The Necromancer Trilogy: Prophecy

Chapter Sixteen - Painful Memories

She caught sight of Sophie’s expression and smiled.

“Magic is a dangerous game and it messes with your head. You forget how breakable you are. You forget what you are.”

“What am I?” Sophie demanded.

Chrysanthemum smiled. “A mortal, ordinary, human girl. The power you use is not your power, nor has it chosen you for any real reason. Coincidence, luck – good or bad, and a few other things came into play. That’s all.”

“So…I’m normal then?” Sophie felt disappointed. “Just like any other human girl?”

“Yes,” Tala put in. “You are utterly ordinary. The magic is not. But you…you are like anyone else.”

“Oh,” Sophie tried to hide the disappointment.

“There is nothing better to be,” Chrysanthemum promised, “than a human. You’ll learn that in time. When you’ve lost a few people and loved a few people and broken and healed and burned and healed so many times. Then you’ll learn. It’s not a case of human or magical, human or divine. Human is divine.”

There was a dutifully solemn silence for this profound statement that would have sounded false coming from anyone except Chrysanthemum Bone.

“Come on,” Tala said, cheerily. “Let’s go inside.”

The huge doors were opened by possibly the least magical-looking person Sophie had met since her initiation into this strange world.

“Tala!” he cried. “Come in!”

Rolo Freedom was so fat he was practically spherical, bouncing along lightly on tiny feet so that Sophie couldn’t help being reminded of a beach ball. His nose was violent strawberry-red and his eyes tiny dark specks sunken deep into a face wrinkled like a walnut, even though Tala had called him middle-aged.

“This is a surprise,” he said, in a voice that seemed to be a permanent shout. “Why have you dropped by, my young friend?”

Tala laughed. “I need to see Zephyr, Rolo. Do you mind?”

Rolo’s face was suddenly very sad. “Ah, dear Miss Sylph. She is a delightful guest, never gives me any trouble. But so sad, so very sad. Yes, of course, you may see her.”

His expression suddenly brightened again.

“But forgive me! Who are your friends?”

Tala laughed again. “This is Chrysanthemum Bone…”

“Aye, I remember her!” Rolo swept a low bow, planting a kiss on Chrysanthemum’s hand. “It’s been a long time, Miss Bone.”