Wizard for Hire

It didn’t take long, screeching around the sparse London streets to St. Paul’s, but those few minutes could have been Felix’s last. I had never in all my life been so worried, scared and panicked. I could think of no other time in my life when the adrenaline had flowed through me so liberally as it did now. Not even when I had broken my right collar bone falling out of a tree, not even when my father was rushed to hospital midway through Christmas dinner 2004, not even when my girlfriend told me she had found someone else.

I drove like a madman, the car let me, the accelerator was loose and sped with ease along the nighttime London roads. Sharon held on tightly, christ knows what she was thinking, not that I cared much right now.

As we reached St. Paul’s, the London nightlife was in full swing; cars, buses and revelry clogged the streets like a fat mans arteries. I weaved as best I could, shouting insults at a hen party crossing the road painfully slowly and wondering if I should just run them over. I sped around them, spun the car onto the pavement and jumped out. A big red bus tooted us loudly as it passed, indicating its displeasure at the idiotic parking. But I didn’t have time to worry about that, we had to find Felix, and find a way to get everyone out of the area.

“Come on!” said Sharon running past the huge statue outside the Cathedral and up the stairs. Upon entering, my first time in St. Paul’s cathedral, I suddenly realised how monstrously huge it was. I mean it was colossal. We both heard the soft singing from the masses inside, casting a calm glow throughout, they had no idea how much danger they were in.

I scrolled my phone to Karen’s name and called it, she answered.

“Karen?” I whispered. “Listen to me, there is a bomb set underneath St. Paul’s cathedral, you need to clear the vicinity.”

I said it was a bomb, for that was their language, she may not have taken my seriously if I had told her a wizard had threatened to blow it up with magic.

For a few seconds she mumbled something about a source, so I just hung up. I had told her, the rest was up to her.

“Felix said we need to get up high,” said Sharon taking herself through a doorway tucked into the stone marked PRIVATE. I ran after her and she explained that, we needed to get a good vantage point that was neither too high nor low. “I took it before when Jonnie and the gang met with the priest, on some business.”

She said some business, as if it were some very dirty business.

The way Sharon led us, struck as some sort of servants passage, for it was tight and narrow. Stone stairs only just wide enough for one and perilously steep, spiralled upwards. The noise of the soft lullaby-like singing got steadily fainter the higher we climbed, which seemed to go on forever, I would have hurried quicker were it not for the fact the one slip could send me to an unfortunate end. It was so steep that when I looked up I saw right up Sharon’s dress, I mean, it wasn’t my fault, I didn’t mean to.

“Where are they?” I said, voicing my concerns to Sharon for I had not heard sight nor sound of any magical duel as of yet.

“I don’t know, but Felix said climb up St. Paul’s so that’s what we will do.”

Eventually we arrived at a small, wooden standing area, with a door in the wall. I was right, this was the servants quarters, for want of a better word, for the window cleaners and decorators to be able to access all parts of the outside walls easily and unhindered from here. The door was quite stiff, so I gave it an extra hard shoulder shove and stepped out onto a stone ledge, it didn’t feel like the safest place to stand.

“There!” cried Sharon pointing down at the clear stone courtyard that I knew to be Paternoster Square. It was a large clear courtyard overlooked from our vantage point. At the north end of the square was a tall column statue, with a golden flame atop it—which looked slightly like a pineapple, but this was the commemorative column built to mark the great fire of London 1666 for the great fire of London and 1940, when this whole area was bombed by the blitz (I know my history).

But why I am telling you this?

Because that’s where I saw him…

The Creep.

He wasn’t hiding exactly, but rather, waiting casually. A few bystanders were sat around the square unaware of the danger they would soon be in.

“Hang on,” I said suddenly in the confusion of it all, having forgotten the most basic of things. “The Creep said he’s going to blow up St. Paul’s?”

“Yeah,” said Sharon.

“Then what are we doing on top of it?”

She looked as shocked as I for a fraction of a moment. In all the confusion, we had somehow gone to the very place that would most likely go up with ten tonnes of magical explosives.

