worked?”

“No, but Feather seemed happy.”

That set off a titter among the young girls, and they surrounded Fred and Melanie, while Jamie and Aiven led the horse over to where Evelyn stood with Brinna and Mrs. Tully.

“Isn’t she beautiful, Mrs. Tully?” Aiven said, grinning proudly, stroking the horse’s glossy neck as he talked. “Her name is Sugar. Jamie bought her.” He cleared his throat and glanced at Jamie. “For himself.”

They began walking toward the side yard, leaving Fred and the other girls by the stoop. Evelyn sighed and shook her head. “Do you mind if we put our bags inside before we get into this?”

“Okay. Meet us by the stable when you’re done.”

The simple, unpainted two-stall stable was at the far right side of the backyard, nearly even with the house. It had a watering trough against one wall, and a path, now overgrown with grass, could still be seen leading from it through the side yard to the road out front. Evelyn, Mrs. Tully, and Brinna found Jamie and Aiven inspecting it, while the horse grazed nearby.

“The stable is in good shape,” Jamie said as they neared.

“Mr. Kennerly cleaned it out,” Mrs. Tully said. “Hasn’t had a horse in it for quite some time.”

“It’s perfect,” Aiven said with a bob of his head. “Sugar likes it. She can come in here when the weather’s bad.”