The Boy Who Went Magic Read online

  “I can help you,” said Bert. He unwrapped the bandage from his palm and tried to press it against Cassius’s wound. His hands were shaking.

  Cassius’s expression grew vacant, as if his mind was somewhere far away. He seemed to look beyond Bert. “It’s all right,” he said. “It won’t always be scary. I promise.”

  Bert felt tears on his cheeks. He remembered the man in the cloak who had brought him to the school. “It was you,” he said. He struggled to speak. “You’re my father.”

  Cassius’s gaze lost all focus. He slumped lower against the wall. Bert clutched his hand tighter and called out to him, but it was clear that he was gone.

  Bert was frozen for what seemed like a long time. The glow from his palm faded and the mists closed in. He was shaken out of his grief when a new light appeared nearby. The silhouette of a large man strode toward him. He let go of Cassius’s hand and picked up the man’s sword. It felt heavier than the weapons he’d used before, but he managed to hold it on guard.

  “Voss!” he yelled into the mist, with an anger he’d never felt before.

  The silhouette drew closer, then stopped. The mists parted and the green light flickered to show Voss standing in the archway, holding a sword.

  “You’re too late,” said Voss. He gestured toward the dark crystal, inserted in a staff at the center of the large room behind him. It was the source of the light. “Your spirit is already powering the device. Soon it will be fully consumed.” He continued to stride toward Bert. “Once it is stored inside that staff, there will be nothing left of your friend but lightning—lightning that I can use to destroy whatever I choose.” He snorted. “Starting with your pirate friends.”

  Bert barely registered Voss’s voice. He was still thinking of Cassius, and who he really was. The prince’s ambitions seemed petty in comparison.

  Voss looked blankly at him. “But there is one small piece of business that I need to resolve,” he added. “In this new world, there can be no one to rival my power. I will be the only wielder of magic.” He charged with surprising speed and swung his sword.

  Bert met his attack swiftly, but the force of the blow knocked his guard high. The man shifted his footing and fired a kick at Bert’s stomach.

  Bert had no chance to dodge. He took the blow and flew back against the mirrored wall, then rolled toward the archway.

  Voss watched him intently. “You are not without skill,” he said.

  Bert backed into the large room. He could feel how close Norton was as he paced toward the flickering green light. He felt strength returning to his hand, just like when he had faced Freston in the competition back at school. An angry red glow burned in his palm. The mist hovered at his feet.

  Voss charged again and made a thrusting attack.

  Bert was ready this time.

  Their swords met with a flash of sparks. In the same instant, he deftly changed his guard and jabbed at his adversary.

  Voss snarled and staggered back, holding his face.

  Bert used the opportunity to back closer toward the green light. The closer he got to it, the more his power seemed to return. He was certain Norton was trapped there.

  “You are a mistake,” hissed Voss. “You were never meant to take what I had created.” The light from the staff flickered for a moment and Voss disappeared into the mist.

  Bert gasped and looked around in confusion. The clouds closed in. He turned to run but a shadow blocked his path.

  He flinched as a stinging pain erupted in his shoulder, and struck wildly.

  Voss was hit. He snarled again in rage and grabbed Bert’s sword in his metal hand.

  There was a screech of rending steel. The sword broke and sprang from Bert’s grasp. Voss tossed the pieces into the mist and kicked Bert back along the floor.

  Bert was winded and stunned, but Voss was clearly injured too. He staggered a few paces away from Bert and seemed unable to hold up his sword.

  Bert had landed beside the green glow. He could see the dark crystal trapped inside a glass sphere placed on top of a metal staff. The staff appeared to be made of gold and was covered in strange black writing. A coil of green energy flickered from the sphere to the staff.

  He felt new power burning inside.

  “It’s over,” said Voss, his eyes locked on Bert. “This world is mine, little mage.” He drew his pistol from his belt and took aim. “Go and join your spirit friend.”