Sharon regained her composure. “The freak said he would only blow it up if Felix didn’t go to him. But he has, so he won’t blow it up now.”

It was hard to argue with such naïvety, if he had threatened to blow it up, then I thought that should be treated with upmost credibility. Annoyance at myself for getting into a situation where I could be blown up coursed through me, how had I managed to forget? Idiot. Oh well, now all I had to do was prey that Felix did what he had to do.

“Where is Felix?” I said, heart quickening.

Sharon pointed over the stone ledge, to the opening of Paternoster Square—there he was, strolling defiantly ahead, torn tuxedo and hair billowing in the wind behind him, wand held by his side like a cowboy’s gun.

The Creep took a step aside from behind the column on spotting Felix. His long grey mac flapped, accosted by a gentle wind. Atop his head a brown gambler hat, which he had bowed, covering his face. He stretched out a leather gloved hand, into it zapped his wand, polished oak wood.

Felix saw the Creep and stopped.

It was a standoff—wizard vs wizard.

“So here I am!” Felix called arms a-wide.

The small smattering of onlookers must have felt the ominous presence, like before a big street fight occurs, you can feel the palpable violent tension pulsing in the air. They certainly picked up on it and started to trot away, out of danger.

“So you are,” said the Creep in his noble and softly spoken voice. Now I knew that it was Edward Rappaport, all the interviews and TV he had done raced into my mind, the talented, handsome, young, ambitious MP running for Prime Minister, loved by all. What a transformation. “Didn’t have much choice though did you? You or 800 innocent slaughtered lives.”

“Don’t put that on me,” Felix called. “That’s on you.”

Edward shook his head. “No, no, it’s on you, because if you hadn’t have started meddling in my plans, we wouldn’t be in this invidious position where I have to threaten you with death and destruction, just to get my property back.”

“Your property?” said Felix as if he highly doubted this possibility—whether he knew the original owner or not, I hadn’t the faintest.

Edward rolled his head as if signalling his opening line of questioning had not worked out and he was disappointed. “I used to be like you, you know,” he said conversationally, taking off his hat and fingering the edges. “All full of drive and ambition, but where does it get you eh? My causes were misplaced, I thought I had the perfect plan and the means to see it through, but when I got to the end I realised how wrong I was. Being the most powerful man in the country or even most of the western world, was not powerful enough to do what I needed to. I hope you understand how frustrating that is. I see the same in you… I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did.”

Felix was not convinced, body language remained stiff and cautious.

Edward put his hat back on and his wand away. “We are not so different, you and I—” Felix snorted rudely which Edward ignored “… we both want the same things.”

“And how do you work that out?” Felix spat.

“Your mistake is that you chase money, when really you should be chasing power. With power, money is irrelevant. Imagine what we could achieve if we became partners.”

Felix laughed hysterically. “Partners?”

“Yes,” said Edwards taking a step forwards. “Imagine it, we could run this whole place. Get our own back on the Magic Council, those ones who have spurned us from entering their magical world of which they are sooo precious.”

“So that’s what this is about?” said Felix. “Revenge.” When Edward didn’t respond, Felix continued. “Of course they won’t let you in, you’re a Creep, you came to magic through a backdoor, you were not invited to study magic, or have any relatives of the wizarding persuasion. You forced entry to the magical world. And why would they let you in when you openly practice black magic?”

“You know nothing of how I came to magic,” Edward said tersely.

“They won’t even let me in and I have magic blood.”

“Exactly, that’s why we should work together!” Edward started walking closer to Felix passionately remonstrating what a great team they would be. “Think about what we could do… we could bring magic back to the people!”

“The people don’t need magic, they’re not ready for it.”

“Ohhhh,” he cooed playfully disappointed. “You sound just like the Magic Council.”

Felix grimaced. “Because they’re right.”

