Chapter Nine

Isabella cracked some crystal from the ground, examining its strange shape. Twinkle-Puff and Marcello were chipping away at my encased feet, trying to free them. Theodore remained behind me, allowing me to sit on his knee, but I had yet to answer Isabella's question.

"Magic can be manipulated and powerful," she eventually stated, "But it's not omnipotent, neither is its wielder."

"She's a Factorum Magica," Theodore answered.

The title caused Isabella's eyes to widen, but that was the extent of her shock. "I see." She seemed to understand the title more than I did. She dropped the free crystal on the ground. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"The fewer people know, the better," Theodore informed simply. Marcello managed to free one of my feet and turned to Twinkle-Puff to help her. I was still panting, slowly caught my breath, as I felt Theodore's hand rest on my head. "Try not to look so worried."

I watched her jaw clench as she suddenly raised her voice, "Marcello!" The sprite jumped at his name and rose to her eye level. "Why did you tell me then?"

"I didn't know!" Marcello defended, "She scared the flipping bejeebers out of me!"

"Fairies and Sprites can't recognise a Factorum Magica from any other mage," Theodore informed, "They just view them as another magical source."

Isabella grunted, visibly grinding her teeth, as she lifted the axe, examined the metal before taking it above her head and bringing it down on me.

I didn't scream.

I don't know why, but I didn't react.

I closed my eyes as the axe impact the last bit of crystal, trapping my leg. Twinkle-Puff squeaked as she fled to higher air. I lifted my foot from the fragments of the quartz and stretched it out. When I felt confident enough, I tried to stand. Theodore grabbed my arm when I faltered, assuring me he was still there.

I balanced for a moment before stepping forwards, forcing my eyes to meet Isabella's. "I'm so sorry about what I did to your workroom," I dipped my head, "I made a mess…"

I thought she would've been mad at me, or at the very least, raised her voice to me. But she sighed, smiled, and lifted my chin. "You don't need to apologise," she assured me with a calming motherly tone, which quickly turned cold when she added, "It's that daft, bonehead's fault for not freaking telling us anything."

The sudden change made me shiver, Doldrum behind me chuckling awkwardly. "Daft?"

"If you don't explain things to your apprentice, calling you daft is a compliment, you idiot!" she snapped. She had gotten into his face, pointing her finger at his chin like a gun, forcing him to stand incredibly upright. Marcello and Twinkle-Puff floated beside me, all three of us unsure how to react to such a scene.

Just as quick as her outburst came, it left as Isabella sighed, fixed her hair and said, "Well, at least now I have an abundance of Azure Borealis crystals." She ran her fingers along the ground, loose rubbles sticking to her fingertips. "Anya, can you go with Marcello and Puff to find me a hammer and broom?"

I nodded, "Yes, of course."

Twinkle-Puff floated around my head before leading the way. "What is wrong with you, Theo?" Isabella asked in a hushed tone, not hushed enough though as I could hear them. I hesitated at the doorway, wondering if Theodore was going to respond. He did, but in a quieter tone, I couldn't decipher. I felt sick thinking of how much trouble I caused, petrifying me to the spot as I heard their muttered conversation.

Marcello tugged me forwards by the necklace.

I found a wooden mallet on a desk, and Marcello revealed a large broomstick sitting in the corner, worn through from use.

They were still talking when we returned with the mallet and broom. We entered in time to hear Isabella say, "I'm charging to extra, Mr Doldrum." She saw me in the corner of her eye and smiled, "Come, child, I require measurements."

*

I kicked my legs back and forth in a waiting room next to Theodore, waiting for Isabella to gather some supplies she had measured me for. I felt awkward just sitting there as Marcello and Twinkle-Puff brought in crate after crate of crystal, being forced to store them in the waiting room due to the mass amount.

Theodore didn't seem concerned by it as he leafed through a magazine he had found.

"How much trouble did I just cause?" I queried.

Theodore shrugged, "On a scale of one to ten for me, probably… a three."

"A three?"

"Gem creation is draining in mass amounts, so, on the one hand, you just saved Isabella like two weeks' worth of crystal work and countless trips to the mines. On the other hand, it's very inconvenient for you to make the crystals while standing on wood." He spoke so nonchalantly about what had happened, but Isabella seemed angered.

"What about for Isabella? What's the scale for her?" I asked.

Theodore paused, resting the magazine on his lap as he answered, "Maybe a… seven… eight." He made a dismissive gesture again. "But she's a worry-wart. Factorum Magica is a rare genetic phenomenon. Her worry stems mainly from what you are, rather than what you've done."

"Is what I am a bad thing?" I stared at some crystals; in some lights, they projected glorious colours on the walls.

"Anya, look at me." I turned my head. He had closed his magazine and leaned forwards to me. "What you are is not your fault, and what you can do is no concern of anyone else's. All Factorum Magica means is you can make a lot more power than any one person can control. Some people just worry because a human Factorum is rare and seen as a dangerous thing."

