Witching Games: The Fire Witch Chronicles 1, R.A. Lindo [top 100 books of all time checklist .txt] 📗

“Ready?” Jacob asks, meeting me by the lift with Conrad.

I decided taking the spiral staircase would probably lead to a lot of polite hellos, making me even later — not the best start to your brother’s birthday.

“Yep.”

“What’s the present?” Jacob asks with a smile, no longer wearing the tie required for teaching duties.

He’s asked Farraday to look after his class: a scarred Society legend with more magic in his little finger than most have in their entire repertoire. I’ve got a soft spot for Farraday: the man who trained me and saved my life on more than one occasion.

“Are we staying long?” I ask.

“Guppy,” comes Conrad’s reply.

“Let’s just enjoy the day, okay?” Jacob adds, his tired expression suggesting the challenges his class is posing.

He needs my support so I park my self-centred concerns, linking arms with my brother. I offer him a smile as the three of us head towards the closest Perium, situated behind The Seating Station. We’ll be at mum’s in less than five minutes.

My mum is more engaging on this visit, clearly going to a lot of effort to make Jacob feel special. She’s made a lot of mistakes but I know I need to get over this, learning that judging every mistake people make forces you to look at your own flaws, and I’ve got plenty.

The presents remain on the kitchen table, bringing a smile to my face every time Jacob glances at them. His attention is always on the needs of others, even on his birthday. He checks in on Conrad, offering him more cake and Jysyn Juice, only stopping when I give him a look.

He’s the kindest person I know, finally the focus of a birthday party without tension or resentment: a unique experience in the Grayling household.

“Are you going to open your presents?” mum asks as she cuts more cake — a vision of maternal attentiveness that gives me hope for the future.

“When I get home,” Jacob replies, referring to his fifth-floor quarters in The Cendryll.

“You can’t open them when you get home,” I challenge. “We need to watch; it’s part of the fun.”

“Just in case you don’t like mine, Guppy chose it,” Conrad adds with a mischievous look in my direction.

“I’m sure I’ll love them all,” Jacob replies, finally relenting and reaching for the presents.

The rule on presents is no magic: one of the few situations where the above-ground world triumphs. It’s not much fun getting an artefact or a book on charms: things we see every day. Presents are meant to be novel — unique and unexpected — so the most boring, ordinary presents are the best ones.

Jacob opens my present first, building up the tension as he unwraps the box in slow motion. “I bet it’s a watch,” he says, smiling in anticipation. “A bracelet …”

He inspects the bracelet, making sure I haven’t broken the no-magic rule, which I haven’t. It’s an ordinary silver bracelet except for one thing: the photograph hidden in the small compartment you click open. Jacob works this out after a few seconds, taking care to work the compartment open — his expression softening at the sight of the photograph inside. “It’s perfect,” he says, staring at the photo until mum asks to have a look at the bracelet.

The tiny photograph is of the three of us — Jacob, mum and me — sitting in the above-ground house we lived in until I was thirteen. It’s a picture I’ve kept all these years, keeping it hidden away in various drawers. I thought Jacob’s birthday was a perfect time to get it back out, fixing it in a place where it would always be visited.

Mum studies the photo in silence, running a finger over it as if she’s struggling to recognise herself. It’s where we once were and are struggling to return to, but if Jacob’s willing to try so should I.

Conrad watches the intimate moment, probably thinking of a family he no longer has: a constant reminder to be thankful for what I’ve got. As I help Jacob to put the bracelet on, mum goes into the kitchen to make more tea, thanking us for coming as she does: a step in the right direction.

With presents opened and the kitchen table cleared, a few games are played until mum and Jacob start to fade, leading us to say our goodbyes as the afternoon sun rests on the horizon. Cympgus’ will transport us back to The Cendryll, although Conrad seems set on a different idea.

“I’ll leave you here,” Jacob says, offering hugs as he utters ‘Whereabouts’ to generate a portal Perium. “Thanks for the presents and drop by more often: the students love seeing you.”

“What about tomorrow?” Conrad offers. “Round Two of Rucklz.”

“You’re on,” Jacob replies as he walks up the glowing steps, vanishing into thin air.

With Jacob on the way back to The Cendryll, Conrad turns to me with a familiar look of mischief in his eyes.

“I know that look,” I say, sensing his plan.

“What look?” he replies as he generates his own Cympgus: a glittering bridge stretching ahead of us. “I say we see where the bridge leads, and leave Noah and Lucy to the night ranging later. You never know, it might help Lucy to express her feelings for Noah.”

I smile at the idea of another day of discovery with Conrad, hoping our friends find something more than shifty witches and wizards on their evening travels. You can’t force love but there’s nothing wrong with giving it a helping hand, and I think Lucy will appreciate the alone time with Noah.

We’ll also need to track down Neve Blin soon but that can wait for another day, so I park thoughts of dangerous Domitus and take Conrad’s hand, stepping onto the shimmering bridge, stretching as far as the eye can see — ready to transport us to wherever our hearts desire.

Teaser Chapter Book 2