'Jack? He falls under the Race of Phantoms now. I took his soul in exchange for the powers of teleportation and other several powers.'
'But you took his soul in exchange?! You're heartless!'
'Come on, my love, do not be so cold towards me. So…' she stared at him in expectancy, her mystical and awkward smile also staring at him, '…are you going to join me or not?'
'Never in a million years. Thanks for opening my eyes, though. I'm going to use these abilities to hammer out monsters like you.' He frowned bitterly at her.
She chuckled for a moment then said, 'I assure you, my love that if you were to try and start a war with me you would not be successful.'
He pretended not to hear the spirit vandalizing words she had just spoken. He put two of his fingers over his mouth, trapped in thought. He was thinking of another question to ask. 'What about the gold, diamonds and rubies in Howard's attic?' he finally asked her.
'It's a deal I had with him,' she answered.
'I thought you made a deal with only his father, Jonas?'
'Come on, give me a break, my love,' she stared at him with a defensive pout, 'I lose track of the people I make deals with no matter how important they are.'
'What was the rhyme you gave him?' he asked her again.
' "Diamonds, rubies and gold I shall give you, but one brave thing you must also do, the biggest sacrifice that can be made, in which of course a life must fade." '
Brendan did not even have to meditate on the rhyme. 'Oh my…You mother of witches! He gave you his life?'
'Okay now, first of all its sor…cer…ess, and secondly, he was to sacrifice a life for those riches.'
'So he chose his life and not mine?' he whispered to himself in grief.
'So that's how he died…suicide? He chose to take his life over any other? How typical of humans. Thinking inside the box as always, ignorant of the extremities of power.'
'One more question. How is it possible that you're four hundred years old but look twenty-five?'
'Seriously, with all these deals I make you think I can't steal someone's age?'
Brendan shook his head slowly in disbelief. He decided he had heard enough. He began heading for the door then he stopped and faced her. 'I want you to do something for me,' he said.
'Anything you want, my love. I like you and something tells me we're going to be spending quality time together.'
'I want you to turn those treasures into gem bills. The Bradwield currency.'
'Done,' she snapped her fingers. 'Oh, and I want you to tell me something,' she gave him a lazy smile, her hands back to the edges of her cauldron.
'My name?' he guessed. He had already opened the door.
She nodded, the lazy smile still on her face.
'Eriksson. Brendan Eriksson.'
'Nice knowing you, Brendan.'
'Likewise…I guess.' He wasn't sure if meeting the Finch had been pleasant.
'Don't forget to think about my offer, my love.'
He left the house with a steady pace. He was confident most of his questions had been answered. Going to school now would only complicate things further. Home was the only option.
He arrived by the exit he had used as an entrance into the forest. Samantha was standing there as if she had been expecting him.
'What do you want from me?' he asked her, a look of disdain hardening his face.
'Brendan, please! Simon's just shouted at me a few minutes ago. I did not set you up with Thomas, he's not even my friend.' She sounded hurt.
This was the first time Brendan had ever seen her without her blazer, her blouse smeared with patches of sweat like she had run all the way. Her long hair, which she had meticulously kept straight, now had every strand going their own separate way.
'That's why you defended him the last time,' he said, 'you're his secret agent spy or something, or maybe his girlfriend.'
She immediately began blushing. 'I am not his girlfriend,' she half shouted, still red in the face. She sighed heavily, 'Brendan, I swear on my life I did not set you up with Thomas. I want you to forgive me and you think I'd ruin that by having you beaten up?'
He looked into her eyes. She had a look similar to the one she had when she had come to apologize to him the first time in the cafeteria. But that had been the same look before Thomas beat him into a puddle of shame before the entire school. But then why would she come all this way just to maintain a lie?
He thought to himself for a brief moment, then he said, 'I believe you.' But he wasn't sure.
Her eyes widened in shock, 'Really! Oh, thank you…' She moved forward with her arms wide open in an attempt to embrace him but he slightly pushed her back with his hand.
'I said I believe you… I never said I forgive you.'
She dropped her arms. 'The fact that you believe me is enough though.' She spread her arms wide again to try and hug him, a smile on her face.
He walked past her, his mind focused on his way home.
'Wait!' she attempted to stop him.
'What now?' The tone in his question carried irritation. He stopped and stared at her, his teeth grinding behind his lips in impatience. The longer he stayed in her presence the more he hated her now, not only because he would remember the carnage her tongue had left in his history; insults and a mob of students laughing at him until their tears of joy began to show, but also because looking into her face just brought back those final seconds he had before Thomas came marching towards his table.
'Can you, uh…' she paused.
'Can I what, Samantha?'
'Can you…Can you walk me home?' she stuttered.