"Are you okay?"
"Edendir, wake up."
"What happened?"
"He just collapsed..."
"I'm a doctor, let me through!"
"He'll be fine, see, he's coming round already."
"He might be injured."
"His head's bleeding!"
"He's gone really pale..."
"Why did he collapse?"
"He actually teleported... wow..."
"That footage is so going online!"
"What was his name again?"
"How did he do the teleporting thing?"
"Is he alright?"
"His chest isn't moving anymore, is he dead?"
"Edendir, wake up!"
The urgent tones of Dylan's exasperated voice pierced the foggy veil surrounding Edendir's senses. He groaned and forced the mist further away, feeling his strength returning. Magic was absorbed from the very centre of the earth into his palms and he shot bolt upright, swaying on the spot, eyes wide with the sudden shock. His head was swimming and so were his eyes, amber tears uncontrollably rolling down his cheeks. The crowd surrounding him murmured and moved away, allowing the irritating doctor through.
The man snatched up Edendir's wrist and the elf growled, hand going gold and nails digging into the back of the man's hand. He cried out and slumped to the floor as relatively harmless poison entered his system.
Edendir stood up slowly, eyes burning with fire. Any remaining onlookers melted away until only the unconscious doctor, Dylan and the camerawoman were still around him.
"He's not human, is he?" the camerawoman said in a soft voice. Camerawoman was inaccurate - she was a teenager, like them. With scarlet hair tied up in a high ponytail and pretty blue eyes she had several other teenagers staring at her from afar, afraid to go near Edendir. The girl still had the camcorder on her hand and was crouched by Edendir's side, resting her hands on her knees. It was clear from her outfit that she had been going to the local gym, a tracksuit zipped up to the neck and trainers laced tightly.
"No, he isn't," Dylan said. "He's an elf."
"Thank you, Dylan," Edendir said sternly. Dylan shrank back and Edendir sighed, allowing magic to flow down to his extremities and then hit him directly in the heart. Doing so made him look human again but also sent him to the floor, all the strength pouring out of him.
"Like a Christmas elf?" the girl queried.
"No," Edendir said from the floor, glaring up at the sunny sky, "as in an actual, frightening, magic elf."
"So that teleporting was real, not a trick," Dylan stated. "So are all his tricks."
"You do realise that now you're going to have to stop me telling someone, right?" the girl said, raising a perfect eyebrow.
"I'll kill you if you speak to anyone," Edendir said in a deadpan, serious tone. The girl went quiet and then pulled the elf into a sitting position, holding out her other hand.
"My name's Roxie," she said, flashing a white-toothed smile. "And I promise I won't tell anyone, honest."
"Edendir," Edendir said, shaking her hand with a firm grip. "Known online as Jinx."
"I'm Dylan, if anybody cares," Dylan said after a moment of silence. Roxie jumped and laughed.
"Sorry," she apologised, nudging Dylan with her shoulder. "Hi, Dylan. I love your accent."
"Thank you," Dylan said, flushing pink. Edendir rolled his eyes and stood up, placing his hands on Dylan and Roxie's heads for balance.
Roxie pushed him away and stood as well, tugging Dylan after her. She held out her hand and Dylan shook it.
"You're bisexual," she said he second he let go. His eyes widened and Edendir raised his eyebrows.
"Would you care to explain how you know that?" Edendir asked when it was apparent Dylan wasn't going to speak.
"A weak handshake in a male is a pretty sure-fire sign you're gay and the fact that he blushed when I said I like his accent means that he also has an interest in women," Roxie explained. "Therefore it is quite easy to deduce that he is bisexual."
"Are you Sherlock friggin' Holmes?" Dylan whispered. Roxie laughed again.
"I try. It's a good trick, to know a crucial element about someone you just met. For example," she said, turning on her heel and facing the boys who had ventured nearer, "I know that the only reason you are approaching me right now is because it's a dare and one of you was going to ask me for my number, probably the one deemed 'wussiest' in the group and then you will all run away laughing, thinking you're so cool. Am I right?"
There was silence from the group.
"Oh, and the one chosen is the one nobody ever likes and wants to see slapped." Roxie smiled sweetly. "So, do you want to continue with your dare?"
The boys scattered and Roxie tossed her hair, wriggling her shoulders. "It feels good to put people down," she said happily.
Edendir stared at her for a few seconds. "Please never do that to either me or Dylan ever."
"Again," Dylan added. "Ever again."
"Okay," Roxie sighed. "But it is really fun."
"Do you know what else is fun?" Dylan said, eyes glittering, his usual spark returning.
"What?" Roxie and Edendir said in unison.
"YouTubing. Back to mine!" Dylan punched the air and ran off, leaving Roxie and Edendir looking at one another in mild shock.
"Is he usually like this?" Roxie asked in concern.
"I've only known him a day," Edendir shrugged. "But from what I've seen, yes."
*
Dylan was caught with extreme difficulty and forcibly pushed into a taxi. Once he'd calmed down he began interrogating Roxie.
