The Necromancer: The Reluctant Apprentice

by Rani Clark

  “Jaska?”

  “Huh?” he looked at his companion.

  “I asked what kind of food you want. Since you’re living here now.”

  “Oh, um, I don’t really have a preference. I don’t drink milk though; my stomach is sensitive to it.”

  “Fair enough. Anything else?”

  “No.” He didn’t care what he was eating at the moment. He wasn’t comfortable here yet and didn’t want to intrude on anything. “Well . . . I would like some chocolate or something.”

  “You’ll love the chocolate here. It’s delicious.”

  The place they headed to was an outdoor market. Jaska helped Leif pick out vegetables, bread, and other items he didn’t pay much attention to. The last shop they went to was a sweets shop. It had all sorts of candy that Jaska had never seen or heard of before. Leif began to browse, picking out some things before chatting up the young woman behind the counter. Jaska picked a chocolate bar off of the shelf along with some kind of lollypop and a bag of sour lemon candies. Leif paid for it, the woman put everything into a bag and gave Leif a sweet smile.

  “Thank you,” Jaska said quietly as he bit into the chocolate. The sweet taste comforted him so far away from his old home.

  “No problem.”

  Leif showed him how to get back home from there so that when Jaska wanted to venture out by himself he didn’t get lost. “What do you do all day?” he asked as he helped put away the groceries.

  “I clean, I cook, I read. I go out and all that. I like to go to the opera. It gives me a chance to talk to people.”

  “The opera?”

  “Yeah, it’s the thing to do here.” He pulled himself to sit on the counter, “Vladimir doesn’t really like the opera. He doesn’t like to go anywhere where he has to talk to people.”

  “My mom threatened him. I don’t know what she said.”

  “I bet he loved that.”

  “He didn’t complain about it. My sister yelled at him.”

  “You have a lot of people that care about you,” Leif said with a smile.

  “Yeah, I guess I do.” He smiled at the thought. Everyone in his life loved him enough to threaten the person taking him away. “Do you ever want to go back to Germany?”

  “No,” he immediately replied. “I don’t have anything back there. Besides, Vladimir took care of me and tried to teach me necromancy despite how horrible I am at it. He’s like a father to me and I don’t think I could ever leave.”

  Jaska turned his head, “Since I’m his apprentice what will he have me do first?”

  “Probably reading some books. That’s what he had me do before I started flunking at it.”

  “What about talking to the dead?”

  “They hated me. A lot.”

  He had never thought about dead people hating anything, but apparently Leif was on their list. Jaska stiffened as he heard Mr. Ragnar coming into the kitchen. He saw the man, Leif didn’t seem to care he was there.

  “I have some books I want you to start reading.”

  “Ha! Told you,” Leif said as he leapt from the counter. “They’re boring.”

  “Thank you, Leif.”

  “No problem, Vlad.”

  He shook his head with a small smile and set two books on the counter, “Start reading them. You can do it before you go to bed.” Mr. Ragnar turned, “I’ll be working all night. Call me for dinner.”

  “You got it.” Leif headed into the living room, “Want to play chess? Or I can leave you alone.”

  “Chess would be good. I don’t want to think about things . . . alone.”

  “Ok.”

  Alone meant crying. He knew he would start to cry if he thought about his situation. They played chess and he got to know the person he would be living with. Leif was friendly and tried to make him feel good about his situation even though he resented it. Dinner was weird. Leif and Mr. Ragnar talked and discussed things. They tried to include Jaska, but he didn’t contribute much and eventually they let him eat in silence. He retired with a goodnight and took his necromancy books upstairs. He didn’t open them before he flopped onto the bed and fell into an exhausted sleep.

  8

  Having Jaska gone was strange. Everyone woke up to find his bags gone and he had left with them. Ty wasn’t sure what to do or say when he sat at the table with a family that wasn’t his. He kept getting the feeling he shouldn’t be there. Margo stared at him as he moved his food around his plate. He supposed that the vacation was over. After all, these weren’t his grandparents or his mother though he wished they were.

  “How am I going to tell Evan? He’s going to be pissed.”

  “Why do you still let him near the kids?” Byron asked. “After what he did, he deserves prison.”

  “Dad, one day a month is all he gets. Please, can we not talk about this now?”

  “Sorry.” He cleared his throat, “I think we’re all a bit stressed. Jaska will be alright. He’s a strong boy and I really think you scared Mr. Ragnar.”

  Lilly Ann sighed, “I hope I did. If he harms him in any way I-”

  Ty burst into tears. He couldn’t take listening to this anymore. He stood from the table and ran outside. Jaska was gone and the last thing he had done was something he had been told not to do. How could he have done that? He heard the door open behind him as he stood on the porch trying to control himself.

  “Sweetheart, are you ok?” Lilly Ann asked in a gentle voice.

  “Not really. Ms. Byrne, I did something bad.”

  “You can talk to me about it.”