“Let me tell you a story,” said Edward coming closer still with slow methodical footsteps. “When I was a boy, I was unaware of the workings of real magic but I still believed in it, like all small children do, gathered mostly from the fictional books by my bedside and my own imagination. One day, I met an elderly man who introduced himself to me as being a real wizard. This was my first introduction to the world of real magic. He showed me things that were impossible. Of course, no one believed me when I broke his promise and told my family. What an active imagination they said. Later, they would tease me, asking how my imaginary friend was keeping. Well, terrible things occurred… only bad luck it brought me and I vowed to do something about it. To bring down the magic world and reveal it to the rest of the world, the people have a right to know and are intelligent enough to judge it for themselves.”

“You want to reveal the magical world to the ordinary masses? That’s what this is all about?” Felix cried.

“A worthy cause, do you not think?” said Edward, who was now no less than five feet from Felix. “And I will bring to justice those who did ruin my life and make it a misery. And YOU WILL HELP ME!” Edward screamed, springing to action. He grabbed Felix by the throat and in one swift action slammed him to the stone floor. But he didn’t stop, he picked Felix up and smashed him to the ground again, and again and again.

I stood, but Sharon pulled me back down. “Don’t,” she mouthed, it was hard to obey. Edward flexed his muscles as Felix lay clutching his throat. There was a palpable energy around Edward that was unmistakable, you could almost see it fizzing in the air around him.

“I will teach all wizards a lesson for their arrogance.”

Edward raised his wand at Felix, a long strand of silvery line shot out and attached itself to Felix’s stomach. “This is an energy loop, you don’t mind do you? Me using some black magic on you to siphon your magical energy? Thought not.”

Edward had turned nasty, as if all the earlier talk was just bluff.

“Don’t do this,” Felix choked out.

“Too late…” Edward danced away to the middle of the square, silver cord connecting him to Felix. Now, he lowered his wand at the ground and seemed to suck in an almighty breath of air before unleashing his magic.

He screamed with effort, the ground started to rumble. And as the silver cord lit up white hot Felix began to convulse. Sharon was trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t hear her, for as well as the deep rumbling there was a high pitched sound that had enveloped the area. The ground before Edwards feet broke apart, appearing before him was a shiny black stone protruding from the ground. The effort to do what he was doing was clear, his face had gone purple, veins and arteries were popping out of his neck and the silver cord was blinding bright. The black stone raised up fast from the ground high in the sky above until it towered higher even than St. Pauls.

Finally, Edward stumbled backwards, as a momentous black obelisk stood tall and imposing, fizzing with black magic. The silver cord evaporated and fell away. Edward was bent over double regaining his breath, before standing and looking up his apparent masterpiece.

“Couldn’t have done it without you!” he cried at Felix, stumbling backwards and peering up at it. “Your nativity was useful. And now, at the risk of sounding like an evil super-villain… nothing can stop me!”

Felix sat up slowly, clutching his throat. “You’re not a super-villain, you’re just a villain.”

Edward rolled his head. “Huh, and I thought I was the good guy. You’re the one covering for the crimes of the wizarding world, for some strange reason… perhaps you think they will let you in if you stop me? I wondered why you were trying to stop me, it was never for the money was it? You could never get that motivated over money? It’s to gain access to the wizarding world—exactly what I want too…”

Felix stared with sullen eyes and blinked. I couldn’t believe it, Edward was right. That’s what this was all about. That’s what drove Felix. It wasn’t the money, it was never the money, that’s why he was so liberal with spending it in the casino. What he really wanted, above all else… was the same as the Creep… access to the wizarding world.

“So…” said Edward. “The question is, will you give me the ring that you quite clearly have.” Edward waited expectantly. “This can pan out one of two ways and I am kind enough to give you the choice… you can give the ring of power to me and I look upon you favourably, perhaps even leaving open the offer of becoming partners and getting what we both want—access to the wizarding world.”

“Never.”

Edward shook his head, deeply disappointed. “Look at how powerful I am,” he said pointing up at the black obelisk. “You know what this is right?”

“I do, and I know there’s no going back for you now,” Felix eased himself to his feet gingerly. “You’ve done so much black magic, it must be coursing through your veins. How much of you is even you anymore?”

“What do you mean?”

