A Safe Place To Rest One's Head:

Over breakfast the next morning, Reagan had to fight not to stare at Braiden, but each time he looked at the little boy, he couldn’t shake the awful memories of that morning a decade ago.

Braiden sat across from Elisa and Reagan at the oak table, striking up conversations with Elisa like he had known her for years instead of hours. He kicked his feet hard enough to periodically hit the table, earning a reprimand from Aislinn until he finished his small bowl of porridge and went running to his room.

His absence drew a sigh from Reagan, who still looked a little pale, but significantly better than the night before. The wound on his arm was mostly healed thanks to the physician’s healing spell -- a weaker version of the one Reagan knew, but effective nonetheless -- and a night’s sleep in a warm bedroom had done wonders for his sickly complexion. The bags under his eyes were almost gone, and the darkness had lightened several shades, as well.

“I’m sorry about that,” Aislinn said with an apologetic smile. “We don’t get guests very often, so he’s easily excitable.”

Alarmed, Reagan shook his head. “Oh, it’s not a problem. He reminds me a lot of someone I knew when I was young, that’s all,” he admitted with a sad smile.

Between him and Elisa, Liam said, “He really does look an awful lot like me, and he’s about the same age as I was…” he trailed off, staring at the door through which Braiden had disappeared.

Elisa nodded and looked down at her bowl, while Reagan found he lacked the appetite to finish his and pushed it away. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Liam, either, despite being acutely aware of his presence.

Aislinn hesitated, watching the pair with a sympathetic expression in her soft green eyes. She offered them a smile, then asked, “What brings you both to Vierdorth? Perhaps I can-”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence, because Braiden sauntered into the room, carrying two large fistfuls of seashells. One dropped behind him in the center of the living room, but he didn’t notice. The rest he scattered on the table next to Elisa with a prideful beam and said, “Look! Isn’t it pretty?” He held one up to her face, a bright red, coiled snail-like shell that caught the first ray of sunlight sneaking through the shuttered window.

“Wow, that’s so beautiful,” Elisa said. She matched Braiden’s grin and added, “It looks like you have a wonderful bunch here.” She turned over one of the iridescent mussel shells on the table.

“I have lots and lots more! Do you want to see my collection?”

“Braiden…” Aislinn started.

“It’s alright,” Elisa said. “I’d love to see it.” She let Braiden take her hand and pull her away from the table.

“You should come too!” he said, walking over to take Reagan’s hand in his free one. “And you too! I only have two hands, so you’ll have to follow us.” He spoke while looking directly up at Liam, who was still perched on the edge of the table.

Liam stared back wide-eyed, and Reagan and Elisa exchanged a look. Reagan felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach, and he stammered to respond, to somehow explain to Aislinn, who was watching them.

She jumped in first, however, saying, “Only you can see your imaginary friend, deary. I’m sure he can follow you three just fine.”

Reagan turned away to hide his look of relief, while Liam laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you.”

Together, the four of them went to Braiden’s small bedroom in the far corner of the house. Countless toys littered the floor despite a large toy chest sitting almost empty beside the door. There was everything from toy soldiers to clay farm animals to a wooden sword that sat leaning against a four-poster bed with the covers bunched together in the center.

Shelves spanned each of the walls, by far the most organized part of the otherwise chaotic room. Some of them housed a few stuffed toys while most were lined with seashells of all shapes and sizes: everything from mussels to sea snails to different variations of clams.

“This is a very impressive collection,” Elisa said. Her voice was filled with a genuine air of wonder. “Did you find all of these yourself?”

Braiden nodded enthusiastically. “I go down to the lake all the time, and I’m really good at finding the prettiest shells. Mom says I’m the best shell-finder in all of Vierdorth.” He puffed his chest out with pride.

Liam had wandered to the other end of the room, looking at a row of toy soldiers on one of the lower shelves. “I had a set just like these,” he said softly, speaking to nobody in particular.

“Those are my favorites!” Braiden said, turning toward Liam. “You can play with them too, if you want!”

Liam turned around to face him, blinking in surprise. He exchanged a look with Reagan that seemed to say, So, he really can see me, before smiling at the little boy and saying, “Thank you, that’s very kind of you.”

“Can we play with them now?” Braiden asked. “There’s enough for all of us!”

Elisa knelt down to be at his eye level and said, “I’m sorry, but my cousin and I have to head out now. It was lovely meeting you, though. You and your mom have been so kind to us, and we really appreciate it.”

As Braiden dropped his head in disappointment, Aislinn appeared in the doorway and said, “They can come back here tonight.” Then, to Elisa and Reagan, she added, “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you’re in Vierdorth. All I ask is that you keep being kind to Braiden and help with cleaning up after meals.”

“Oh, no,” Reagan said, waving his hands out in front of him. “We’ve imposed on you enough as it is.” Elisa nodded her agreement beside him.

“Nonsense, I insist. That bedroom is always empty now; it could do with some use.”

Try as they might, neither Reagan nor Elisa could find a reason to refuse. Satisfied, Aislinn asked again about their plans for their stay, this time without interruption as Braiden had taken to crawling under his bed for some misplaced toy.

“I was hoping to find some books about magic,” Reagan answered. He kept his tone light and curious, despite the knot of anxiety in the pit of his stomach. I have to make this sound convincing. “We rode here on this caravan, and after seeing the amazing barrier that it had, as well as that of this town, it made me want to know more about magic.”

“I’d be curious to learn about it too,” Elisa chimed in. “I saw the town physician heal Alois’s arm with a spell, and it was incredible.” Her sense of wonderment came off far more genuine, much to Reagan’s relief.

Aislinn nodded. “It really is something, isn’t it?” With a gentle laugh, she said, “Makes you wish you could have one of those magic-granting amulets, doesn’t it?” She crossed her arms and rested her cheek in one of her hands.

Reagan froze. He felt his body stiffen and coughed to hide the reaction.

“Magic-granting amulets?” Elisa asked, shifting Aislinn’s attention away from Reagan.

“Haven’t you seen them? Ronan sometimes tucks his away, but Alan always wears it over his uniform like he’s supposed to. He’s quite strict about following the rules, even though the capital mages never visit anymore.”

So that’s what Ulick had meant when he talked about “real mages,” Reagan thought. He isn’t one, and neither is Alan.

“I hadn’t realized that’s how they were performing spells,” Elisa said with a sheepish chuckle.

“Oh yes, deary. It’s quite effective, too. We haven’t seen a capital mage here since Braiden was born. If you want to learn a little about it, we may have some books in the library at the northern edge of town, beside the school. It’s the second largest library, right after the Omstadt one, so I do hope you’ll find something of use there.” She gave them instructions, which Reagan only half listened to.

By the time Reagan and Elisa left Aislinn’s house, Reagan’s head was spinning with all the new information, and he spent the walk to the library trying to piece together everything he knew with what he’d just learned.