An Immortal's Favour

Gale- Right Match

*

Fifteen minutes later, Jacob stopped at the outskirts of Il. Beidu Beach, taking the key from ignition once we'd settled into the corner of a dusty car park. I'd suggested taking a stop at the beach in the hope that we'd get the chance to enjoy the rare sunshine after we'd discussed what we needed to. He reached over to get his journal from the glove department. He stopped to place it on his lap and just sat there, looking at it.

"Jacob?"

"Sorry." He came to and flicked the journal open. "This 'companion' or whatever, they weren't with Father at the retirement party. I'm guessing they've had a hand in things- with my illness, I mean."

"It seems probable. But remember, Mr Percy said they're a friend of yours, too."

"Not much of a friend if they thought killing me off would be a good idea," Jacob muttered.

Coughing, I squeezed harder on my smoothie cup.

"After looking through the books, I'm under the impression that they're a chaos caster. Wait, no. Discord caster?" He twisted his lips, eyes dulling as he thought.

"Same thing, different names."

"Thanks. From the illusion guide, three things stuck out to me. Casters of this class need to be close to their victim for their abilities to be effective, and they can't have too many people around either. Their casting can only be applied in short intervals, say half an hour with long breaks in between."

"What about the chaos casting?"

"Unlike the illusion casting, it can do its job no matter where the victim is. Even if...even if they're thousands of miles away."

 I swallowed, locking on quick to what his words implicated.

Jacob continued, "Though the catch is chaos casters- or any other casters in the fortune class for that matter -are much rarer. At least, they are here. I don't know how common they are in Anglia."

"So a chaos caster?"

"A chaos caster," he said, adding afterwards, "Probably."

"And what now? We just question your friends, see who'll spills the truth first?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood, even though my words lacked their usual spirit.

"It'd be nice if it were that easy. I've drawn up a list, though, of who it might be." Breathing out, Jacob moved to another of his journal's pages. I shifted to look over his shoulder, taking a sip from my mango and kizzyberry smoothie. My slurping of the tangy-sweet beverage stole the silence, but I'd have given anything to have that silence filled instead with words of happiness, perhaps some laughter. It's amazing what a turn our little trip had taken for the worst.

Salty air, along with the afternoon heat, streamed through the car windows from the beach. It was a nice day, a day that could've been better spent outside, rather than cooped up within the confines of the car, worrying and worrying.

Having skimmed through Jacob's writing, I leaned back at last. "And you're certain you have no idea who this friend is?"

"Well, we're going to find out, aren't we?"

"Let's start by recording what we already know." After placing my half-empty cup down on the floor, I furrowed my eyebrows in thought. "This person is obviously someone you've met, and likely someone who lives in Anglia."

"I know a few people over there. Akosua and her sister do."

"Her sister?"

"Her half-sister, Annie. They moved back there with their father a year ago. There's also Gavin, Vincent, Yafeu, Kwame, Gwen, another Kwame...Nii-"