The Lily appeared next to Dawn in a blaze of white light. He looked down at her, before she coughed and spluttered back to life. Everyone gave a huge sigh of relief.
“You gave us quite a scare,” said the Lily. “Do you think your up to showing me the last thing you ate or drank?” Dawn sat back up at the table, cheeks pale, her eyes wide and wattery with shock and embarrassment.
“Of course Sir, it was this…” she pointed to the bowl of jam tart. “It was Avis’s…” faces turned towards me. The Lily raised a hand at the pudding and without a word, it burned in a blaze of white light.
***
I couldn't sleep. Snores rang around the room, a backdrop for the wailing winds and rain outside that were battering the window with almighty intent. As I lay, my thoughts slid to Tina — I missed her very much. A tight knot of regret tightened in my stomach. I turned over in bed, clearing my mind. The clock above the fireplace said it was almost three o’clock! I’d been lying here, trying for sleep for nearly five hours. I sighed and watched the fire embers burning, listening to the hammering rain against the glass.
I don't know what I was dreaming about, but at some point a white hot burning sensation began rising up my legs. Then a loud roaring sound, shouting and choking smoke.
“AVIS! AVIS!” — I woke and saw immediately why everyone was shouting at me.
My bed was on fire!
“AVIS, GET OUT OF BED!” they cried at me. For a moment I thought I was still dreaming. Orange flames plumed from every angle of my bed covers as smoke billowed into the air. Suddenly I felt the pain on my legs. Extreme heat burning them to cinders! Screaming with pain I jumped from the covers — or, I tried to — my legs were caught on something. I clawed at the carpet trying to pull myself free. But, what felt like… cold hands had hold of my ankles!
“AVIS! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!” Robin cried, jumping down from his bed and coming as close as he could.
“I CAN’T GET FREE!” I yelled waving my arms out at him. “PULL ME! SOMETHINGS GOT MY LEGS!” I couldn't get free of the impenetrable hold around my ankles. I kicked and writhed, but the hold was impossibly tight. Jake and Graham jumped up and began chanting something. Suddenly, freezing cold water came pouring all over me.
“AHHHH!” I cried. Followed by everyone else in the room. The fire was doused. Steam rose up from my bed as the sounds of the fire died. My legs now free, I pulled them out of the covers and stood soaking wet, with a bed that resembling a lump of charcoal. I stood shaking.
“You all right mate?” said Robin, passing me a towel. I didn't say anything, I couldn't.
“I’m soaking wet!” Simon complained, standing up out of his bed now too.
Jake turned on him. “Oh poor you! Sorry we panicked and got everyone in the room wet, but we ‘ad to save his life!”
“Something is wrong,” said Hunter who stood shaking by the door. “Too many accidents… I think…. I think someone is trying to kill you Avis.”
They all looked round at me as if I were a condemned man. “Its kind of undeniable now,” said Dennis softly.
Footsteps appeared outside the door before Magisteers Partington and Yearlove appeared. “Impkus the ghost told us there was a situation in your room? Goodness me whatever has happened?” said Partington staring at my bed and coming further into the room. “Ga— I mean, Magisteer Yearlove I think you should come in.”
Yearlove did, holding a gas light aloft looking tired. “What happened here?” he said frowning around at the destruction.
“Avis’s bed caught fire Sir,” said Jake. “We did a water spell to put it out.”
“Good boys, well done,” said Partington who turned to look at the bed running his finger across the black charred sheets and sniffing. After a muted conversation with Yearlove, Partington turned back to us. “Well, you can’t sleep in here tonight, better get you all off to the Healer’s room. Looks like Avis could do with some ointment for his legs anyhow…” he said with a worried look at my red legs. They hurt.
Yearlove was staring at the fire with a fixed expression. “Must have been a stray ember,” he mused. “I will deal with the mess in here. By tomorrow, it should be back to normal.”
No one slept in the Healer’s room. Ghost guards were placed at the entrance, their blue light shone under the doors just visible through the dull green light of the sun Jade. “So that’s three accidents in a week!” cried Hunter. “This is getting out of control!”
“I know,” cried Graham. “I didn't think so before, but its like Jake said, it’s undeniable!”
“But why would anyone want to hurt Avis?” said Dennis, who was being completely serious.
Robin, in the bed next to me sniggered quietly to himself, then said: “Yeah Avis, I can’t think of any reason whatsoever that someone would want to try and kill you,” then under his breath so only I could hear he added. “Except the most evil Sorcerer of all time.”
“Whoever it is,” said Jake. “When we find out, we will go after them and give ‘em a taste of their own medicine!”
“Yeah!” they all chorused.
It was starting to worry me, something was definitely after me. They could have all been accidents — the falling hubris, the killer flower, the cursed pudding and the fire but that was too much of a coincidence. But who, or what was after me?
I sat up as the wonderful, graceful Healer approached with a bowl of flowery smelling burn cream. “Quiet down all of you,” she said sweetly as she swept through the room. Green rays had already attached to me and my burnt legs which began to pulse harder as the cream was applied. Hunter and the other boys were grinning broadly as the Healer began applying the cream up and down my legs. I ignored them.