“How many memories can you remember? Are they becoming feint?” said Felix, as Edward couldn’t find the words to reply. “That’s because the black magic is consuming you—no doubt others are working through you to destroy the wizarding world…”

“So WHAT!” Edward cried. “The second choice, is that I just kill you and take the ring.”

“Why do you want the ring so badly?” said Felix standing slightly slumped. “To get unrestricted access into the wizarding world right? And use the black obelisks to destroy it.”

“Yes,” said Edward. “But let me add a caveat to the second choice… I won’t just kill you. I will do what I did to that idiot man who thought he was a gangster, except he squealed like a kitten when I cut his head off… I cursed him.”

“I know.”

“And I will do the same to you. Imagine that, a fate worse than death, an eternity in purgatory, in the NetherWorld with all those creatures and no way out. And what’s even better… I can use your energy at any time I need to. Now tell me which choice seems the better one to you?”

Felix’s face went ashen for a moment, he looked terrified.

“Or, you could join me. You obviously have some very useful skills and great power, if a little moralistic, but I’m being picky. Imagine, we can run both our worlds in our own way. I will be Prime Minister of the U.K. and the leader of the Magic Council, and usher in a new dawn of wizards and humans living side-by-side. I will build a better world.”

“You’re living in a dangerous fantasy world, you will bring more misery and death, like you have already!”

With that, Felix brought his wand up. Instantly, as if a grenade went off beneath the ground, concrete and stone expelled upwards. Edward flew backwards through the air like rag-doll, but managed to self-right himself and land on his feet, with wand already outstretched three blasts of fire burst from the end of his wand.

In front of Felix sprung a thick wall of water, sending the fireballs up in a cloud of steam. But before they had even vanished, Felix was crouched to the floor, holding onto his wand with two hands—the commemorative column with the golden flame, ruptured from its base, tipped up like a baseball bat and went crashing down towards Edward. He jumped out of the way, just in time as the column, appearing to be held by some invisible giant, swung at him. Edward rolled out of it’s way with a frustrated grunt. All of a sudden a thick, heavy fog fell upon the square. Edward, being suddenly hidden, meant Felix couldn’t direct the column, so it fell with an almighty crash!

“You really are an idiot…” Edward screamed through the fog. “Not only will I kill you with a fate worse than death, but you have just condemned 800 innocent people too!”

Then, Edward’s voice changed, becoming far deeper and dripping with danger. “They will join you in the NetherWorld.”

High up above us, I heard an ominous crack. In the cathedral roof, a large crack had appeared in the stone. Oh christ. He was going to blow it up anyway. And we were halfway up it.

I saw Felix’s wand raise above the fog and the next second, a ball of fire, like a miniature sun evaporated the mist in an instant. But the Creep was nowhere to be seen.

Sharon’s hand reached mine, I could feel her heart beating from here.

The cracking above us was getting worse, the cathedral dome seemed to be rupturing. “Felix!” Sharon cried, pointing up at the crack in the dome. Felix spotted us, looked annoyed and pointed his wand upwards. He grimaced, holding the wand with two hands again, as he fought against the spell that was about to kill 800 innocent lives.

“Too moralistic!” Edwards voice cried. “People die all the time, their time is now!”

A shot of black electricity burst out from the obelisk. Capturing Felix in the abdomen, he buckled over in pain as the dome above continued to crack.

“What black magic is this?” Felix cried as Edward appeared for half a second at most sending a spell at Felix, who blocked it, before he disappeared again laughing.

“Join me and I’ll tell you.” Edward appeared, this time whole again directly behind Felix. From a foot away, Edwards wand suddenly expanded to the size of a staff and lit up bright blue. He raised it, about to stab Felix through the back!

“FELIX!” I screamed. He jolted and spun around.

I acted fast. Sharon following suit, as hard as we could, we threw the cufflinks at the Creep. The cufflinks sailed across the square high and true… but expecting them to burst into magical life, we watched as they trickled to the floor. There was no magic in them. And in that moment, I realised, they were not magic, he had only given them to us to appease. The cufflinks did nothing. Sharon shared my look of anguish.

Edward recovered from the distraction, and aimed his lit wand. Quicker than I’ve even seen anyone move, Felix extended his own wand which lit up gold into the size of a staff, launching it in front of him to parry Edwards almost fatal, stab.

