Eyeing Ada, she says, “You know sweetheart, you don’t have to return to the shop. It was never your father’s dream to work there. But I always loved it.” Estelle turns her attention back to me. “I apprenticed there before her father and I mated. It’s how we met and got to know each other. My family is from a community in North Carolina. So anyway, when the time came, I happily took it over.”
“But don’t you want my help?” Ada protests.
“I have plenty of help and we’re doing just fine. Plus, I don’t intend to retire for a good long while. You’ll be sick of me by then! Take some time to figure out what you want to do. Travel while you’re young. There’s a wide world out there waiting to be explored. You spent so many years studying. I don’t want you to feel like you’re going to waste it,” Estelle insists.
“Mom, I love working at the shop. My entire time at Sparklight Academy was spent thinking about how I could use this knowledge to expand our offerings. There are so many new alchemical services I can add. I have some ideas for the coven too,” Ada gushes.
“Speaking of the coven, they wanted to throw you a welcome home party tonight, but I asked them to wait a couple days so we don’t overwhelm you. I don’t know how long I can keep them at bay now that you’re both here. They’ve been excited to meet you, Norrell. Sorry we spilled the beans on you. I heard you were keeping a low profile at the academy. But when we found out you were moving here, we couldn’t resist,” Whitt confesses.
“Everyone was bound to find out anyway. It is good to be out in the open again. I am happy to meet all of them,” I say graciously.
“They do love a reason to throw a party. Don’t be surprised if they serve snow cones to try to make you feel at home,” Ada jokes.
“No. Would they? Yes, they probably would,” Estelle considers.
“They did ask me to find out if yetis like maple syrup,” Whitt chimes in.
“Well, trees cannot grow that far north to harvest it. But I tasted it once,” I tell him.
“That’s what I thought. I’ll let them know. But don’t be surprised if you see some maple flavored whiskey or maple bars there. Once they have an idea, they like to run with it,” he muses.
“Your coven sounds lively,” I observe, grinning at the thought of their misguided menu.
“They are. We have a friendly group here. We’re too big to meet all at once on a regular basis outside of our holidays and rituals. There’s a few hundred of us. So, they love opportunities like this. Believe me, you’re doing them the favor,” Whitt assures me.
“Yes, plenty of other witches around here to help me around the shop,” Estelle reminds Ada with a wink.
“Mom, I told you! Mayhap I’ll consider starting my own business, but I’d base it out of the shop anyway. You act like you’re trying to get rid of me!” Ada huffs.
“Never. It will be so lovely working with you again. I just don’t want you to feel any pressure or hold you back from bigger and better pursuits,” Estelle reiterates, squeezing Ada’s hand. They share an affectionate smile.
“If you do not work at the shop, what is your vocation, Whitt?” I ask. Ada told me a little about it, but his magickal talent seemed difficult to comprehend.
“Well, I work in sort of a specialty field. I have proficiency in languages as well as codebreaking. My magick works well intranslations between human languages as well as those spoken or written by some Whispered Folk. Sometimes I’m called away as a translator for lesser spoken languages. Nowadays I’m also working on enchantments for books, paper files, and even digital files to make them indecipherable should a human find them. Like encryption, but through magick, making it hack-proof,” Whitt explains.
“Did you have to learn how to write code to do this?” I wonder aloud.
“What’s a few more languages?” he jests.
“Have you ever studied the native language of yetis?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“I never did. I’d love to learn a little from you if you don’t mind,” he requests. “Do your people speak it as well as English?”
“Yes, we all learn it in school, but it is not spoken much. The language is shared across our people, but we all have our own dialects from when our clans split apart long ago. Well over a century ago, our clan leader at the time decided we should learn English fluently to get by more easily as our contact with humans became more frequent. We needed to blend in better. Since then, English is the main language of the clan. It was a wise decision. Our native language is ancient and limited. It would not be useful in today’s world anyway. Words do not exist for many commonplace items and ideas,” I explain.
“That’s fascinating.” His interest sounds genuine. “It will be an honor to have the opportunity to learn it from you. A rare privilege for a language nerd like me.”
“Norrell, we would be happy to inquire around if there’s any work you’d like to try. But there’s no rush. We want you to get to know the town. And of course, you two need to have a nice long honeymoon first. You both deserve it after studying so hard,” Estelle suggests.
“That is very generous, Estelle. I will think about it and let you know. I am sure something will appeal to me. My training as a hunter may be too specific to be of use here, but I am a fast learner,” I assure her.
Whitt’s face lights up. “Ada said you loved to read, especially historic texts. No wonder you met in a library. After dinner, come up to my study with me. I have so many books I think you’ll be interested in,” he says enthusiastically. It is an offer I cannot refuse.
I am honored to have known Whitt and Estelle. They were special, and I cared for them deeply. From the first time I met them, they treated me like a son, embracing me as a full-fledged member of the family. Losing them was devastating in a way I had never experienced up until that point. Ada was inconsolable. The well of her sadness was deeper than I could fathom. Grief was her shadow in those months before I left, ever-present, following her even when she did not realize it. I fear it still is.
Mercifully, Niven ends the interview and calls for a break. Taking the pastries with her, Ada walks out of the room with controlled steps, but from her stiffness I can tell she struggles not to run out. Clancy and Madge trail closely behind. The loud sudden scraping and clattering of chairs disrupt my reverie. Her parents were my family once too. For a short time, anyway. I do not know what they would think of me now, had they not died when they did. Their disappointment and sadness would have shamed me even more. I know that much to be true.
Needing some air myself, I step into the hallway. I’m also curious if Ada is still nearby, but it is empty except for a few others milling around who exited the room right before me. Iam unsure if I would say anything to her if I saw her, but I need to know whether she is alright. Growling in frustration at my powerlessness, I pace the long hallway for a couple minutes, figuring out what to do. I should give her something special to make up for her terrible day. The nearby shops should have something.
