The Adventures of the Junior Phoenixes, Part 5: The Last Pendant

Chapter 8: Fallborn

Chapter 8

     “Echo!” Jinx called to Echo as she was curled up on the couch. She was in her normal human form. The majority of the small knitted blanket that she had used to cover her was on the floor. She was wearing sweat pants and a shirt that belonged to Dev. She was tired, even after sleeping many hours successfully.
     “Huh?” Echo replied sleepily. “What’s wrong?”
     “Your Pendant was glowing!” Jinx said to her. Jinx was wearing gym shorts and a shirt with a Muggle rock band named Gojira on it. She had a cup of milk in her hands. “I was in the other room and I saw a purple glow from under the door. I came in here and your Pendant was all glowy and stuff.”
     “I was asleep,” Echo said. “I wasn’t doing anything. I wasn’t dreaming, either.”
     “Huh,” Jinx said, “Well then what was the glow all about?”
     “Beats me,” Echo shrugged.
     The apartment in The Morning Glory hadn’t changed hands, despite Shade being declared dead. The owners decided to continue to let Jinx rent the place out. Echo’s stuff was still there, too. Jinx had resumed living there since making her deal with Fallborn. Echo moved in right after her meeting with Mr. Cloudstorm. The place was very much the same, except for a few new things that Jinx had bought from local yard sales; gaudy lamps and a few strange knickknacks that she thought were cool or funny. The only thing that hadn’t changed or was moved was Shade’s old chair, which Jinx refused to touch anymore because every time she tried to move it the chair would hit her with its foot rest. She resigned to leave it there forever.
     “What time is it?” Echo asked.
     “Almost noon,” Jinx said.
     Echo jumped up and scrambled. “Jinx! We’re late!”
     “Yeah, I know,” Jinx replied. “I didn’t feel like going in today. We should just take the day off.”
     “No!” Echo shouted. “We need to go in! We’re supposed to be heading out today!”
     “Blah,” Jinx said. She took a sip from her milk and grumbled. “I hate Fallborn! All he’s going to do is make things worse!”
     A knock on the door caught their attention. Echo gave Jinx a curious look, which Jinx returned back to her.
     “You expecting someone?” Echo asked.
     “Nope,” Jinx replied. The pair of them ran to the little coffee table where both of their wands rested. They warily walked over to the door. “Who is it?” Jinx called out.
     “It’s me!” the sing-song voice of Sky Heart Cloudstorm answered.
     “Oh, for the love of-“ Jinx complained. She lowered her wand and threw the door open. Sky Heart stood in the hallway wearing a cute sun dress and sandals. She had a large feline creature in her hands. A knobby-skinned creature stood next to her, holding a pair of large bags in its hands.
     “Hullo!” Sky Heart cheerily greeted them. “How’s you?” She walked into the apartment without an invitation. The knobby creature, a house elf, followed her. Sky Heart let the feline creature go. It took off and started to walk around gingerly about the apartment.
     “What in the world do you think you’re doing?” Jinx asked.
     “I’m letting Pudsey run about,” Sky Heart answered. “He needs to stretch his legs, he’s had such a cramped journey here. Oh, Mawl! Put the bags in that room over there! That’s it! Thank you!”
     “Of course, Mistress,” Mawl replied with a scratchy but kind voice.
     Echo watched as the house elf Mawl carried the bags into their room. The bags were bigger than he was, yet by elf magic he was able to carry them without much effort.
     “Wait a minute! Hold up!” Jinx declared. “What is going on?”
     “I’m going to stay here with you two!” Sky Heart answered. “How amazing will that be?”
     Echo turned to Jinx. Jinx’s mouth was gaped, wide open, flabbergasted.
     “Who said you could stay here?” Jinx asked.
     “Echo did!” Sky Heart told her.
     Jinx turned to Echo.
     “Whoa, hold on!” Echo spoke up. “I said you could hang out for a bit, I didn’t say you could move in here!”
     “Well, I can’t stay at the Ministry offices!” Sky Heart said. “I’m not going to stay at the Jefferson, and the Barbados Inn is not nearly as quiet as I’d like it to be, what with all those people traipsing about Witching Way. I’ll stay here! That way, we can all keep each other company!”
     Jinx turned to Echo again and shook her head.
     “Oh please!” Sky Heart begged. “They won’t take Pudsey at the Jefferson and look! Mawl can clean up and make us meals and such! He’s a lovely house elf! He’s such a great companion!”
     Mawl walked back into the room and bowed to Jinx and Echo. “It would be a great service to my Mistress if you were to allow her to stay here,” the house elf spoke. “I could cook any meal you desire, good ladies. I am a faithful servant to the Mistress’ family, Ms. Turan and Ms. Corryn. I will not fail in my endeavors here.”
     Echo looked at Jinx. They both shrugged.
     “As long as you make sure everything is clean in here, I don’t care,” Jinx said finally.
     “You mean it?” Sky Heart cheered. “Oh, happy days!” She ran up and hugged Echo and Jinx. “You won’t regret this!”
     “It worries me that you have to remind us of that!” Jinx spoke through being squeezed by Sky Heart’s embrace. She let them go.
     “I’ll go set up my things in the bedroom!” Sky Heart chimed.
     “Wait, what?” Jinx said.
     “Well, I can’t sleep on the couch,” Sky Heart chimed, “It’s ghastly. Plus all that animal hair already on it, no offense, Echo.”
     “Meh,” Echo said. “I can sleep on the couch, Jinx. There’s more room out here, anyway.”
     “As long as you keep your cat off of me when I sleep,” Jinx said to Sky Heart.
     “Kneazle,” Sky Heart replied.
     “What?” Jinx asked.
     “He’s a Kneazle, not a cat,” Sky Heart explained. “Bigger than a cat, and can sense magical things, or so I’ve been told.”
     “Just keep Pudgy away from me,” Jinx sighed.
     “Pudsey,” Sky Heart corrected her.
     “Whatever,” Jinx said as she rolled her eyes and stepped towards the door. “Now, if you don’t mind, we’re late.”
     “Now you wanna go?” Echo asked with a chuckle. “Alright.”
     “Now Mawl! Pudsey!” Sky Heart spoke to the house elf and the Kneazle, “You be good, understand? Tidy up a little around here, Mawl. And you, Mr. Pudsey! No shedding, understand?”
     Pudsey slowly trudged about the apartment. Mawl nodded. “Yes, Mistress Sky Heart.”
     “Goodie gumdrops!” Sky Heart sang.
     “Are you coming along?” Jinx asked her.
     “I have to meet Raine Watterson at the offices,” Sky Heart answered, “So, yes, I’ll be joining you lot!”
     Echo smiled. “Good to have you along, Ms. Cloudstorm.”
     “It’s my pleasure!” Sky Heart sang.