Edward came at him again, Felix stepping back with the ferociousness of Edwards slashing. His wand casting blue glows which hung in the air as he hacked and slashed at Felix.

“GIVE ME THE RING OR YOU AND YOUR PATHETIC FRIENDS ALL DIE!”

Felix was taken aback by the fury of Edward, and soon enough was pinned down against the wall with no way out. Edward’s lit wand coming closer and closer to Felix’s neck.

“Why?” Edward cried. “Why fight me? Why?”

“Because, it’s the…” Felix pushed back, but Edward was too strong. “Right. Thing. To. Do.”

Edward gave a final push, his blue lit wand touched Felix’s neck. He let out an almighty scream of agony.

“AHHHH!” before slumping back against the wall and trying to scramble away. Muscles twitching and failing him.

Edward hit Felix’s legs causing him to scream again. Then again and again and again, followed by agonising screams.

“You could never beat me, so why bother?” Edward cried. “Now, all I do is prize the ring from your cold, dead, hands and you go to hell with all those who you let be killed.”

He slammed the lit wand into Felix’s stomach. “AHHHH!” Felix screamed. I felt pain all over having to watch him be tortured like this when there was nothing I could do.

“Where. Is. The. Ring?!” Edward screamed into Felix’s face.

But Felix was in no position to talk. He was shuddering and panting on the floor. Unable, seemingly to move.

“The dog?” said Edward, swishing his wand into the sky as Harry the dog appeared, encased inside a large bubble. “Inside a void I see,” he said taking out a small bell from his pocket. “We’ll soon have him out of there.”

He rang the bell and the bubble burst. Harry the dog fell to the floor and started barking ferociously at Edward. The man who killed his owner.

A scalpel appeared in Edwards hand. He wasn’t? Edward picked up Harry by the neck and raised the scalpel above him. “If it’s inside the dog, then I must get it out…”

“No,” Felix mumbled. Suddenly, the scalpel flew out of Edwards hand. “It’s not inside him. I’ve got it. But if you want it. You have to let everyone else go. You can kill me, but no one else.”

Edward smiled before putting Harry down who ran away behind a column. “It seems we have a deal.”

Felix had given up. He could fight no longer. He was no where near as powerful enough to beat Edward. “Stop St. Paul’s falling,” said Felix.

“Okay,” said Edward raising his wand at the cathedral above us, the crack in the dome stopped.

All of a sudden, we heard police sirens and flashing lights.

“Christ!” Edward screamed annoyed but not worried. He stopped down and picked up Felix.

Karen and Bob came running into the square. “Put him down,” Karen cried.

“Or what?” Edward snorted and with Felix in his arms, bent his legs and jumped. He took off like a spring, landing halfway up St. Paul’s. Armed police now stormed into the square after Karen and Bob who watched along with us.

I suppressed shouting took your time! At them. I couldn’t anyway, I was too busy watching the mutant wizard, high on black magic now scaling the side of St. Paul’s cathedral, until he reached the peak, atop the dome. What was he doing?

“Karen!” I screamed, she looked up and saw us. “You need to start getting people out of the cathedral!”

She nodded. “Already on it!” as I looked down, I saw people being led out looking quite confused. But when they stepped back and saw the crack in the dome, they soon realised how dangerous this was.

“You need to get down!” screamed Bob.

“He’s right,” I said to Sharon.

She looked at me with her big, beautiful eyes, I couldn’t believe it. She’d known him literally five minutes and she was in love with him. How was that even possible? “We can get up there, and help him.”

I looked for a long moment and nodded.

Sharon pushed the door open and climbed back inside the spiralling staircase, continuing upwards. “We need to be extra quiet, if he spots us, we’re dead…” I said.

Sharon took her heels off. My heart beat like the clappers. But this was the time to be brave. We raced up the stairs, against my better judgement, faster than I ever would have until, we reached the stone gallery—an outside viewing platform surrounding the dome. It was as high as we could get, as I could see no other way up to the tiny tower atop the dome. I nearly had a heart attack as I looked over the edge and saw the view. London spread out below, vast and moving, like an living organism. I felt the wind whip my hair violently as Sharon pointed upwards, Edward was bent over with Felix in his arms.