  He turned to look at a woman he had always wished was his mother. She was such a caring and devoted person. She had defended him when he was sure he was destined to live in a violent, repressed household until he went to college. “It-it was stupid. He told me not to do something and I did it anyway. I . . .” He wiped his eyes, “I’m sorry.”

  “You kissed him again?”

  Ty froze. How did she know about that? His hands started to shake, “How-how do you know about that?”

  “After your father came and yelled at me Jaska told me what happened. You don’t need to be so sorry. He understands. He told me he did.” Lilly Ann took him in her arms, “Oh honey. It’ll be alright.”

  Ty hugged her back, tears brimming in his eyes, “Thank you. I wish you were my mom.”

  Lilly Ann patted his back, “Your parents are doing the best they can. I’m not excusing what your father did, but I know they love you.”

  Ty wiped his eyes as she let go, “Yeah right. My dad screamed at me for an hour after Jaska came over and hugged me. One hug and my dad was ready to rip his head off. He shoved him into the ground. Jaska didn’t want me to tell you, but I guess it doesn’t matter now.”

  Lilly Ann stared at him, “He hit Jaska?”

  “I’m sorry. He told me not to say anything.” He sniffled, “I hate my dad. Jaska said his dad was just as bad.”

  “He is.” Lilly Ann looked out at the forest, “Your parents called me after you left.”

  “What did they say?”

  “They’re getting a divorce, but you probably knew that already. As of now your dad is lucky I don’t slap him with a lawsuit for what he did to Jaska. Anyway, your mother thinks it’s a good idea if you stay with me for a while.”

  Ty stared at her, “Why?”

  “I don’t know. Don’t take it as bad, they might not want you to hear them fighting.”

  “They scream at each other a lot. I don’t think it’s that.” He smiled sadly, “I should be happy, right? I hate it there. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

  “I want to. Your Jaska’s only friend and I happen to like you. I hope you don’t mind staying now that . . . now that he’s gone for a bit.”

  “It’s alright.”

  “Good. Margo likes you too, but I think she has a crush on you.”

  “She’s a bit off the mark,” he muttered, trying to make light of what had been tearing him up inside.
“I’m gay.” It was a relief to say it. He admitted it to himself, but this was the first person he had said the words to.

  Lilly Ann smiled, “Thank you for telling me, honey. I’m proud of you.”

  Ty took in a deep breath, “My dad is going to kill me. He’s going to hit me and scream at me when I say that to him.”

  “Not if he wants to keep breathing,” she winked. “Come inside and finish breakfast. We can take a walk afterwards, maybe get some ice cream.”

  “I think I’m going to take a walk by myself. I’ll be back.”

  “Alright. Be careful.”

  Ty nodded and left the house, thinking about what he had just admitted. He felt better. He wasn’t feeling as tight in his chest and he didn’t have a headache. Jaska knew he was gay, but he hadn’t said those exact words out loud. Lilly Ann didn’t have to be proud of him, she didn’t have to let him stay with her, but she was. She was being someone he needed and he had never thought it would turn out like that. Meeting her the first time hadn’t been like it was with his other friend’s parents. She treated him like her own and was defending him as if he was her son. He still didn’t understand why, no matter what she said about it.

  This town didn’t look like it had before. It wasn’t a new, fun, magical place. It was a depressing town filled with monsters. One of them was getting breakfast from a food stand. Mr. Kircher looked up from his breakfast gyro, raising his eyebrows through his sunglasses when he spotted him.

  “Hey. Ty right?” he said with a smile as he walked up to him. “Pleasure to see you again.”

  “Hello, Mr. Kircher.”

  The man sipped his iced coffee. “Jaska left with Mr. Ragnar this morning. They stopped by my shop. Woke me up out of a sound sleep.” He shrugged, “Vladimir didn’t seem too happy about it.”

  Ty shook his head, “I don’t think either of them were.” He ran his fingers through his hair, “How is your morning going?”

  “Fine. Thought I would take a little break from my clocks.”

  Ty noticed him eyeing a group of junior high kids walking by. He shifted uncomfortably. “How long have you been working there?”

  “I’ve owned that shop for ten years.”

  “Ten-ten years? How have you gotten away with the things you do?”

  “I don’t do them. At least, not to local kids. Well, not like I used to back home. It’s been difficult.”

  Ty shuddered at the implication, shifting uncomfortably because he didn’t know what to say.

  “You asked. Anyway, I’ve got a few kids who aren’t going to breathe a word about what I did to them. I paid them off and I use strong drugs. Stronger than the ones I was using back home. I won’t make that mistake twice,” he chuckled as if he had told an exceptionally funny joke.

  Ty frowned, “I’m going to get going. Have a pleasant day, Mr. Kircher.”

  “Hang on, kid.” He walked beside him, “I could do with some company. Do you like clocks?”

  “I guess. I like cuckoo clocks. We went into your shop the first day we were here.” He found himself wanting to talk to the man, despite the kind of person he actually was. “Jaska likes clocks too.”

