Wizard for Hire
Chapter Twenty-Six — The Real Ring

Two weeks later…

It’s safe to say that my emotions at that time were beyond anything I had ever experienced. The wizard, I realised, must have had a greater effect on me than I had anticipated. Arriving at the house I was a scared, anxious and lonely individual who felt powerless to change my circumstances. Since meeting the wizard, I had raised a demon, been accused of terrorism, and almost had an active role in blowing up St. Paul’s Cathedral. But more-so, I felt like myself again. All notion of Ginny, my ex-girlfriend, had faded from my mind, replaced by the wizard and his adventures.

As I saw his body being taken away by the wizard healers, I felt my life with him drop away—like the most fantastic dream, it had come to premature end. Now, somehow, I had to return to a normal life.

Felix’s body was raised into the air, silvery blanket atop him, and held between the two wizarding healers. At once, they clapped their hands together and all three disappeared with a loud crack!

A tear fell from my eye. Sharon hugged me tighter. Felix was gone.

Harper touched a finger to his ear and patted me on the shoulder. “Just to let you know, we’ve caught him. Edward Rappaport has been captured.”

Three days later, I was sat in the kitchen sullen and dazed. An irritability and prickly nature had enveloped me. People tried to talk to me, comfort me and offer words of encouragement, but I did not want them. They were useless. I was useless. Ms McCall made me cups of tea, they sat cold and undrank. Sharon came round and sat with me, in silence. I didn’t say anything to her, for I was afraid that what would come out would be horrible and upsetting. I felt like blaming everyone. Including myself.

The actions and events over the last few weeks replayed over and over in my mind. I imagined it happening in different ways. The things I could have done differently, especially at the end. I could have done something. I should have done something. But what?

Thoughts kept cropping up in my head like who was organising the funeral? Did Zoey even know? Would it be a wizarding funeral? Would I be invited?

But then…

The miraculous happened.

Something that would change everything.

There was a loud, sharp knock at the door which shook me from my slumber, Ms McCall let someone in who asked for me. She seemed quite taken aback as she reentered the kitchen as in behind her walked a man in a long white cloak, a big bushy white beard and a cloud of white hair. As much a wizard in looks as ever I saw one.

“Arthur?” I said standing sharply. “What are yo—”

He held out a hand. “Please don’t stand on my account. In fact, it may be best you sit.” He smiled, he had a regal personality that brought calm and serenity wherever he stood. Sharon, Ms McCall and I stared up at the majestic man as he took his time to tell.

“Felix is alive.”

I nearly fell off the chair. “W-what?” I stammered.

“The wizarding healers did a fantastic job,” he said. “It was touch and go for a while. However, we suspect that something must have broken Felix’s fall.”

“Broke his fall?” said Sharon in amazement.

Arthur clarified. “Yes. Anyone to fall from that height should be dead. He also had a pendant on that restricted him from any magic. So it could not have been his own magic.”

“What then?” I said.

Arthur looked sheepish for a moment. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Let’s just call it a… happy accident.”

Ms McCall had a hand to her mouth. “I can’t believe it,” she said.

Arthur squeezed her shoulder. “He has been moved to St. Thomas’ Hospital, would you like me to take you all there?” he grinned.

“Yes!” Sharon cried.

“No,” I said, they all looked at me. “I want to go by taxi. No magic.”

Arthur bowed his head softly, understanding.

Felix had his own room and for the first few days, remained asleep. He looked so human laying in bed, in a hospital gown. He was visited on the hour every hour by a lovely nurse called Sarah who kept smiling at me. And irregular quick visits from a mousy looking doctor, called Dr. Martin who had thick milk bottle glasses.

On the third day, a wizarding doctor arrived. She was dressed in a long brown overcoat, which she slung on a nearby chair as she waltzed in, proceeding to pull down the blinds, take out her wand and run it up and down Felix’s body before saying anything to us.

Sharon and I sat idly, watching, before she turned to us. “You the doctors?” she said.

“Er, no, friends.” I offered.

She nodded once, before flicking her wand lazily at the door. “Doctor will be through shortly.”

Sure enough, the mousy doctor appeared at the door, saying he felt a sudden urge to come and check on Felix. The wizarding doctor shut the door, locked it, sat Dr. Martin down and explained to him that Felix was a wizard. Dr. Martin swallowed and said he had already been told. She passed him two bottles from a leather pouch inside her coat and gave him instructions. She left shortly after, as poor Dr. Martin measured out three drops of each bottle of potion into Felix’s drip.

I can’t tell you the emotions that were coursing through me at him being alive. Though, what state he would be in when he woke would be anyone’s guess. It was just so good to have him be alive.

On the fourth day, he woke.

He was dazed and confused, dosed up with enough drugs to stun an elephant. But he seemed okay. Great in fact. Relief flooded through me and for the first time in a week I could relax. The first thing he said was: “I won.”

Soon enough, Felix was up to his old tricks. He made full use of being in hospital, having all his meals brought to him by lovely Sarah, who he told was beautiful every time she entered the room. And for some reason, she enjoyed these compliments greatly. Only Felix could get away with that, including making comments in jest about his bed bath with sly winks.

That night, when it was just Felix and I, he turned to me and said: “It’s all worked out pretty well hasn’t it?”

“I thought you were dead,” I whispered. “They put a blanket over you and everything.”