"Why, though?" I stood up, "Is it just Factorum Magicas in general or that I'm human?"

"Factorum Magicas is only possible in humans," Theodore explained as he watched me walk back and forth, "And it's seen as unsafe because humans are quite emotive creatures, and magic just doesn't know what to do with that." He caught my hand on the way past, stopping me from my pacing. "Nothing is wrong with you, Anya. People may not see you as safe, but I will do everything in my power to protect you, okay?"

Protect me? The hooded figure in the front of the store came to mind. What else was there to protect me from? The realisation frightened me, but Theodore's words were genuine. I believed him. "Okay."

"Anya!" Isabella leaned through the doorway, "Come, I need to see if there are any adjustments I need to make." She saw Theodore holding my hands, her eyes turning cold again. "Doldrum, unless you want my motherly instincts to drop kick you, release her hands."

Theodore surrendered his hands and returned to his magazines, motioning with his eyes for me to go. "I'll be right here when you're done."

I followed Isabella into the workstation, Twinkle-Puff on the ground running a chisel along the remaining crystal crust. "I am sorry about that," I repeated, watching the pixie slip over.

Isabella chuckled, "Don't worry about it. As I said, I now have an abundance of Azure Borealis crystals," she informed, patting a basket that glowed on her desk.

I leaned over the basket to look at their glow. "Do the crystals do something special, or are they just meant to look pretty?"

"Bit of both." Isabella picked one up and produced a thin flashlight. "They're nicknamed Northern Light Rocks because they're transparent enough for light to travel through them." She directed the circle of light through the crystal, allowing it to project on the opposite wall. Lines of blue mix with greens, pinks and purples, stretching across the walls and gently swaying like the pictures of Northern Lights I have seen.

"They have a wonder of the world in each piece," Isabella said, turning the light off, "People like these things to be enchanted so that it's stylish as well as functional."

"What would you enchant them to do?"

"Pretty much anything a client may want," Isabella informed, replacing the crystal, "Resistant to certain spells, ward off hay fever symptoms, allow you to see certain things, heighten senses and so on. I once had a customer have me enchant it with courage. Possibilities are endless." She picked up the basket and placed them amongst the other crystals in the room. "They're also used in some potions as well, though. When ground to dust, they can be added to just about anything."

I widened my eyes. Enchantments, potions, what else about this world was there to know about?

Isabella gestured to her other work desk; several smaller items and a folded cloak were sitting on it. "A starter kit for mages," she stated proudly. She began going through each of the things she had either made or put together for me. Several magic resistant pouches, certain minerals, a small book of elemental spells, and some jewellery. "Now, you don't usually need an Opal Loop, but I've thrown one in any way to help store some excess magic," she explained, holding up a gold hoop with a glass circle on golden twine.

"What does it do?" I asked. It was cold when I held it.

"You store magic in it, give it to someone else, and they can possess the Sight by looking through it until the magic wears off," she informed, "This is usually for magic folk with limited Sight. I usually make spectacles for that, but this will likely be all you'll need." She picked up a jade ring, "This isn't done yet, but once I get the spells reinforced, it'll help dampen your powers, so they don't suddenly become overwhelming," she explained.

"You can dampen powers?"

She nodded, "Not completely. You'll usually see this jewellery in young mages or sorcerers. It provides a handicap for growing magical qualities," she informed. "But I have to make some adjustments to yours. As is, I don't think it'll actually do anything worthwhile." She chuckled, placing the ring back on the table, "I'll probably send it through the mail when it's done. I suggest you don't practise magic by yourself until then."

I nodded, "Right."

She picked up the cloak, gently unfolding it to show it off. The navy fabric was layered with black and lighter material lines, giving the clothing a galaxy colour. The cloak itself stretched down to my knees and was warm on the inside. "What do you think?" Isabella asked as she hung it over my shoulders and buckled the gold leaf button under my chin.

I looked down my front, watching as the cloak hid my body down to my knees. It felt very silky along the edges and lined with fur on the inside. "I like the colour," I said, hugging it close to my arms.

"Blue is a good colour for you. Nice contrast with your eyes," she said, lifting my chin. "The cloak itself is temperature resistant, meaning it'll either stay warm or cool regardless of where you are. Although I didn't make it extra long so that you could still run," she explained, "It'll lessen the impact of most common attacking spells and can be enhanced later on if you want me to link it to your own magic or upgrade its resistance."

I nodded, "Okay."

"I figured since you seem to like sitting in fields in nighttime country England," Isabella said, unhooking the clasp and taking the coat, and its secure warmth, off me.

"Now, this last item Doldrum doesn't know about," she whispered, "And I think it'd be best if you didn't show it to him."