"What is your full name?" was the first question asked.
"Roxanne Jennifer Arcadia."
"Are you English?"
"What do you care, American?"
"Good answer," Dylan said approvingly. "How old are you?"
"Fourteen."
"Like us two then. Year nine, I presume?"
"Yep. We all have September birthdays?" Roxie said. "Because sure, it's October half term, but we need to get back to school soon."
"I don't go to school," Edendir said. "And my birthday is in the lunar month of Aries. In Elfir we use star signs to measure months."
"What day?"
"April first."
"April fools day," Dylan noted. "Hey, do you know any jokes?"
"Aside from your hair? No."
Roxie held back laughter at Dylan's furious look. "My hair is brilliant," Dylan said frostily. "At least it doesn't have to be cut for school. No hair reaching to the collar on males."
Edendir raised a hand to his thick, messy hair and frowned. "I like it like this."
"Sorry kid. It'll have to be cut," Dylan shrugged. "And you'll need a uniform."
"So do I," Roxie said suddenly. "I'm moving schools. After this half term I'm at a new one."
"Which school?" Dylan asked.
"Fausiams, I think."
"That's my school!" Dylan exclaimed, clapping his hands together in glee. "Fausiams Secondary School for the Gifted and Talented!"
"Yeah, that's it," Roxie nodded. "I couldn't remember the name."
"That reminds me," Dylan said, losing his excited look, "Edendir either has to get a scholarship or needs to somehow pay school fees."
"I have money," Edendir said.
"But you need a parent to sign the cheques," Dylan frowned. "No, that won't work. Are you particularly good at anything human? Not magic."
"Um..."
"Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History, Art, DT, Computing, English, Maths, Geography, PE, RS...?" Dylan suggested. Edendir ran through the list and shook his head.
"Ah well," Dylan said, shoulders slumping. "I guess... I guess Aunt Katy could sign it!" His enthusiasm had returned and he rattled off plans at an extreme rate.
"I tell Aunt Katy you have no parents but have their fortune and are able to pay but need a parent or guardian to sign all the forms and you also need somewhere to stay and oh my this is brilliant! Then we can enrol you in Fausiams and I'll make sure you're in my form by hacking the system and then Roxie can be in our form too..." Dylan paused for breath and grinned. "This will be awesome! Roxie, what are you at the school for?"
"My father's paying," she replied bitterly, eyes cold. "His way of apologising for living another life with a stepmum I'll never meet on the opposite side of the world. He abandoned me and Mum here because he got bored of Mum's parties. Took his company, his mistress and himself all over to New York." Roxie's lip curled in disgust. "I hate that man. The less I see of him, the better."
To break the awkward silence that followed immediately after Roxie's speech the taxi driver coughed. "We're here," he said nervously.
"I'll pay," Roxie said, reaching into a near-invisible pocket and throwing two fifty pound notes at the driver. "Guilt money, that's what I have."
"We should probably go inside," Edendir said, pushing open the car door and stepping out. The midday sun beat down on his head and he created a protective bubble of cool, cold air, ensuring he didn't get sunburn.
"This is your house?" Roxie said to Dylan, ducking out of the taxi and standing next to Edendir. It was only then the elf realised how tall she was, well over average height for a fourteen year old, making him feel smaller than he was.
"Yeah," Dylan replied. "It seems both our families have a lot of money, eh?"
"Yet I rule you both, seeing as I'm a prince," Edendir said, ducking out of their elongated shadows and marching haughtily towards the house. Dylan's laughter echoed in Edendir's ears and he stopped under the porch, turning on his heel and narrowing his eyes. A large black cloud formed above Dylan's head and a mobile storm showered the teenager from head to toe.
Yelling, wailing and dripping Dylan chased after Edendir, knocking him into the door just as it opened. Roxie followed at a distance, making sure she didn't get rained on. Luckily for her as soon as Edendir hit the floor and lost his concentration the cloud vanished and Roxie was able to walk freely into the high-ceilinged hall, making eye contact with an astonished Lilly and rolling her eyes.
"Boys," she said, shaking her head. Lilly nodded and jumped backwards as Edendir skidded across the floor, hitting the same bust he'd saved yesterday and causing it to land in his lap.
"Ow," he winced, levering it off him and raising it back onto the pedestal. "That hurt. You really can't take a joke, can you, Dylan?"
Dylan sat up on the floor and stared directly at Edendir. The deadpan look on his face coupled with the fact that his blonde hair was flat over his eyes made him look like an Afghan Hound and Lilly, Roxie and Edendir started laughing.
"Shut up," Dylan muttered, brushing his hair back and wriggling on his stomach across the marble floor onto a black and white tiled floor.
The mouth-watering scent of cooking food drifted from the room Dylan had just entered and there was a short scuffle as the three remaining children fought to gain first entry to the only recognisable room with food.
If those cookies were anything to go by, Edendir thought to himself as he used magic to push the two girls back, then Dylan will have already eaten everything. And I haven't eaten for two days!