  Time seemed to slow for Bert. He saw the pistol hammer click and a puff of smoke shoot from the firing cap. But at the same instant he raised his hand and aimed.

  A blast of energy shot from his palm. It traveled over the room like an explosion. The floor crumbled into a pit at Voss’s feet and a cloud of debris shot into the air.

  Voss’s bullet seemed to vanish in the wave of energy. The prince gave a scream of pain and disappeared in the chaos of the explosion. His pistol flew from his hand.

  When the light flickered again, the prince had vanished. There was a large hole in the floor where he had been standing. The ground was visible far below.

  Bert staggered to his feet and caught his breath. Norton needed him. He could see the light growing stronger around the crystal trapped in the sphere. He couldn’t afford to hesitate. He could feel that his friend had almost been lost to the device.

  He reached to lift the sphere from the pedestal but a blast of green light struck him and a pain shot through his heart. It was as if some physical force was trying to keep him from taking possession of the crystal. He had to fight the pain to place his hand on the glass. His thoughts grew hazy. For a moment, he saw a flash of the night when he’d arrived at his school. There was a foggy street ahead of him and a voice saying: I wouldn’t want him to be scared of the darkness. He saw Cassius’s face hovering close by and a young woman looking down on him, telling him she was sorry—telling him to hide.

  He forced away the memories, then smashed the glass of the sphere with his hand. The crystal burned under his fingertip. A green light enveloped him.

  Suddenly the world seemed to disappear. He plunged into a sea of blue light and deep shadows. There were shapes that looked like people but they were hard to make out. He felt as if they were closing in on him. “Norton!” he yelled. He reached out his hand.

  A strong grasp clutched his own.

  “Hold on, Norton,” yelled Bert.

  He strained as hard as he could. The light and shadows faded and he surfaced again in the real world. He fell back on the floor with the dark crystal in his hand.

  There was no sign of Norton. The ceiling looked cold and bare. His heart seemed to beat very slowly. He couldn’t feel the presence of his friend anymore.

  Footsteps echoed across the room. To Bert’s horror, Voss reappeared. He must have been blasted clear of the hole and hidden in the confusion of the debris. He was clearly injured and limping, but he had his sword in hand. He edged around the hole in the floor and approached shakily. “You,” he said, pointing his metal finger at Bert. “What have you done?”

  Bert frowned in confusion. He didn’t understand what the prince meant. He was certain that he had lost Norton. There was nothing left for him to ruin.

  A shadow moved through the mist behind the prince.

  “Give me that,” yelled Voss, as he snatched the crystal from Bert’s grasp. “I want you to fix it, do you hear me?” he said. “I need you to use your power.”

  The shadow drew closer, and a familiar face appeared through the mist. “Hello,” said Norton.

  Voss flinched away. He held the crystal out toward Norton, but this time it didn’t seem to have any power over him. Flashes of light appeared beneath the prince’s fingertips, and Bert noticed for the first time that its light had changed from green to a deep blue.

  Norton stood staring at the prince.

  “Watch out, Norton,” said Bert.

  “It’s all right,” said Norton.

  The prince swiped at Norton with his sword, but it did nothing. His ha
nds were shaking. He held up the crystal again. “Get away,” he yelled.

  “I’d let go of that if I were you,” said Norton. “It’s dangerous.”

  Voss held the crystal tighter. The blue light emanated from its surface. “Get back where you belong,” he snarled.

  Norton didn’t move. “I tried to warn you,” he said.

  Bands of energy crackled over Voss’s hand. He staggered back. The crystal slipped through his grip and landed on the floor.

  His body seemed to grow transparent.

  “What did you do to me?” he said, with a look of terror.

  “Nothing,” said Norton.

  Voss turned and made a grab for Bert, but by now the prince’s body had almost vanished. His metal arm fell to the floor with a thump. His face seemed to age.

  There was a flash of light and he vanished completely. The crystal flickered and went out. It fell toward the edge of the hole that Bert had blasted in the floor.

