Axel Light Trilogy: Wands and Shield

Chapter 15-B

Axel could finally use his wand after a few days. Initially he could grip at it, but his hand would be painful. Now, he could use his Ebony wand like he used to – he had just helped Elliot to retrieve an assignment from under an avalanche of books on Elliot's side of the desk.

'Thanks, Ax,' said Elliot, stuffing the papers into his bag, 'See you later.'

Elliot shouldered his bag, gave Axel a fist bump and left the room. Axel was all alone in the room again.

He was used to it, being alone. He would not mind eating alone in the canteen or jogging alone in the park. He used to play on his own when he was younger too, since he had no siblings.

But this hollow feeling was different.

His eyes rested on the photo that he had brought back from his old house. The only thing that he took from the house. He had cleaned the silver frame and it gleamed where it caught the sunlight.

He smiled wistfully at the never closing eyes in the photograph.

If only time could have stood still like in the photo.

The wound on his left palm would occasionally stung. It could get itchy sometimes too. Axel scratched at the bandages to sooth the itch. Robert said that it would take a week or two for the wound to heal and if it itched, it meant that the scars were closing.

Everyone told him that he was lucky that the explosion only hurt his hands. He was holding the box, it could had exploded at his face or his body. He even had his key stuck in the box and chained to his neck. One tiny piece from the box could cut his eyes or cause a lot of harm.

Finlay came to take his statement, though there was not much that Axel could tell him. Stanley, Mintridge and Johnson saw everything – they were even clearer than Axel. He was in a daze when the box exploded.

But he did not tell Finlay about the words he saw. Those burning words. He would like to keep that to himself.

MaxPol was certain that the box was not his or his parents'. It was not even in the house before that. MaxPol had documented everything in the house and the box was not in their records at all. It must had been placed there just before Axel went to the house. Or it could be placed there by a trespasser – they had detected people entering the house without permission. That was why MaxPol had wanted to seal the house in the first place and Axel had went back to take the photo.

Someone knew, thought Axel, someone knew that he would be going home and had placed the box there, waiting for him to discover. Or just to play a trick on him.

There was a knock on the door, and it was Johnson.

'Axel, Commissioner Linden would like to see you. He is in the tent,' said Johnson.

Axel saw that she took a quick glance at his desk – either at the photo on his side, or the messy pile of books on Elliot's side of the desk.

'Commissioner Linden?'

Axel was surprised. He had not seen Linden for a few weeks. Even after the incident at his house. He was sure that the Commissioner of MaxPol had many cases in hands – his case was surely not the only crime in the Magical world. Just that the first few weeks into his case he would see Linden every other day. The sudden non-appearance had made him worry.

He grabbed his wand and quickly stood up. Johnson held the door for him and closed it when he stepped out.

'Jane had prepared some tea and pastries, Commissioner Linden is having them in the tent. He would like you to join him,' said Johnson warmly, as they walked down the stairs, 'How is your hand today? Better?'