The Necromancer Trilogy: Prophecy

Chapter Ten - A Boy Named Bluebird

Sophie watched Tala disappear in search of Blue with utter fascination. The girl had scrambled up a tree like a squirrel, nimble fingers finding purchase on nothing, trailing twigs failing to scratch at her face.

  She seemed to cling to branches with her toes, unbelievably balanced, unable to fall. Then she had flown. Or perhaps not. But she had leapt from tree to tree, swinging and diving and twisting and remaining airborne for far too long.

  It seemed to Sophie that branches appeared where she needed them, just long enough for her to use them. They would be there, for one instant, a brief flash of existence, and then vanish. Sophie wished she could learn how to be like Tala.

“What is Blue Last like?” Chrysanthemum asked Celia. “I mean, despite being irritating and arrogant.”

Celia shrugged. “He’s another natural. Not as good as Tala, not by a long shot. But he’s good. He took a bit of training and got bored. Teleporting is his real forte. Other than that, well, he’s a fifteen-year-old boy.”

“What are Travellers?” Sophie asked, annoyed by how few answers she was actually getting. “I mean, I can guess at the others. But Travellers?”

Celia sighed. “Some are Teleporters, like Blue. Some can create passageways through the earth. Some can run fast, very fast. A select few, maybe one or two in the world per generation, can fly. They are all about moving, about getting away or going somewhere.”

Sophie nodded slowly. “Fear. Yes?”

“Yes,” Chrysanthemum supplied. “But traveller magic converts. Elemental accents. Necromancy heightens, or so everyone believes. Sensitive strengthens. Linguist satisfies. Warrior controls. But traveller is the only one that really converts.”

“Meaning…Warriors still get angry but that anger is controlled by the power they have?” Sophie frowned, trying to work it all out.

“Yes,” Chrysanthemum nodded encouragingly. “You know, I really want you to learn Necromancy. I want you to find out what you can do with it.”

“You don’t know?”

“Necromancy is an illegal practise,” Chrysanthemum explained. “Very illegal. Even I can find no records or books on it. They were burned by the Society or taken by the Necromancers.”

Sophie put her hands on her hips. “In the Dovecot Museum, yesterday.”

“Hmm?”

“You said you need the Necromancers back. You also said you’d explain why.”

Chrysanthemum sighed. “Not now. Not now.”

Sophie glared at her. “Then when? I’m sick of this! Sick of you never explaining anything, just expecting me to do what I’m told!”