Hunter

Chapter 42

    The next day was about the same. Sadly... The plan we were to build was floundering. Sophie would not come that day. She felt Gaspard was suspecting something. I thought he was simply jealous. Then, Bob knocked to the door to tell me the gnome had escaped.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I asked.

"You... You knew already?"

"Sophie came by to tell me."

"Ok... Put your coat on."

I did not really feel like leaving my son alone, nor to stop training. I could not stop training. I had followed Sophie's advice and tried to cast spell without saying the formula, but until now... I was still unable to.

"Non, I can't come today. Sorry."

"Gustave! You must locate this gnome, or he might report information about the agency to the wizard!"

"I'm sorry, but the answer is no."

"Gustave!"

"Tomorrow."

I closed the door in Bob's face. He stayed a long minute on the threshold, stunned. I trotted back upstairs, where Arthur was quietly waiting, seated at the desk.

"Who was it?" he asked.

"Work."

"Why aren't you going?"

"I need to keep training. I'll go tomorrow."

I stood in front of a vase for the umpteenth time and started to stare at it again, mentally casting the spell. But nothing happened. Arthur sat up and his eyes began to go back and forth between me and the vase.

"Are you trying right now?"

I grumbled and rolled my eyes.

"Of course I am!"

Through staring at this object without it breaking, I came to doubt the spell itself.

"Diruam!"

Boom! The vase exploded in a thousand pieces. The problem was indeed me, not the spell.

"I can't believe you never told me about this."

"This, what?"

"Magic."

I crossed the room and grabbed a sheet of paper. I had to try another spell or I would go crazy.

"What would have been the point?" I asked Arthur.

He did not say anything and sat back in his chair, from where he stared at me in silence for a while. I tried again and again, but nothing happened. I rubbed my face with both hands.

"No, I can't."

"Try to use your hands. You're using them when you say the spell out loud.

I obeyed.

Ignire.

I puncutated the spell with a gesture of the hand. I had cast the spell, but once more, nothing happened, except for the sensation my brain got whipped, followed by a terrible headache.

"That's it, it pisses me off!"

There was nothing to do. It did not work and it never would.

        Lying on my back in my bed, my arms crossed under my head, as I was waiting for sleep to carry me away, I watched the ceiling. As years had gone by, it had worn a bit, as everything does with time. I dove in my memories, there was nothing else to do. I missed my daughter and her cheerfulness. She was the only one who was not suffering in this house. Nothing surprising there. She was only four. She had not suffered from the death of her mother whom had died giving birth to her. She had never asked question about her. Except once: "why don't I have a mom?" Had she asked one day. I had then answered she had one, only she would never meet her because she was dead. That was not original, it was harsh, but it was the truth. Since, she had never spoken of it again.

"I'm sorry."

Breaking my stream of thoughts, Arthur had come into my room. He stood in the door frame and looked at me. I leaned up on my elbows to see him better.

"Why do you say that?"

"If you had not adopted me, all of this would never have happened."

A sad smile stretched on my lips.

"If I hadn't, you'd be dead and I would never have had a son."

It was his turn to have a sad smile.

"It doesn't change anything." he said.

"On the contrary."

The silence of the night took away what was left unsaid.

"When are you leaving tomorrow?"

"With the way I treated Bob... Early!"

This time a real smile enlightened his face and a silent laugh shook his shoulders.

"Bonne nuit, then."

"Bonne nuit." I repeated.

He turned back but stopped again and slightly looked over his shoulder.

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too."

He disappeared in the hallway. Little time after his visit, my eyes closed and sleep carried me far away. To a far away country  where I would have gladly stayed.