The Wizard Telémakhos

Alex didn't have to wait long for Christine's reply. A little past noon, the eagle returned with a note. He sat on the windowsill as Alex read it.

Alexandria,

I'm amused that you have discovered this magic just recently, but it does pose a problem. Without proper training, all of your magics will certainly drive you mad. You cannot go even this summer without learning control and instructions on how to use it. I have contacted the wizard Adán Telémakhos, who taught me my own magic. He should arrive the day you recieve this note.

As for that theory, we shall test it once you return to London. I would like to visit you, but as soon as I finish this painting, I must go to the US to visit family and take care of business. It appears my sister-in-law is due to have her baby in August. I shall be busy there until late September. Good luck in your studies and with Adán. Until later,

Christine

~Do you have any more fun for me?~ the eagle asked once she had finished.

"No, but when I do, I'll let you know," Alex replied, and the eagle flew out the window.

Alex re-read the note and then threw it in the fire, thinking. Adán Telémakhos...The Queen had mentioned him a couple of times, saying he was the most powerful magician in the world. She would have gotten him to teach the Gift class, but he was hard to come by. Well, Christine obviously thought he wasn't hard to come by...

A sparrow flew into her room and sat on her bed. Alex walked over to him, ready to talk about the lovely weather conditions and abundance of worms, as other birds had. When she reached out with her magic, a frown came across her face. The sparrow had no wild magic, the essence of all animals, in him! Trying again, Alex reached out harder with her new magic, and gasped. He was changing! Now, she was really confused. Whatever it was finally completed its change to reveal "it" was a man. A tall, dark-haired, grinning man was sitting on her bed.

"You must be Alexandria," he said as he stood up. "I had no idea you could change someone out of their own shape-change! How'd you do it? Oh, I'm Adán Telémakhos."

Alex shook his hand and looked him over. He was about 6'5", taller even than Christine's 6'2". He had very dark brown hair cut short, deep brown eyes, and a charming smile. He was dressed plainly in a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and black sneakers. When he talked, he had a mysterious accent and perfectly white, straight teeth. Like Christine, he looked young, despite the age he had to be. If he had taught Christine her magic, he had to be considerably older than her...

"Yes, I'm Alexandria," she slowly replied. "If you don't mind, though, I'd rather be called Alex."

He laughed. "Yes, of course. Chrissy told me," he replied.

"Chrissy?"

"Christine. But don't call her Chrissy. I'm the only one allowed to call her that, and that's only after I relentlessly called her that for years in high school," the mage told her.

"You went to school with her?" Alex asked. "Sorry, but I had thought you would be older than her, since you taught her and all. But you don't look much older than her...And she looks young for her age."

He laughed again. "I am older than her," he replied. "A year, seven months, and some odd days older than her. Knowledge and power don't necessarily come with age." He closed the window and walked back over to her. "Now, how did you force me out of my shape? I'm very interested. Christine never did anything like that."

"I just touched you with my magic, because it didn't look like you had any," Alex told him. "I guess Christine never did it because she knew you were a human while you were in that shape. Excuse me for saying so, but you said you went to high school with Christine, thus you went to school with my father, but I don't remember an Adán Telémakhos."

The wizard smiled. "You're right," he said, and snapped his fingers. A book appeared in his hand, and Alex recognised it as the Class of 2000 yearbook. He opened it up to one page. "That's me," he said, showing Alex a picture.

"But that says Adam Ledo," she protested.

"Yes, that was my name, until I became wanted in ten states for mental illness." He smiled crookedly. "They thought that since I studied magic, there was something wrong with me. So, I changed my name- Adán is the Spanish form of Adam- and moved to England. Then, I caught up with Christine again, and I taught her all I had learned. I haven't seen her for the past ten years, however. Her mother died, and we lost touch."

"Well, I have to warn you," Alex told him, "you're also wanted here because of your studies. But, in a most opposite way. The Queen would like you to teach our magic class."

Adán sighed. "I'll think about it," he said at last. "But for now, we've spent too much time gabbing and not enough time working, so let's get started. I want you to close your eyes and breathe with me. Inhale...Exhale...Inhale..."

~*~

Studies continued throughout the summer. Adán moved into the House of Whispers in order to be closer to his pupil (Otis did not know about these studies), and they often went to the city together. Alex also went to the city with Otis to see operas and plays. She came to think of Adán and Otis as strong father figures. Much too fast, to Alex's thinking, September drew to a close.

"It always does," Adán told her in response. "But, I've talked with Christine, and she says she'll meet us at her stepfather's house when we pick up Wendell."