“I think my legs are burnt too,” said Hunter.
“And mine!” Graham said with a fake pained expression.
The Healer smiled and finished applying the cream. “What you all need is sleep. I want you to all lay back in your beds…” every single one of us did what she said. She spoke in such a soft peaceful voice, it made my brain tickle. “Now let Jade’s green rays fall over you as you descend into a long, blissful sleep…”
Zzzzz…
Yearlove cleaned our dorm room completely. No sign of any accident was visible. It was dry, smelt lovely and even had a fire guard in front of the fireplace — which Robin poked, amused. “That’s not gonna stop a curse is it?” he muttered. Two ghosts were allocated outside our room — Partington was worried, and walked around with a pained expression as if he couldn't tell why on earth someone would try and hurt his form. He kept popping into our room unannounced every couple of hours.
“Hello boys, just checking your all ok,” he’d say before disappearing again. His gaze lingering a little longer in my direction. Perhaps he felt like he owed me after I saved his only remaining family last year?
“There’s quite a few options…” said Robin to himself staring at the unlit fire with a blanket around him. No one had dared light it again, even though Simon complained of the cold. Jake slapped him when he tried to throw a log on and light it.
They had all gone down to dinner now (it was warm down there), I stayed sitting on the sofa opposite Robin. The rain continued to batter the windows and the wind wailed, causing the chimney to whistle. I was too tired to go down to dinner anyway. “I mean, it could be any number of people…” Robin muttered again.
“What are you talking about?” I said, rubbing my eyes and trying not to pay attention to the massive pile of homework laid out on the table in front of me.
“The person who tried to kill you Avis? You should pay more attention, whoever it is, they’re still out there…” he pointed out the window.
“I know,” I said, slightly annoyed that he thought I didn't care. “I am thinking about it, how can I not? I nearly lost both my legs last night.”
“It has to be him doesn't it? Malakai?” Robin whispered.
“Not necessarily, I mean think about it. I did him some damage…�
�
“But he’s had time to recover, it said so in the Herrald, that he was back!”
I scoffed. “I wouldn't believe everything you read in the paper mate!” I said. “I mean think of all the protection that’s come into the school specifically to watch out for Malakai coming back, with his reduced powers too.”
Robin shrugged. “Who else hates you enough to try and kill you?”
I had a few idea’s already. I was running them through my mind and becoming more and more paranoid as the days went by.
The Happerbats? No, why would they try and kill me just because we beat them at Riptide? They didn't seem to hate us, some of them had even shook my hand in the corridors after the game to congratulate me. It must be someone who was immune to my magical jumper.
Jasper? He hated me. But why try and kill me? It made no sense. But what about…
“What?” said Robin looking tepidly at my open-mouthed face.
“It could be Harold?” I said. “My brother. I mean… he starts at the school right after everything that happened at home and… well, he’s a master of disguise and cunning. What if my parents want me dead? What if they know it was me that defeated their beloved Malakai?” I stood up, it all made sense in my brain. “Yeah that would make sense, and that stuff in the paper about him returning… pah! Load of rubbish. That was my parents! I just know it was. They dressed up as him and attacked places all at once so it looked like he was really back.”
“Avis,” said Robin sounding apologetic. “I know your parents might not like you, but I don't think they would try and kill you. Anyway, if your parents really wanted to kill you, I think they would have done already, don't you?”
His words pierced through my thoughts, popping them like a balloon. I sat back down. “Who then?”
***
It didn’t take long until there was progress. On a Wednesday afternoon during free period, our form was sitting in the Chamber. The rain was still lashing down outside, it hadn't stopped for weeks.
Jake and Gret were playing chess, while Ellen and Joanna had their noses in a book. Jess and Florence were comparing the new make-up they’d got from the catalogue section in the back of the Herrald. Dawn, who’s appetite had not been interrupted by the choking incident was eating three different kinds of cake whilst writing her AstroMagic essay on: the holes in the electromagnetic Earth beams (and getting crumbs all over it). I was staring absentmindedly at the essay for Yearlove on charming flowers while Robin was scratching away next to me like a charged entity. The Chamber was packed, because it was raining outside the atmosphere lent itself to bored, cooped up individuals with tendencies towards shouting or running around to burn off the excess energy — until they were told off by one of the equally grumpy Magisteers.
“Hi Avis,” said a quiet voice behind me. David Starlight stood awkwardly on his own. “Just wondering if I could talk to you quickly?”
Robin peeled himself away from his homework, when he saw David he growled like a dog. “What’s he doing here?” he muttered.
David pulled up a chair and bent over his hands as if he was about to tell me awful news. “Me and some of the Eagles were in detention earlier, cleaning outside the staff room. I overheard them talking about you.”
“Me?” I said. “What did they say?” Robin stopped scribbling and turned in his seat to face David, a sceptical look on his face.
“They were talking about the accidents, except some of the Magisteers seem to think that they are not accidents at all. I think…” David leaned in a lot closer. “They think someone is trying to kill you,” he said gravely, a look of absolute terror emblazoned across his face.
“Is that it?” said Robin, rolling his eyes. “That’s what you came to tell us?”