She opened one of her drawers, looking to the doorway Theodore was behind and pulled out a small lump covered in cloth. "It's a Dragon Steel double hilted dagger, made from blessed metal and charmed from a Marsh Spirit," she informed. As Isabella described it, she didn't show it to me. She just gently placed it in the leather satchel. "It has three gems on its handle, each of which can be magically charged. Red is fire, blue is ice, and green is natural energy."

I didn't understand the significance of the colours, but she made a hushed gesture before I could ask. "What else…" she searched the bag for a quick moment before producing a cloth, "Alright, you don't have a wand or magical item yet, but when you get one, this will be used to polish it. There's a lot of maintenance to those types of items, and hopefully, Theo will explain it to you." She pulled some paper from her sleeve and handed it to me, "If he doesn't, feel free to call me. Enchanted items are my game. I'll be able to explain anything that doesn't make sense."

I took the card, reading her full name and contact information in gold letters. "I will."

"Excellent." She packed the remaining items into the bag and handed them to me. I had watched her place over ten things in the pockets and pouches, but it was very light as I hung it from my shoulder. The galaxy cloak she handed me was heavier than the bag.

"How're you feeling?" she asked, "That whole crystal thing must've taken a lot out of you."

At the mention of it, my hands started tingling, remembering how cold I suddenly felt and how sick I was, and I realised I was exhausted. "I still feel a bit sick," I confessed, "But more tired than anything."

Isabella nodded, "I could only imagine. You take care of yourself though, don't overwork or overestimate yourself, okay?"

I nodded, "I'll try my best."

After some other business between Isabella and Theodore, Theodore announced our leaving after exchanging money and items between the two. "We ought to hang out outside of business affairs, Theo," Isabella told us after she had guided us through the front bookstore and out onto the street. She looked to me, "I'll finally have an age-appropriate person to drink tea with while you entertain my daughter."

Theodore rolled his eyes, "Ha-ha. You're funny, I'm in stitches, my sides hurt." He pressed a hand to his stomach and arched his head back, making a distinct and fakest laugh I've ever heard him say. People who passed by gave him a strange look, but he paid them no mind.

I quickly noticed how out of place the three of us seemed amongst the public. Isabella dressed in a steampunk mechanic outfit and Theodore in his black suit and cloak on a reasonably warm day, I could feel people looking at us with judgy eyes and furrowed brows, but neither of them batted an eye.

Isabella started buttoning up Theodore's jacket, gentle gesture until she grabbed the collar and pulled him down to her height, "I don't care what order you do things in, Theo, but unlock her Spirit Beast and get her a wand. There is too much magic in such a small thing, and my rings and enchantments can only do so much. She will be sought after."

She didn't seem worried that I heard her. Neither did Theodore, as he assured Isabella, "I won't make the same mistakes. I know what I'm doing."

There was a moment of disgust, I saw it, it lasted a shadow of a second, but Isabella released Theodore's coat and took a step back from him. "For everyone's sake, I hope you're right," she informed. Isabella focused on me and smiled, "Remember to keep in contact, okay, Anya?"

I nodded with a smile, "I will."

"Until next time, Bella," Theodore tipped his hat to the Enchanter and started down the road. I copied Theodore, nodding my head and jogging after him, turning around to wave goodbye to Isabella. We waved to each other until Theodore wrapped me in his coat, and the concrete ground disappeared from my feet. I shut my eyes through the whole experience until I felt grass beneath my feet.

"We're home," Theodore guaranteed me.

I rubbed my eyes a moment before opening them; the exhaustion from earlier mixed with the travelling brought back my nausea. "I think I'm going to be sick…" I gagged, covering my mouth.

He cackled. "It'll pass, apprentice."

I hunched over, holding my stomach. I felt Theodore's hand rub my back briefly. "It's been an exciting day," he said, "Have the rest of the afternoon to recover. We'll resume tomorrow."

I heard footsteps approaching; as they came closer, I could see white stockings in white ballet flats. As I straightened, I saw Gaelle, wearing a pink and white frilly dress with a deep snow coloured hat tied under her chin with a delicate ribbon. In one white-gloved hand, she felt a cake tower tray and in the other a brown picnic basket. Theodore didn't bat an eye at her dated clothes. "Marvellous idea, Gaelle," he said, looking to me, "Care to have afternoon tea outside, my pet?"

I sighed as the sickness passed and nodded, "Sounds wonderful."

Gaelle tilted her head at me, wondering what was wrong before placing the tower tray on the ground and opening the basket. She produced a teacup and held it out to me. Confused, I took the cup, surprised to find there was already steaming tea in it. "How did you do that?" I asked.

Her only answer was her petting her own belly. Theodore translated, "Mint tea. It'll settle your stomach," he informed. "Now then," he clasped his hands together, "How does a back-garden picnic sound?"