"We?" Alex asked. "You're coming?"

"Of course," he replied. "You still have a lot of training. Oh, don't worry, Otis won't think anything of me. I'll take bird shape and fly ahead to Christine, and then I'll simply be her friend accompianying her to London. I've got it all taken care of."

"Oh, sure. We're leaving in the morning."

"Then I should be going," he replied, and feathers sprouted from his skin. He shrunk to become a large hawk. With a flap of a wing, he flew out the window into the night.

~*~

Someone cleared his throat, and the three at the table looked up to the door. It was the butler. "Master Adán Telémakhos," he announced. The three stood as a tall, dark figure walked into the room. They were formal for all of a second until Christine ran over to him and gave him a big hug.

"I've missed you, Adam," she whispered.

"I've missed you, too," he replied softly. They slowly let go of each other, and Christine stepped away. "Father, Wendell, this is my friend Adam." They nodded, remembering him from Christine's mother's funeral. "He's coming to London with us, and I hope he can stay with us until we leave."

George walked over to them. "Of course he can," he replied with a smile. "It's nice to see you again, Adam. You can stay in your old room."

"Thank you, George. It is always an honour to stay at your house," the wizard replied as he bowed. "And it's good to know you've kept my room empty." He turned to Christine. "Lady Christine, would you be so kind as to show me to my room?"

She reached up and tweaked his nose. "You know exactly where it is," she said with a laugh, but obeyed.

"How are you doing?" Adam asked as they walked down a hall.

"I'm fine," she answered. "You don't have to check me with your Gift- I know that's what you're doing! Believe me, when Iris heals soemone, they stay healed! Besides, I do go to check-ups. They'd spot it if anything was wrong."

The tall mage sighed. "I know," he said. "I'm just over-worried for you. I don't know what I'd do if you died. Christine, why didn't we ever get together?"

She laughed. "Because we both know it would never work out," she replied. "And why ruin a great friendship over a devastating fling?"

"I suppose you're right," he agreed. "How's Carolyn's baby?"

"They're both fine," Christine answered, relieved for the change of conversation. "She had a girl, and they named her Angelina Anne." She made a face. "Too many A's, if you ask me, but at least they remembered to spell Anne with an e. She was born on August 7th, and that was all Scott talked of until I left. No doubt he's still talking about her. Though I can't say I blame him. Angelina is his first child. But Carolyn had a tough time. In the middle of it, it looked like we would lose her and the baby, poor girl, but I started praying to each and every god and goddess- even the Trickster- and it must've worked, for she recovered and ten hours later, little Angelina was born."

"That's good. And I hate to ask, but- how's Jenna?"

Christine shook her head. "Not good." She looked up at Adam, and he saw tears in her eyes. "Adam, she's been my best friend since third grade. She's always been a part of me. She's never been truly healthy, but never this bad. Iris is with her, but she says all she can do is slow down the pain and death. I'm going to stay with them until- until she leaves. I don't know what's going to happen to her children, though. I don't want them to go to an orphanage and possibly be split up. Jenna doesn't, either. She won't talk of it. The only thing she does talk about is being able to see Kevin again."

"Christine, everyone has their time to die," Adam told her. "I know you don't want Jenna to leave, but you must believe it's her time."

"I know," she whispered. "It's just, every time someone close to me dies, it forces me to think of everyone else's death- my father and mother, aunts and uncles, grandparents, friends. Even deaths to come. I can't sleep at night because of my wondering if I'll die before I get to be important. Jenna has her kids. She's the world to them, and they're her children. I don't have my own children, and nobody relies on me."

"Maybe that's so, but you do have people who love you," Adam told her. "Your parents loved you. George looks at you as if you were truly his daughter by blood, and Wendell sees you as a sister. Then there are your sister and brother- the three of you are the only ones each of you have left, now. And all of your friends, including me, love you. And animals everywhere. You're very loved, and if that's not a great accomplishment, I don't know what is."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks, Adam," she said, but sighed. "I don't know, there's just some part of me that seems empty. Maybe someday I'll figure out what it is." She opened a door. "Your room, Master Adán," she said as she curtsied.

"Thank you, Miss Christine." Then he laughed. "I don't remember you being this- elegant, and formal."

Christine blushed in spite of herself. "Well, things change, and I've learned a new way of life here," she answered. "If you need anything, I'm in the next room."

"Thank you, but I think I'm all set," he replied. "Good night, Christine."

"Good night," she said as she turned and walked down the hall. Adam watched her, entranced. Christine was no sorceress, but she always managed to weave a spell around him. "I'm that emptiness in your life," he whispered as he went into his room.

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