23. Patrick

Chapter twenty-three

Patrick

I started to walk down the path, Argus padding alongside for several meters until he stopped, turned, and glared at the clearing.

Ruff

He wasn't making this easier.

"I know boy, but he's not coming with us. We'll come back to get him, but not for a while."

Ruff

He bolted away from me, back to the place where my heart had no desire to be at that moment. I doubted I could return until the year had passed.

"Argus, come back here. Come on, boy!" I let out a shrill whistle. Nothing. "Dammit." I turned round, reluctantly, in an attempt to collect my dog. As I took a few steps the way I had just come, a blinding light made me shield my eyes.

What the hell?

I could hear an electrical hum and pop , then a voice…

"For gods' sake, Sheq'wa-nay. I created the damn portal. I think I'm capable of walking through it without assistance."

Allan's voice!

A foot appeared, quickly followed by a leg, body, torso, and then Allan was there, staring back at me with—

His eyes were purple.

"Wait. I thought—" I started.

Allan launched himself into my arms.

"All done," he said.

"All done what?" I was so confused.

Sheq'wa-nay stood in front of us, his head bowed slightly with his long, graceful fingers clasped together.

Allan let go, found his footing, then gave me a kiss. A full-on kiss. He grasped my head and held me tight. "I'm never leaving you again." Sheq'wa-nay cleared his throat, then raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah. Unless he calls for help."

"What the hell is going on?" It had been mere minutes since Allan had left, and already he was back. "Did you find some kind of loophole? Did you wriggle your way out of this?" I glanced at Sheq'wa-nay, who shook his head.

"Sort of. Did you know there are actually eight elements?" Allan started.

"What?" I glanced at him as he beamed at me, his purple-tinted irises sparkling.

"Perhaps I can shed some light on this?" Sheq'wa-nay said again.

"Please? I'm very confused but equally as happy he's standing here." I reached out and grasped Allan's hand while paying full attention to the Fae elder.

"Young Allan has accomplished what we needed him to do, and in record-breaking time, but also under a severe amount of duress."

"There was a demon, Patrick. An actual demon!"

Just then, Kaos warbled from high above us. I glanced up but couldn't see her.

"Allan, please?" Sheq'wa-nay said in an attempt to quieten the young witch, then continued. "Allan has broken through his barrier and has achieved access to all the elements. All eight of them." My eyes widened in surprise.

"Eight?"

"Yes."

"And for all the years we've known each other, you never told me about these other elements?" I asked.

"I suppose I didn't think it necessary. But I'm sure Allan will be happy to share the details with you," Sheq'wa-nay said. "In releasing a bigger wave swell than what he did the first time he stood on this island, Allan has managed to save the Fae lands from possible extinction. However, we're not sure the threat has been completely annihilated. Allan has agreed to come should we require further assistance, but his original task is done."

"But then I warped time and stepped back a day earlier so that for you, it was like I never left." Allan blurted out.

"You mean you managed to breach the center of your magic in a single day?" My brows pinched together. What did Sheq'wa-nay do to progress Allan so far? What had I failed to do with him?

"Yeah, well, I almost died."

"What?"

"I'm sure, Allan, you can tell your tale later." Sheq'wa-nay said. "But I think it best I speak with your Mage's Council? Will you two assist me to get there and stand by my side during my address to the council?"

"Ah, of course," I said, then told the Fae elder how to find The Magic Shop. I really hoped Allan was going to fill me in later. There were so many missing details.

Allan smiled, then pulled me into a hug.

As we embraced, Kaos flew out of the treetops and spiraled down. She attempted to land on Allan's shoulder.

With her flapping wings beating against both of us, we pulled away from our hug, and it was then I noticed her discolouration.

"What happened to Kaos?!"

"Yeah, that's part of the story," Allan said as he glanced at Sheq'wa-nay.

"Thank you for showing some restraint. Shall we?" Sheq'wa-nay gestured toward the shoreline, and as we all turned to leave, the Elder Fae created a portal and with a whoosh we found ourselves in the back entrance of the ice cream shop, where the portal immediately shifted and produced The Magic Shop neon sign.

"I've never seen the door automatically create itself." I glanced at Sheq'way-nay.

"It must recognize a magical being." He winked.

"And that is why I would like to make Allan our Fae Magician emissary." Sheq'wa-nay had laid out his plan for Reginald. The head of the council had sat very still and listened without moving. It was also the first time an Elder Fae had graced the council chambers.

After the speech, Reginald sat in his chair, fiddling with the edge of his robe as he pondered the situation.

His head nodded several times as he continued to think, not a word spoken aloud to anyone until he finally glanced up at all of us. "Yes. I do believe your request is reasonable. I am happy to have Allan take on the position of emissary, even though that will remove him from being assigned to a territory here. I don't like to lose out on one of the most powerful Magicians we would have at our disposal, but the boy can't do two jobs. However," Reginald turned to Allan and squinted at him, hard. "You will have to go through your tests first, both written and practical. But I fear that we will be unable to appropriately evaluate your grasp on… What were they? Light, shadow, time and—"

"Soul." Sheq'wa-nay said.

"Yes, that." Reginald pointed toward the Elder Fae. "Perhaps you would be inclined to send one of your instructors to us so that they may test him, as I fail to see how we could possibly do an adequate job."

"This could also be arranged." Sheq'wa-nay smiled.

"Then so be it. Allan will be our Fae Magician emissary and will travel to the Fae lands whenever required. I am hoping that this arrangement might be the beginning of better relations between our two kinds. Perhaps resources and knowledge will also be shared?" Reginald raised an eyebrow.

"All shall be decided and determined as our ties strengthen," Sheq'wa-nay said with a nod. "And it is time I returned. Allan, we shall be in contact, but for now, welcome home, and enjoy your time with your magician's heart's desire." The Elder gently smiled, then glanced at me, "Patrick, take good care of this one for us. Until we meet again."

Sheq'wa-nay left the chamber, leaving Allan and myself with Reginald.

"I think we'll take our leave as well; we have a lot to catch up on," I said, then motioned for Allan to follow.

Once back in The Magic Shop and behind the back counter, The Owner, donned in his top hat, nodded once to me with the faintest of smiles.

"Can you wrangle up a portal to get us back to the cabin?" I asked Allan.

"Shouldn't be that hard."

And with a whoosh we were back home. Argus came to meet us at the front door, his tail thwumping a steady beat, indicating his happiness.

Kaos cawed from her perch.

"I'm exhausted," Allan said.

"No, you're not," I said as I peeled off my shirt. I slung it over my shoulder, then grabbed Allan and led him into our bedroom. "Strip. I want to show you how happy I am that you're home. And then once I'm done making you scream my name over and over, you can tell me everything that happened."

"I can't very well argue with that!" Allan said as he slipped out of his pants and ripped off his shirt.