“That’s a healer blanket, to remove black magic,” he sniggered.

After two more weeks of running the doctors and nurses ragged, Felix was out and free to go. Although he was miffed about having to leave in a wheelchair.

“I’m a fucking wizard,” he cried. “I don’t need a wheelchair!” (And I’ve toned the language in that down considerably.)

He hugged Sarah goodbye, before making a big bunch of flowers appear out of thing air for her.

I was just about to ask for her number, then bottled it, which I was incredibly annoyed about.

“Nice to… meet you,” I said.

“You too,” she smiled radiantly. “See you around.”

“Yep.” I turned and pushed Felix away, who had his head in his hands. “Bottled it! He bloody bottled it!” he cried as I wheeled him away rather quickly. “Norton the bottler! Oh my god!”

“Who broke your fall?” said Sharon as we all sat around the kitchen table with tea and biscuits. The sun streamed in through the window, Harry sat on Felix’s lap occasionally licking his face, as Ms McCall poured more tea. “Arthur told us.” She added.

“My guess,” he said. “Is that it was Zagakowski.”

I nearly choked on my tea. “The demon?”

Felix nodded. “If I died, he wouldn’t get anymore blood would he? He would lose out. And demons are crazy about blood.”

“And the ring…” I said. “Are you going to tell us how you pulled that stunt?”

Felix smiled playfully. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, the fact that you somehow gave Edward a copy.”

“Oh that,” he smiled. “Well, truth is, Harry still hasn’t… excreted it. I just told you he had, to make it more convincing for when Edward might try and use you to get to me.”

“But you vanished off the rooftop,” said Sharon.

Felix shook his head. “Noop, simple diversion. Made myself temporarily invisible, it’s called the chameleon spell. I did that, so you thought I had disappeared. Make it more realistic when the time came.”

“Clever.”

“It was luck,” he corrected me. “I wish I could sit here and say it was all part of master plan. And if anyone asks, it was. But I am afraid it was pure improvised luck.”

“Oh well,” said McCall happily pouring more tea into our mugs. “I’m just happy you’re all home safe and sound, with your nice new friend,” she said pouring tea in Sharon’s mug. “And you’ve paid your rents and the damage.”

“Really?” I said looking at Felix. “I thought you were broke?”

“I was,” he said slurping. “That was until I was sent this…” he pulled out a brown envelope from his inside pocket. It was the envelope that Kriston had addressed to Felix containing £2000 in cash for finding out where the ring was. “Karen sent it to me, it’s no longer evidence seeing as I was cleared of all charges and suspicion.”

“Snap,” I said, pulling out my own wad of cash. It felt nice to hold money for once. This time, Felix looked curious and asked where I had got it. It was my turn to look smug.

Sharon smiled. “He had a load of Vitalie’s poker chips stuffed in his pockets,” she said pointing at me. “So I cashed them in for him. It was nearly £2000.”

“Just about covers the costs I’ve accrued this last month!” I chuckled.

“Well, everything worked out just fine didn’t it?” said Ms McCall. “I love a happy ending.”

“This isn’t a romance novel Ms McCall,” Felix quipped. “Anyway, even if the Creep has been captured, the ring of power preserved and money in my pocket and my police charges quashed, I still have a rather furious demon after my blood. That will be my next job.” He said rubbing his hands together.

Felix then held up his iPhone and opened the dictation app, before playing a file of Edward Rappaport speaking from Paternoster Square, before closing it.

“Karen, Bob and the Magic Council all have a copy of the recording I took.”

“You recorded the Creep?”

“Of course, he admitted to the whole lot didn’t he?” Felix said smiling. “These criminals usually do. They love to boast. That’s the only way I could have got out of all the accusations.”

“Clever,” I said almost involuntarily. But it was clever.

“And I nearly forgot,” Felix said, standing up with a flurry. His dressing gown nearly coming loose. He flashed his hands and two bunches of flowers appeared, bright and colourful before Ms McCall and Sharon. “For all the fuss I caused you.”

The two ladies cooed.

“And what about me?” I said. “I raised a demon for you. I broke you out of prison—”

Ms McCall clutched her christian cross necklace. “I’ll forget I just heard that!”

“Well Norton, will a fried breakfast at Sid’s Caf, followed by a few pints at the Sanctuary suffice?”

“Okay, but never,” I said with a stern finger pointed at Felix. “I repeat, never, fob me off with that cufflink trick again! Next time, give me something useful.”

“So…” said Felix with a sly grin. “There’s a next time is there?” His grin spread to me, I knew what he was getting at. “You don’t want me to… wipe your memory?”

I paused for a moment, letting him stew on the possibility of me wanting to return to my old life. “There’s a next time,” I said matching his grin.

“And what about this book you’re going to write about me?”

“Don’t push it.” I winked, before putting out my hand. “It’s good to have you back wizard.”

“It’s good to be back Will Norton.”

This is not the end…

While the happiness continued, a much darker situation was taking place. One that we would never have known about, but had we known, would have gone into hiding. Edward Rappaport, the Creep did have friends. Friends in high places indeed.

He was currently incarcerated by the Magic Council, in the most secure prison in the known magical lands. But that was no problem for Edward Rappaport’s friend. Unbeknownst to us, the order had been given—break the Creep out.

And there was only one person he was going to come after first. Maybe two.

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