  Bert reached for it on instinct.

  “No,” said Norton.

  Bert paused. “Are you sure?”

  “I think he’s better in there,” said Norton. “Let him go.” The room shook. The crystal slid into the hole and tumbled into space. They watched as it plunged from sight.

  “Well, that’s that,” said Norton. He helped Bert to stand and cast a light around them to cut through the mist. The structure didn’t seem to be doing well after Bert had removed the sphere from the pedestal. The walls shook and he could hear ominous crumbling sounds, but for the moment he was too exhausted to pay them much attention. He followed Norton and they sat together on the edge of the hole in the floor, letting their feet dangle.

  “Are you going to be all right?” asked Bert.

  “I think so,” said Norton. “Thank you for your help. I wouldn’t have been happy in this thing.” As he spoke there was a rumble and the structure shook violently. “I mean on the one hand, there are fewer people to bother you, but I imagine it would get boring.”

  “Is this thing going to crash?” said Bert.

  “I hadn’t really considered it,” said Norton. “But probably, yes.”

  Bert’s heart sank. He was exhausted and there was no way of getting off the structure. They might have beaten Voss but it seemed like a hollow victory. He began to worry about the Professor and Finch—whether they had gotten away from the Vulture.

  “I’m glad to see you again, Bert,” said Norton.

  Bert smiled, despite his worries. “Me too.”

  A new sound caught his attention. Footsteps echoed from the corridor and Finch appeared. “Bert!” she yelled. She was holding a glowing crystal emitter. “I knew you’d landed here.” She sprinted over to join him by the hole. The roof began to crumble.

  Bert got up to meet her. “Are you all right?” he said. He felt choked by emotion. “What happened?”

  “We won,” Finch replied, with a grin. “We sent one of Hermatrude’s precision shells straight through their engine block. They had to go down for a crash landing.”

  “You shouldn’t have come here,” said Bert.

  “Don’t be a complete clod,” said Finch. “How’s the … you know … Norton thing?”

  “Nice of someone to ask,” said Norton.

  “We saved him,” said Bert. “But Cassius …”

  He trailed off and glanced toward the corridor.

  “I saw,” said Finch. “I’m sorry, Bert, but we’ve got to leave.” She tossed a package into his arms. It was light and it looked like a backpack, with straps that fastened around the waist.

  “What is this?” said Bert.

  “It’s the aerial escape device,” said Finch. “Don’t you remember?”

  “But you never figured out how to use it.”

  Finch waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine,” she said, looking down through the hole. “I’m pretty sure this will give us a clear drop. My father is bringing the ship back around.”

  A huge section of the roof fell away beside them and the floor began to split. Bert looked at Norton and felt an irrational pang of fear at the thought that Finch hadn’t brought an escape device for him. Norton seemed to read his mind. “I’ll catch up,” he said.

  Bert nodded, and looked down over the drop.

  Finch grabbed his hand. “With me,” she said.

  “Right,” said Bert. He held tighter and looked back at the corridor where he had left Cassius. He felt a wave of sadness and regret. But he knew the man—his father—was gone.

  “Now,” said Finch. She leapt over the edge.

  Bert dropped with her. The remains of Lugalbanda Castle flashed by as they plummeted through the opening. The gap looked like it was closing in.

  Bert raised his hand and fired a blast of energy.

  They burst out into clear sky.

  Finch pulled a cord that was attached to his backpack. He heard a hiss above him, and saw something white shoot up from his back. There was a dull thud.

  He looked up and saw a circle of white material hovering over his head like an umbrella. It had arrested his fall. He was floating down to earth.

  Finch opened her device later, but she was safe too. He could hear her shouting to him but he couldn’t make out the words over the sound of the wind.

  A large chunk of white stone flashed by and shot toward the ground. Bert looked up in alarm and saw that the whole of the floating ruin was coming down.

  “Finch,” he yelled. “Look out.”

