Spellcaster series #5: The Sage

Manuk

TRISTAN

I flipped through my uncle's Book of Djinns again, now that I was finally able to narrow down its physical characteristics and capabilities. I paused at a page with a roughly sketched female djinn. Manuk, I read, was a being specialised in haunting children and feeding on them.

But what did Sam Locke have to do with the djinn? Heidi insisted she saw his face in her brief vision just like the one back in Vicky's chamber with the Seeing Eye.

"The Sages are coming," Dr. Pierce announced as he entered the drawing room of his mansion where I was seated. Then he nodded at my book, "Anything?"

"It's hypothetical, but I suppose this could be it," I handed it to him and he read through his reading glasses.

The Senator sighed. "We'll discuss with the others. Once they arrive."

"Is Sam Locke coming?" I asked, subtly feeling for the Vampire dagger in my pocket. Still there.

"Yes, I believe he and my wife have thought of the deaths to be caused by some unidentified disease. It would be good to put this to rest and behind us. Heaven knows it's about time that I can finally hand the orphanage over to someone I can trust."

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you not own it, senator?"

Dr. Pierce handed my book back to me. "Oh good heavens, Sir Tristan, that would be preposterous. I'm only the temporary caretaker while I find a more suitable owner. Alicia McLaren vehemently refuses to have anything to do with it."

The Sages arrived about twenty minutes later, their voices emanating from the front door. As soon as they entered the drawing room, they stopped in their tracks, eyes on me in full wonderment and surprise. Dr. Pierce and I stood up to greet them. He broke the silence first.

"I believe you remember our dear friend, Sir Tristan."

Jessie moved towards me to embrace. I received him and we parted after a while. He held his hand on my shoulder, tears in his ocean-blue eyes.

"I was told that you have returned but...I still find it hard to believe."

Wynona walked closer, her violet hair long and the lines on her face more prominent than five years ago. She wrapped her arms around me as tightly as I welcomed it. We had our differences but I would never erase our friendship and trust despite my desperate choices from before.

"Five long years," she said as she pulled away.

Sam Locke stuck out a hand, a slightly tight smile curled on his lips. There was some sort of forced civility in his ruby eyes, an odd glance into seeing a Spellcaster in my former position with a dark secret.

"Cousin," he greeted with a nod, "it's good to see you after many years."

I shook his hand and replied with silence.

"Come," Wynona said and we all took our seats, "tell us what happened at the orphanage, from beginning to end. Spare no details."

I sat myself in a leather chair beside Jessie while Dr. Pierce and Wynona shared a two-seater couch. Sam remained standing by the fireplace while he smoked his pipe.

"It happened about five minutes before midnight," I began. "I was awoken by one of the girls crying about her friend who was very sick. I learnt that she has had a high fever for two days. I called the doctor and next thing I knew, a djinn showed up and attacked me."

"Was it a stray?" Jessie asked, blue eyes darting back and forth.

I shook my head. "This one is a high-ranking djinn. It was specific with the way it attacked. Its dark energy radiated massively and hindered my aura."