Alfie Bloom and the Talisman Thief (23 page)

“I don't want to use it,” said Alfie firmly. “Is there another way?”

Ashford nodded.

“I will let the magic I inherited from you feed on it. It is much less powerful than yours, but I can use it to recreate what has been destroyed.”

“What do I need to do?” asked Alfie.

“
Just this.” Ashford held out his left palm. Alfie placed his right palm against it. The butler opened his top button to reveal his own talisman on his chest. “Ready?” he asked. Alfie nodded. Almost immediately he felt something flowing from his chest, down his left arm and through his hand. The change magic was leaving him, being absorbed by Ashford's creation magic – the very magic that he had inherited from Alfie. So
this
was why Orin had said the butler was the only one who could help!

The lens in the talisman on Ashford's chest started to glow as the magic flowed faster and faster down Alfie's arm. He felt a little queasy and his legs began to wobble until Ashford finally removed his hand, the talisman on his chest now glowing bright white.

“Sorry, Alfie,” he said. “I'd have warned you, but I had to take it quickly, before Orin's magic realized I was stealing from it. Fortunately it is weaker and tamer inside me, but I still allowed it too much freedom for many years. It started to corrupt me. Never underestimate it. Now, are you ready to see how I really get things done?”

Alfie watched as Ashford threw his arms wide and looked up at the castle. A bright white beam shone out of the talisman and up to the empty
space
the top of the tower used to inhabit. In the beam, bricks started to form, pouring out of the light and swirling around as though in a cyclone. As they swirled, the bricks started to lay themselves one by one on the wall. Alfie watched the strange sight in silent awe. As the final bricks were laid, a new beacon appeared at the very top. The tower was complete again.

“Well, did I get it right?”

“It's as good as new!” said Alfie incredulously.

“Next time you see Orin, you must remember to tell him not to store anything important on the upper floors,” said Ashford.

“I have a feeling I will,” grinned Alfie. “Is there enough energy left to fix the doors?”

“Not quite,” said Ashford. “But those trees should do the job.” He placed his right hand on one of the trees that had grown from the castle door. “Stand back. They're holding up loose brickwork.”

Alfie stepped back and watched as, under the butler's touch, the tree began to shrink back, leaves and trunk shrivelling. Bricks crashed loudly to the ground as the branches that supported them curled up, but everyone in the castle was in too deep a sleep to hear or care. At last the tree turned grey before finally dissolving into dust before Alfie's eyes.

“
You can see why this magic had to be kept out of the wrong hands,” said Ashford as he repeated the process on the other tree. “Something that feeds on energy and life to create anything you desire cannot be allowed to go free.”

As the second tree crumbled to dust, Ashford let the magic flow through the talisman again, recreating the doors and wall seemingly out of thin air. Finally the castle was just as it had been before the invasion.

“Doesn't it drive you mad to use it?” asked Alfie, remembering the whisperings in his head whenever the magic tried to force its way out.

“Something as big as this makes it itch at the back of my skull,” said Ashford. “I usually use thefires in the castle to draw energy for things like the stage for your play last year, and the Christmas tree.”

“I was wondering how you managed to get that huge thing up the hill,” grinned Alfie.

“Just remember, don't try to use it yourself,” said Ashford seriously. “I have trained with the magic for years. Now, bed!”

Alfie left Ashford to lock the newly made doors as he climbed the stairs to his room. It was still almost too much to believe that his own great-
grandson
was working as his magical butler.

It seemed like months since he had last slept in his bed. His room was still upside down after the elves' search for the lens, but he didn't care. Throwing himself face first into his soft pillows he sank gratefully into sleep.

“Al.
Al!
WAKE UP, AL!”

Alfie tore himself from sleep as a bright light shone through his eyelids. Amy had flung his curtains wide.

“Wha…?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

“I just spoke to Gran,” she laughed as she bounced on to the end of the bed. “She didn't half tell me off for not calling for two days, but she's well on the mend.”

“That's great,” said Alfie, sitting up and furtively wiping the drool from his cheek.

“She said that the illness made her think things over and she wants a change of scenery. So guess what? You'll
never
guess!”

“So just tell me then,” said Alfie, exasperated by this energetic wake-up call.

Amy did a little spin of joy and threw her arms wide. “We're moving to Hexbridge!”

Alfie jumped out of bed, staggering as he
realized
one leg was still asleep. He hopped over to Amy through pins and needles for a high five, fist bump and hug in quick succession.

“I'm going to tell Maddie and Robin,” she yelled. “Oh man, school is going to be so much fun! By the way, one of Caspian's ravens dropped this off for you. It was pecking at the window for ages but gave up and dropped it down to me in the courtyard.” She threw him a yellowed envelope then dashed out of the room. “Later, Al!”

Alfie sat down and rubbed life back into his leg. He couldn't believe the news. His best mate was moving to Hexbridge. The day couldn't really get much better.

He looked at the envelope in his hands. Written on the front in Orin's slanting script was today's date. Orin must have left the letter with Caspian to be delivered on this particular day. He opened it to see a blank page. Remembering the last letter he had received from Orin, he put the talisman to his eye like a monocle and read the now visible text through its lens.

Dear Alfie,

I asked for this letter to be delivered to you after the situation with the elves resolved itself, as I had no doubt it would.

Alfie
was a little surprised at how easily Orin shrugged off what could have been a huge disaster, but the druid seemed to have unusual ways of finding things out. He continued to read…

You have almost mastered the use of your timeslip ability and encountered threats I could not foresee. Therefore I have decided to begin your training early, six months before the traditional age of thirteen.

It is your choice, but if you are willing, please send word to Caspian through his ravens. He has his ways of communicating through time. The castle is yours, whatever you decide, but I hope to train you in our ways, for your protection and that of your loved ones and also to carry our sacred knowledge and traditions into your world, which must be suffering for lack of the old knowledge.

On receipt of your answer I will either accept your decision, or begin to prepare your first lesson.

Your friend, always,

Orin Hopcraft.

Alfie
read the letter again and then placed it into one of the secret compartments in his bed. His inheritance had brought great danger twice now, and he knew it wouldn't be the last time. He had accepted the castle, and now it was time to conquer the magic that came with it.

A raven was waiting on the window sill. Alfie opened the window and met the bird's black eyes.

“Yes,” he said.

The raven bobbed its head, leapt from the sill and soared away into the sky. Alfie watched as it disappeared into the clouds, dreaming of what Orin would teach him.

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First published in the UK by Scholastic Ltd, 2016
This electronic edition published by Scholastic Ltd, 2016

Text copyright © Gabrielle Kent, 2016

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eISBN 978 1407 16682 7

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