  She yelled some reply but he knew that his warning had made no difference. There was no way of controlling his descent and the structure was clearly too big to avoid.

  A rumbling sound grew over the wind. Bert glanced over his shoulder and saw for the first time that the Lugalbanda was sailing toward them. It was streaming smoke and looked as if it had been battered by storms, but it was still flying.

  The gasbag was almost under him.

  Finch’s voice somehow carried over the din: “Land at the center!”

  Bert clutched the strings and tried to guide his fall. He saw Finch touching down and figures rushing to her aid. Another large piece of debris fell by, almost hitting the ship, and more was on the way. His feet touched down on the gasbag and a strong grip attached a safety line around his waist. He looked up to see the concerned face of the Professor.

  “Cassius?” asked the Professor.

  Bert shook his head sadly.

  “I’m sorry, Bert,” he said. He gave the order for full speed and the ship jolted forward. The castle cast a shadow over them as it fell.

  The crewmen braced, and yelled warnings.

  Bert reached his palm upward. A cold energy flowed through his body. He felt a shockwave burst from his palm, trying to hold the structure back, but it didn’t seem to do anything.

  He raised his hand again.

  The ruin suddenly froze above them.

  Bert looked up in confusion. He could see a black figure floating in midair below the ruins. Norton was holding the crumbling structure back. The airship powered out from the shadow just in time. There was a deep rumble and the whole castle mass fell again, screaming down toward the plains.

  “Come on,” said the Professor. He hurried Finch and Bert over the side of the rigging. The ruin struck the ground and a huge explosion blossomed from the impact.

  They reached the deck just as the shockwave hit. The ship listed wildly before righting itself. Bert found his feet and saw that the Professor and Finch were safe.

  He looked back to where Norton had been floating but he couldn’t see anything. He remembered the way his friend had collapsed after fighting the skeletons. A sinking feeling took hold of him. “Norton,” he yelled. He looked around the deck. The crewmen stared back at him blankly. He searched over their faces, looking for some sign of his friend returning.

  There was no reply.

  “Is he here?” said Finch. “Did you rescue him?”

  Bert shook his head. He couldn’t sense his friend nearby. He
ran to the edge of the hull and looked back at the debris cloud where the ruin had struck, searching for some reassurance.

  A shadow fell on the deck beside him.

  “What are we looking at?” said Norton.

  Bert let out a long breath and a curse. He put his arms around his friend, and laughed in relief. He remained like that for some time, even when he became aware that the crew were staring. Of course, they couldn’t see what he was so happy about. But by now he didn’t care.

  A golden light fell across the Lugalbanda’s deck as they skimmed the treetops. Two days had passed since the battle—two days of exchanging tales and repairing the damage. Bert felt a clinging sadness at the memory of Cassius, and a deep regret for not having spoken with him more. There were still so many questions about who he was and where he had come from. He managed to piece together a little of the story by talking with the Professor, but not much.

  “Your family were famous,” said the Professor. “Your father was a member of another noble family, I believe, from far-off lands to the west. He disappeared on the same night as your family’s home was burned. Never seen again. Now we know that he continued to live, under a new identity.”

  “I still don’t understand why he left me,” said Bert.

  The Professor sighed. “I can’t look into Cassius’s heart, Bert. But I can see why he thought you were safer alone, at that school. Voss is no easy adversary to trick and his spies were everywhere, even in those days. Cassius had to keep his real identity completely secret to become a quæstor. And I suppose what he told you was true—he spent years investigating the circumstances of your family’s murder, in search for justice. It must have been very hard.”

  Bert swallowed. It was difficult to speak about Cassius’s real identity without losing himself to sadness. But he was pleased he had known his father, if only for a short time.

  He also tried to speak to Norton about what to do now, and whether he was still in danger, but his spirit friend was strangely evasive. He told Bert that they should head east until they found a particular ruin. Now, in the quiet of evening, they had finally reached their destination.