Page 20 of Wanderer

“Come on, give yourself some credit. You found this place and made it your home all by yourself. I think you’re strong too.” Oscar’s cheeks darkened with a blush. “What do you need me to do?”

He stared at me for a full minute before he broke out of his thoughts. “Nothing, really. There’s a potion I can put together right now and some words to say. It really is a beautiful spell, and it’s so simple someone like me can do it—”

“Hey, don’t put yourself down, okay?”

His smile was blinding. “Will you let me try to break it, Riley?” He paused briefly, then lit up brighter than before. “Goddess, this is the first time I’ve been excited to use my magic in such a long time.”

“Okay. Do we have to go anywhere?”

“Nope!” Oscar set the bags down on the park bench. “I’ve got everything here.” He rifled through the bags, setting aside a couple of items. He took pinches of one, a splash of another, a couple of drops, then mixed them all together.

“That’s it?” I asked dubiously.

“Yeah.” He grinned widely. “It’s all in the words and intention. This just opens you up to my magic. Here…” He brandished the tiny bottle. “Drink this.”

“My mom told me never to take drinks from strangers,” I joked. When his face fell, I snatched it from his outstretched hand. “Good thing we’re friends, not strangers.” I unstoppered the bottle and drank it all in one gulp.

“Oh!” Oscar circled me. “I can see the curses! Okay, one I know I can break. It acts like a collar, choking you whenever you get too close to help. Clever.” He grimaced at my glare. “Evil, but smart.”

The witch didn’t give me a chance to say anything. He began chanting in some strange language I had no hope of understanding. The magic flared between us. I felt a sensation of heat in my core, then a sort of popping.

“Done!” Oscar said with another grin. He really was cute when he smiled like that. Too young and sweet for me, though.

“Just like that?”

“Yeah, just like that.”

“How will we know if it worked? All the warlocks in town are avoiding me.”

He suddenly looked apprehensive. “Well, maybe I can help you find one.”

Ten

Gareth

As I suspected, Riley went to Oscar for help. The witch was one of the newest residents of Greyhaven, having joined us only a few weeks ago. He had appeared one day in early fall with a duffel bag of clothes and his familiar. Like most of our people, he had a story of his life outside our wards. One filled with betrayal, though, for a change, he was one of the perpetrators, not an innocent victim.

Many voiced concerns about allowing the witch to stay, and for that, I didn’t blame them. However, I voted for him to remain. From what I could tell, he was remorseful about his actions. He’d lost his home, his family, and what friends he’d had. All the man wanted was a fresh start somewhere safe.

Ultimately, Hestia had the final vote, not that we needed her to use it. My speech about second chances swayed the others into granting him leave to remain in Greyhaven. There were conditions, of course. Oscar could keep his magic, but he was on a sort of magical probation. If he were to perform any sort of work, he was to check with someone first.

Perhaps it was over the top. Though after our town’s history with magic users, caution was warranted. Like any security system, our wards weren’t foolproof. A person’s intentions could be pure at first, then once they were safe and secure, they could change. In the past, there’d been sorcerers who had become warped and twisted after years of living peacefully in Greyhaven. They slowly became corrupt after gaining power under the guidance of the goddess.

No place was perfect. Not even Greyhaven with all its lofty ideals.

Oscar didn’t feel like any of those. He was a witch, for a start. His well of magic was on the lower side. Sufficient for his needs, yet weak enough that global domination was off the cards. His explanations weren’t hollow justifications for his actions. He showed genuine remorse. So I believed his actions had stemmed from desperation and loving the wrong person.

So far, Oscar hadn’t done a thing to make me doubt my decision. He’d found himself a job using his skills, had moved out of the temporary cabins into a small apartment closer to the library, and he’d barely used his magic.

It took Riley some time to approach the conversation about his curse or to ask Oscar to help, but the first thing Oscar did when Riley asked was text to ask for permission.

Oscar

Riley asked me for help. Am I okay to try?

Since I knew Riley and Oscar were in the library thanks to our gossip network, I wasted no time in replying.

Gareth: