Spellcaster series #4: The Virtuoso

Counting Blessings

JESSIE

I glanced at the caller ID before answering it.

"Tristan? Where are you? You left halfway—"

A panicky, high-pitched voice interrupted me on the other line. "Mr Jessie? This is Mr Lee, the florist."

I frowned. "Mr Lee? Why are you calling from Sir Tristan's phone?"

"He's hurt bad, Mr Jessie! I think—I think he's dying! You need to come quick!"

I got Wynona's attention. Her violet eyes glowed for a second. "Where are you?"

~

Wynona and I teleported to the record store where the frantic elderly florist sat by Tristan's side, holding his hand. Tristan was paler than usual but still conscious. His blood was stained all over his maroon vest where his wound was.

"He—he got stabbed by a sickle," Mr Lee said as I examined his wound. "He has been drifting in and out of consciousness."

I hovered my hands over his wounds. I summoned my energy from my Sage's sapphire and projected onto him.

"H-Heidi," Tristan whispered with much struggle.

"We need to save you first," Wynona said, pulling out the first-aid-kit from the shelf and placed a few pieces of gauze to apply pressure on his wound. He groaned.

"The paramedics are on their way," Mr Lee informed.

"There is no time." I lifted Tristan in my arms, "his aura is almost faded. We need to get to the hospital now."

I teleported everyone to Orchid Memorial Hospital with Tristan who had gone completely unconscious. We burst into the Emergency Room, my voice loud and desperate as I called for a doctor. I could feel Tristan's aura slipping from under me. He had lost so much blood.

"Doctor! I need help!"

A brown-haired doctor emerged from one of the trauma rooms and strode towards me, grey eyes on Tristan. Without hesitation, he called for his team and they placed him on a stretcher,

"Trauma Room A, stat!" The doctor cried over the noise of the ER. He turned to Wynona and I who were following them. "We'll need you to stay put."

"You have to save him, doctor, we can't afford to lose a Sage—"

"Jessie, let's go, let them do their work." Wynona tugged my arm.

She towed me away and I stood by to watch them from the window. Mr Lee clasped his fists together, worried eyes blinking behind rimless spectacles.

"Where is he?" Vicky walked into the ER, her voice thick with concern.

Wynona nodded to the Trauma Room, "They're working on him right now."

Vicky patted my shoulder. There was a voice that echoed in my head repeatedly. It was the sound of my own voice reminding me of the promise I made to Tristan's grandfather; I'll watch out for him in your stead, sir.

"Mr Lee," Wynona turned to the old man, "walk through us what happened."

I did not turn away from the window that looked into the Trauma Room. I watched the doctors crowd around Tristan while the three conversed. I listened in.

"I was in my shop and suddenly I heard a ruckus a few doors down. I knew it was coming from the record store where Miss Heidi was since I ran into her earlier that night. She was acting a bit strange; like she was running away from someone."