My Sorcerer

Chapter 8

“I wasn’t able to find your parents, but I was able to track a relative of yours. According to what my magic has revealed to me, they aren’t too far from here. However...” His voice trailed off. Whatever he was about to tell her, he seemed to think better of it.

“However, what?” she pressed.

“They are residing within pack territory. Usually, sorcerers stay clear of pack territory,” he responded, appearing nervous. Why would a sorcerer be nervous?

“What is pack territory?” she asked. She had an idea, but she really wanted to be wrong.

“Territory where werewolves reside,” he explained to me. He appeared to be trying to read her as his gaze washed over her.

“Werewolf...” she muttered, trying to wrap my head around it. She had hoped that she had heard her fake parents wrong. She had hoped that they were worried over nothing. She had hoped... but her hopes were short-lived and all in vain.

“Don’t worry. I will help you find your relatives and integrate if that’s what you want.” His offer was kind, but she didn’t know if she wanted to face this. She was human. She thought she was human. She was supposed to be an ordinary human.

“I...” she started, but stopped. She opened her mouth a few more times trying to respond, but was unable to find the words.

“If you don’t want to go now, we don’t have to,” he told her. He was trying to comfort her.

She nodded. It was hard. She wanted to meet them. She wanted to meet someone who was really related to her, but she didn’t want to be a werewolf. They were not depicted kindly in movies or television shows. They were either hot and sexy or complete monsters. She didn’t want to be a monster, and she was far from being hot or sexy. “Why don’t I take you somewhere to decompress?” he offered.

“We can’t leave. Those hunter people are still looking for me. What if they see me? What if they catch me? They could do anything to me...” she began to spiral.

Quickly, Pierceton grabbed hold of her hand, trying to get her to refocus. “Calm down. I’m a wizard. I can do anything without those dimwitted hunters finding out,” he told her confidently.

She felt uneasy about going outside. They had been here sniffing around only late last evening. They could still be nearby. She didn’t want to get caught. “Stop worrying. You need to get out and have some fun. You haven’t been able to do anything enjoyable for days.” He was trying hard to make her feel better.

“Fine... but if I’m caught, I’m holding you accountable,” she grumbled.

“I’m overwhelmed by your confidence,” he chuckled as he stood and walked over to the door. He grabbed a long robe... or was it a long coat? Then he threw it at her. “Put this on.”

“Is it a cloak of invisibility like from Harry Potter?” she asked as she looked it over.

He let out a long sigh before responding to her. “No... it is a cloak. The most it is going to do is mask your scent. That’s one of the ways they are tracking you.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, feeling a bit disappointed.

“You wanted it to be an invisibility cloak, didn’t you?” he said as he shook his head, but she could see a hint of a smile crossing his lips.

“No... of course not. I was just curious,” she muttered.

He laughed as he went to the door. “Hurry up and put it on,” he said as he opened the door.

She quickly threw the cloak over her shoulders and raced after him. As she crossed the threshold, the world shifted. In an instant, she was standing in a wide, open field. When she turned back, the house was gone—only the door remained, freestanding, showing the room inside as if its frame opened into another world.

“Something the matter?” Pierceton asked. She could feel his breath on the nape of her neck. He was far too close, but she didn’t want to move. She could almost feel the warmth of his body. She wanted to stay like this. To continue to feel this calming presence, but the moment passed all too quickly when she felt him step away.

“Nothing,” she finally responded as she turned to face him. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere special,” he answered with a mischievous grin.

“Am I going to regret following you?”

“Possibly,” he said with a shrug. “But I bet you’ll still follow me.”

“Fine.” It was either follow him or go back into the house and wait for who knows how long. “What about Fang?” she suddenly worried.

“Don’t worry, whatever she needs, the house will provide it while we are away,” he told me.

“How can the house provide for her needs? It’s just a house.”

“Don’t let the house hear you,” he laughed. “It is enchanted to provide for the needs of whoever or whatever is occupying it at any given time.”

“Then why did you have to use magic to make me food?”

“Because I wanted to make something specific. The house is enchanted, not a mind reader,” he answered her.

She wasn’t sure how to respond to what he said, so she didn’t. He didn’t seem to mind since he started to walk toward the trees that lined the field. She trailed him, silently, trying to take in everything. The field was filled with flowers, butterflies floating around in every color. The trees were tall, but where trees usually felt scary when they were too tall because they would loom over you and seem dark and ominous, they were bright and welcoming.

They continued walking into the forest. He didn't say anything for a long time, and neither did she. Instead of focusing on the silence as she usually would, she tried to focus on her surroundings. She had never been anywhere so beautiful. It was almost as if the forest was shimmering and buzzing with magic. She couldn't see it, but she could feel it. It wasn't how she thought magic would feel. For some reason, she thought it would have more power and draw more of an emotional response, but here she was feeling calm and peaceful. She liked it here. Even in her old home, she had never felt this kind of peace. It was refreshing.

She was so deep in thought that she hadn't realized Pierceton had stopped and pumped into him. “Sorry,” she said as she quickly took a step back.

“Amazing, isn't it?” he asked, but it didn't actually feel like a question.

“Yes,” she answered anyway. Then she looked to where he was focused. Just yards away was a logical cabin, surrounded by trees, yet it sat illuminated by the sun as though it were on stage. Then she saw them, fairies. She had not expected to see fairies. Although now that she thought about it. She wondered why she was surprised. She was walking in what felt like an enchanted forest with a sorcerer, so fairies should seem normal.

One fluttered from the cabin over to me. She looked me up and down and then turned to Pierceton. “Why do you bring a werewolf to our forest?” she hissed at him.

Her heart sank at her words. She could tell she was a werewolf... so it was true. She was a monster. “Don't be like that,” he beamed at her.

“Like what?” she grumbled. “You should know better. Her kind is not welcome here. Not after what they tried to do to our land.”

“She is and isn't a werewolf,” he responded with a shrug. “So she should be welcomed. Not to mention she is my guest.”

“What does it matter whose guest she is? It doesn't change the fact of what she is...” She paused for a moment and then continued. “What do you mean is and isn't?”

“She was raised as a human. She had no idea she was a werewolf until recently, when she was being hunted,” he explained in short.

“She would have shifted, and that would have been an indicator,” she snapped back, not believing a word he had said.

“Not if she hasn't come of age. You know this.”

“Well, it still doesn't change anything. She needs to leave. You know the queen will be displeased if she finds her here. Then I'll be in trouble because I couldn't make her leave. You don't want me to be in trouble, do you?” she asked as she landed next to him, growing taller as her feet touched the ground. Now she stood only inches shorter than him compared to what she was moments ago. She didn't know fairies could grow from being only inches tall to a similar height as humans.

She placed her hand on his chest. “You wouldn't want that, would you?” she asked again in a sugary sweet voice.

“I suppose not...” he muttered. “Then again, I do believe the queen will also be angry if she leaves without greeting her,” he responded smugly.

“Fine, you stay, she leaves. Simple,” she said in a huff as she began to shrink and flutter in the air again.

“I can't do that. She is under my protection,” he chuckled. “Everything will be fine. Stop worrying, Evelyn.”

“Whatever... break the rules... see if I care,” she grumbled angrily.

“Will do,” Pierceton responded before he began to walk toward the cabin.

“Pierceton, if it is too much trouble, she can go back to the house. She doesn't need to stay. This has already been magical enough for me,” she tried to give him and out. She didn't want him to get in trouble because of me. She never asked to meet fairies anyway.

“Nonsense,” he waved off my concerns.