  “Kids are fascinated by clocks. It isn’t the reason I got into them, but it certainly helps.”

  “Please stop talking about that.”

  “Sorry, sorry.” Mr. Kircher bit into his gyro, “Want to help me out with my work today?”

  There was little else to do. Hanging around such a dangerous man seemed dumb when he actually thought about it, but he followed him anyway. He walked with Mr. Kircher back to his shop and followed him inside. The workshop was much the same as it had been yesterday only there were a few new clocks. Ty sat on one of the chairs as Mr. Kircher took the stool. “Is Mr. Ragnar nice?”

  “I guess. I mean, he isn’t nice to me obviously. He won’t hurt your friend, he isn’t a monster. Well, not like me anyway.” He began to work on a broken cuckoo clock, “Mind telling me why you’re here?”

  “What?”

  “You don’t like me. I’m not an idiot. No one likes me. I’m a creep and I’m upfront with my desires.” He set the screwdriver down and picked up a smaller one, “What in the hell are you doing here?”

  Ty shook his head, “I don’t know.” He put his head in his hands, “I miss Jaska.”

  “It isn’t like he’s dead, you’ll be able to visit him soon.”

  “That isn’t much of a conciliation.”

  “Well I tried. After I finish this one, we can go to bed if you want.”

  Ty’s mouth dropped open, “What in the hell is wrong with you?”

  Mr. Kircher shrugged. He stood and walked to a shelf filled with tools, “I assumed that was why you were here.”

  “Why would I want to do anything with you? Gross.”

  “Jesus, just trying to make you feel better. You don’t have to be such a dick about it.” He sat back down on the stool.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound was the sound of the tools. He leaned back, “Why-why would you assume I wanted to do that with you?”

  Mr. Kircher shrugged, “Dunno. Just a thought that was floating around. Hell, I wouldn’t drug you. We could do it nice and slow. Be a bit romantic with it. I would kiss your neck lightly and run my hand down your side. What do you like? I could grip your thigh, touch the middle of your back?”

  Ty shook his head, trying to calm the beating of his heart. No one had ever spoken to him like this before and it was hard not to listen to it. “Stop it. I don’t want to do anything with you, you creep.”

  “Really? Because you’re a bit turned on. Aren’t you?”

  “No.”

  “Bullshit, you’re blushing.” He chuckled, “Do you know what I find is wonderful? Kissing your ear.”

  “Stop it or I’m leaving.”

  “Fine, fine.” He went back to fixing the clock.

  The image in his mind was making him uneasy. “Ice cream sounds good,” he said in an attempt to get the pictures out of his head.

  Mr. Kircher smirked, “Let me finish this clock and we can go.”

  “I . . . maybe I should go.”

  “Would you relax? You know, I can’t do anything to you anyway. Or rather, don’t dare to.” He kept his eyes on the clock as he spoke.

  “Why? Not that I want you to do anything to me. It was only a question.”

  “I’ll tell you something, but don’t mention it to anyone.” Mr. Kircher picked up the plyers next to him. “Vladimir has another apprentice. Cute little thing by the name of Leif. I loved when he came over. He thought I was nice. I gave him candy and soda, I let him eat as much cake as he wanted. He was thirteen when Vladimir left him with me. It was an emergency and he was called away. Needless to say, he regrets it. Leif doesn’t remember what I did to him, he knows what I am now. Mr. Ragnar shielded him from it.”

  Ty stared at him, “You hurt Mr. Ragnar’s apprentice?”

  “Yes. Not much, Vladimir walked in before I could do more than touch him.” Mr. Kircher turned around to face him, “You are perfectly safe with me. Vladimir nearly killed me. He broke my arm, busted a few ribs. My left eye was swollen shut and I couldn’t walk for a week. I don’t want to go through that again so touch you I shall not be doing.”

  Ty didn’t find it hard to believe. He didn’t know Mr. Ragnar very well, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t take it too kindly if someone hurt a person he cared about. “Ok. I’ll get ice cream with you.”

  “Good.”

  He looked at the clocks Mr. Kircher was working on. An hour passed and then two and he found himself still there. Without warning Mr. Kircher stood and handed him a notebook and a pen.

  “What-?”

  “Mind giving me your number? I can call you if I hear anything about Jaska.”

  Ty stared at him as he went back to his work. Giving his number to a pedophile was something that he had never once thought about. His hand shook for a moment before he put the pen to pape
r and quickly wrote down his cell phone number before he could overthink it. He set the notebook back on the table and continued to wait for Mr. Kircher to finish with his clock.

  After another twenty minutes, Mr. Kircher stood with a smile, “Let’s go and get that ice cream.”

  It was nearly two o’clock. Lilly Ann would be worried when he came back, but he had explained that he was going for a walk. They needed family time anyway. “What will Mr. Ragnar make Jaska do?”