“I just thought…” David looked deeply hurt as tears formed in his eyes. “If I told you, then maybe you would like me.” With his lip wobbling, David stood and marched quickly out of the Chamber.
Robin raised his eyebrows at me. “That jumpers gonna get you in trouble.”
“You didn’t have to be quite so harsh,” I said.
“What? He didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know.” It was at that moment that Hunter entered the Chamber with a towel round his head, sitting between me and Robin, before grabbing a slice of carrot cake and munching.
“Guess where I’ve been?” he said.
“Detention?” said Robin without looking up.
Hunter gulped. “Yup.”
“There’s a surprise,” I said chuckling.
Hunter smiled and put his cake down. “I think I know who it was. Who set the ‘accidents’ on you…” he said in a hushed tone. “I worked it out earlier.”
Robin slammed his pen down and looked up. “Go on…”
“We were cleaning the annex near the staff room, they didn’t hear us and in the little bit I was cleaning I could see right through into the staff room. Well, after they were talking about them not being accidents, they started speaking about how much they hate the Occulus’s!”
“Right…” said Robin putting his pen down. “But how does this mean you know who it was?”
“Because, I saw Magisteer Simone… smiling when they were talking about it — she was sitting there and smiling when they said you were nearly crushed by a hubris statue and she nearly laughed when they mentioned the flower.”
“Oh rubbish Hunter!” said Ellen, who, next to Robin was secretly listening. “Magisteer Simone is a teacher at this school, her job is to look after the pupils, not kill them!” But her argument had fallen on deaf ears. I for one could see where Hunter was coming from. My mind whizzed back to the very first accident, when we were building the Riptide stadium, a huge rafter came swinging towards me with magic — and I got the blame for it!
“It’s worth looking into,” said Robin to Ellen’s absolute annoyance. She huffed and dived back into the pages of her book.
Hunter smiled. “And I’ve got a plan…” he whispered.
***
“It feels strange, us sneaking around together. Remember the last time? I almost died,” Hunter said stumbling along.
“Yes, don’t remind us,” I said peering through the darkness at the corridors ahead. “Right, stop here.” I held my hands over both of their heads and whispered. “Avertere,” they both shivered as the gloopy cold spell dribbled down their spine. I repeated the same on myself, now at least we would only be partially visible.
“There’s one up there,” said Robin pointing at a far off Occulus. “I’ll take it out.” He stepped forwards keeping his back to the wall and aimed his hand very carefully at the Occulus.
“Wow,” said Hunter greedily. “How did you do that? That would be so useful for me.”
“Come on, her late night class is down here…” said Robin. Sure enough, in her classroom at the very end of the corridor we could hear thuds and shouts.
“A class, at this time of night?” I said.
Robin grimaced. “It’s the seventh years, they have late night classes.”
As we got closer, the barks of command and thuds got louder and louder. Quite obviously the attendance of this class were being worked extortionately hard. We waited in the shadows, before the door opened and lots of sweaty, panting seventh years came puffing their way out and away up the opposite corridor.
“Quickly,” said Hunter spotting Magisteer Simone marching off down the adjacent corridor. “After her!”
“No, hang back…” said Robin. “We need to follow from a distance.”
We did. Tip toeing slowly, we pushed past the exhausted seventh years and followed Simone. All the Magisteers in the school had their own living quarters somewhere, but they were usually kept secret, so unruly students couldn't find and trash them. Probably. We did our best to keep well back so she didn't notice us following and finally, we saw her walk directly through a tall, green drape.
“What now?” I said, moving into the shadow of an alcove, this corridor was big and lined
with tall dusty statues. Tall windows on the right let in the dull light from a rainy night sky.
Robin checked his watch. “Come back tomorrow when she’s not in?”
“Pfft! No way!” said Hunter. “Let’s search her place now. We need to find a clue that she is the one causing these accidents!”
“Are you mad?” I said. “She’s in their right now!”
“No she isn't look…”
I turned slowly, half expecting her to be bearing over us, but from behind a statue I peeked over and saw her walking down the opposite corridor with a towel and wash bag. “She’s actually gone for a wash, her first this year!” said Hunter laughing. “Come on!” he marched forward.
“Hunter no!” I said.
“It’s all right, he won’t get through the drape anyway,” said Robin. “Oh…” the smile wiped from his face as Hunter walked clean through the drape and into Magisteer Simone’s living quarters.
I glanced at Robin, we both knew that if we were caught now, the least of our problems would be an expulsion but we couldn’t just leave Hunter. We tiptoed forwards and through the drape together. Now we stood in a small passageway, the end opened out into a comfy living area and Hunter was already poking around. Light from the fire and a few brackets around the high stone walls illuminated the tidy, ordered room. A leather chair and foot stall faced a television in the middle of the room. Hanging drapes, with feats of accomplishment hung all around the room.
Women’s Riptide League Champion — three medals.
Women’s Riptide Cup Champion — one medal.
Women’s Olympic Witch Heptathlon Event Runner-up — three silver medals.
Avis Blackthorn and the Magical Multicolour Jumper (The Wizard Magic School Series, Book 2) Page 21
