lot?” Erasmus asked, his irritation giving grudging way to curiosity.
“Sometimes,” Katie said, taking another step away from her. “But only when she’s angry.”
“Well I needed to know if you were any good. I’m not going to teach you if you don’t have any talent.”
“Teach us?” Penny and Zoe said.
Katie let out a sharp bark of laughter. “We don’t need him to teach us anything.”
Ellen nodded agreement with Katie. “We have you to teach us.”
“Now girls,” Bowen said, “Erasmus is the best. He’s taught two generations of Reds.”
Erasmus spat on the ground at the mention of the Reds.
“Who are the Reds?” Penny had heard Susan mention them before, and her impression wasn’t a good one.
“Your kin,” Erasmus said, frowning at her.
“Erasmus,” Ronan growled in warning.
“Don’t you growl at me, Ronan. I told you how it was going to be. I said I’d teach them but I’m not keeping your secrets for you.” Erasmus rose and paced, his nest of dreadlocks dancing around his head in agitation. One of them swatted a long hanging willow limb out of his way as he rounded the fire pit. “You told me they were in trouble, that I was the only one who could teach them what they needed to know, and that means the truth about what’s coming.”
Ronan followed Erasmus’s progress across the hollow, but held his tongue.
“I agree with Erasmus,” Bowen said.
“You would,” Ronan grumbled.
“But why do we need a new teacher?” Penny had a bad feeling she knew what Ronan was about to say, and desperately wanted him to put her fears to rest.
“Because I’m leaving,” Ronan said, and turned his face away from the girls. “There’s something I have to do a long way away from here, and I may not return for a long time.”
“Why?” Ellen said. “You just got back.”
“Where?” Penny shouted.
Katie’s glare deepened, and Zoe stood in place looking like she’d been hit over the head.
“That is not for you to know,” Ronan said, then turned to regard Erasmus and Bowen. “And that is one secret you will keep for me.”
Ronan’s tone brooked no argument, and neither of his friends offered one. Bowen’s smile had vanished, he looked more serious now than Penny had ever seen him, and Erasmus ignored them all, staring into the dark somewhere past them with crossed arms. His blind act was so convincing Penny almost fell for it again, but she had only to recall the fight of a few minutes past to dispel his illusion of helplessness.
“I leave tonight,” Ronan continued, “and I would prefer to leave on good terms, knowing you’ll be in good hands until I return.”
Grudgingly, Penny stowed her wand in the back pocket of her jeans and knelt.
Zoe, Katie, and Ellen joined her, and Ronan trotted over to meet them.
“Do we really have to do what he says?” Katie whispered, but loudly enough for Erasmus to hear. One of his dreadlocks slithered out from beneath his top hat, gripped it around the rim, and tipped it to her in mock salute.
“Yes,” Ronan said, but smiled. “He’ll be able to teach you much more than I have. I’ve never used a wand.”
He moved closer to the girls and they crowded in around him.
“Bowen can help you too. He has no magic, but he can teach you other things you’ll need to know.”
“Bowen.” Zoe shook her head. “How long has he known about us?”
“All along. I felt it was safer for him to keep his cover, but Erasmus disagrees. He doesn’t like secrets. He thinks if you’re in, you should be all the way in.”
Penny said nothing, but her estimation of the strange little man rose.
“It’s time,” Ronan said, and held still as the girls took turns hugging him, even nuzzled Ellen’s hand when she stroked the top of his head.
“We’re going to miss you,” Katie said, her voice breaking on the last word. She cleared her throat, seeming to brace herself against tears; Penny noticed that Zoe was crying.
She felt tears on
“Sometimes,” Katie said, taking another step away from her. “But only when she’s angry.”
“Well I needed to know if you were any good. I’m not going to teach you if you don’t have any talent.”
“Teach us?” Penny and Zoe said.
Katie let out a sharp bark of laughter. “We don’t need him to teach us anything.”
Ellen nodded agreement with Katie. “We have you to teach us.”
“Now girls,” Bowen said, “Erasmus is the best. He’s taught two generations of Reds.”
Erasmus spat on the ground at the mention of the Reds.
“Who are the Reds?” Penny had heard Susan mention them before, and her impression wasn’t a good one.
“Your kin,” Erasmus said, frowning at her.
“Erasmus,” Ronan growled in warning.
“Don’t you growl at me, Ronan. I told you how it was going to be. I said I’d teach them but I’m not keeping your secrets for you.” Erasmus rose and paced, his nest of dreadlocks dancing around his head in agitation. One of them swatted a long hanging willow limb out of his way as he rounded the fire pit. “You told me they were in trouble, that I was the only one who could teach them what they needed to know, and that means the truth about what’s coming.”
Ronan followed Erasmus’s progress across the hollow, but held his tongue.
“I agree with Erasmus,” Bowen said.
“You would,” Ronan grumbled.
“But why do we need a new teacher?” Penny had a bad feeling she knew what Ronan was about to say, and desperately wanted him to put her fears to rest.
“Because I’m leaving,” Ronan said, and turned his face away from the girls. “There’s something I have to do a long way away from here, and I may not return for a long time.”
“Why?” Ellen said. “You just got back.”
“Where?” Penny shouted.
Katie’s glare deepened, and Zoe stood in place looking like she’d been hit over the head.
“That is not for you to know,” Ronan said, then turned to regard Erasmus and Bowen. “And that is one secret you will keep for me.”
Ronan’s tone brooked no argument, and neither of his friends offered one. Bowen’s smile had vanished, he looked more serious now than Penny had ever seen him, and Erasmus ignored them all, staring into the dark somewhere past them with crossed arms. His blind act was so convincing Penny almost fell for it again, but she had only to recall the fight of a few minutes past to dispel his illusion of helplessness.
“I leave tonight,” Ronan continued, “and I would prefer to leave on good terms, knowing you’ll be in good hands until I return.”
Grudgingly, Penny stowed her wand in the back pocket of her jeans and knelt.
Zoe, Katie, and Ellen joined her, and Ronan trotted over to meet them.
“Do we really have to do what he says?” Katie whispered, but loudly enough for Erasmus to hear. One of his dreadlocks slithered out from beneath his top hat, gripped it around the rim, and tipped it to her in mock salute.
“Yes,” Ronan said, but smiled. “He’ll be able to teach you much more than I have. I’ve never used a wand.”
He moved closer to the girls and they crowded in around him.
“Bowen can help you too. He has no magic, but he can teach you other things you’ll need to know.”
“Bowen.” Zoe shook her head. “How long has he known about us?”
“All along. I felt it was safer for him to keep his cover, but Erasmus disagrees. He doesn’t like secrets. He thinks if you’re in, you should be all the way in.”
Penny said nothing, but her estimation of the strange little man rose.
“It’s time,” Ronan said, and held still as the girls took turns hugging him, even nuzzled Ellen’s hand when she stroked the top of his head.
“We’re going to miss you,” Katie said, her voice breaking on the last word. She cleared her throat, seeming to brace herself against tears; Penny noticed that Zoe was crying.
She felt tears on
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