“What’s he going to do?” said Sharon in a small voice.

I didn’t answer, I literally had no idea.

He was sitting the other side with his back to us. Edward talking to Felix in a soft voice I couldn’t make out. But no less than fifteen feet away. Sharon fixed me with a firm expression, she didn’t know what to do either. At that moment, the wind died down and I could hear him speaking.

“I’m putting this over your neck now, to stop you doing any more magic.” I saw Edward putting some kind of pendant necklace around Felix’s neck. “I don’t want you doing magic and miraculously surviving the fall now do I?” Edward laughed. “You’re the only one who can stop me.”

Then, quick as flash and without any time to react, Edward raised Felix into the air high above him. “Where is the ring Felix?”

Felix hung over the precipice. “I won’t give it to you.”

“We had a deal.”

Sharon suddenly burst past me, and ran towards them. “Felix, don’t be so stupid! Just give him the ring!”

“Sharon!” I cried. “No!”

For Edward it looked like Christmas had come early. “Your friends are here,” he smiled. “How lovely.”

“Just give it to him and live!” Sharon screamed choking back the tears. This was her plan was it?

“Would you care to tell me where it is?” said Edward expectantly. “I will let him live if you do so.”

Felix floated up and down over the edge of the tower, Edward demonstrating his power over Felix’s life. “It’s on his right hand!” she cried.

“No!” I screamed.

Edward reached out and inspected Felix’s right hand, waving his wand over it. Sure enough, the silver ring sparkled into existence. “Thank you very much,” he said plucking it from Felix’s limp finger.

“No…” Felix mumbled as Edward pocketed the ring.

“You’ve got what you came for!” I cried. “Now let him go!”

Edward smiled. “As you wish.”

As he lowered his wand, the spell keeping Felix floating in mid-air stopped. Felix, who was hovering over the side of the tower and now with nothing to support him… fell.

“NOO!” I screamed into the wind. My best friend fell over the ledge and out of sight, plummeting towards the ground. Screams from the square rang high and shrill at the sight. I felt Sharon grab me against her as uncontrollable emotion took over me. I pushed her away and burst through the door, jumping the spiral staircase down the square with no regard for my own safety.

Running into the square, I saw the crowd gathering around him. Karen and Bob pushing their way through and calling for paramedics. Pain, like nothing else ripped through my chest. I thought I might feint or fall. Sharon caught me up and we walked, pushing through the crowds of onlookers to the wizard. Past Karen and Bob, there he lay motionless. For the first time since I’d known him—quiet.

I slumped to my knees before him, pulling the bloody hair out of his face. Around his neck was the pendant, I snapped it off and stared high above at Edward who reciprocated my sorrowful stare.

I didn’t care about that monster, all I cared about was my friend. Harry, the dog, whined softly beside me, approaching Felix and licking his face. “I know,” I said softly taking him in my arms. “Say goodbye.” Harry looked at me and whined again.

I felt numb and as dead inside as Felix, laid out colder than the stone beneath him. Paramedics rushed through and ran through their protocol.

Karen had her head resting on Bob’s shoulder, a rare sign of emotion. “Do you believe him now?” my voice croaked.

There was a series of flashes from above, atop St. Paul’s, four pops and bursts of light— wizards had now surrounded Edward. Dressed in long black coats they raised their wands at him. Edward was still fussing with the silver ring, seemingly unable to get it work. Then, giving up, he raised his hands into the air. We all thought this was in surrender. Far from it. He sprang into the air like a robotic kangaroo, landing on the building opposite in a cloud of dust. The wizarding protectorates gave chase across the rooftops and ran out of sight. The sound of crashing spells over Paternoster Square filled the sad night air.

Four more columns of light behind us signalled more wizards. I didn’t look up. The first two were Harper and Bland, who along with two others zapped through the crowd to Felix’s feet.

“We’re Healers,” they said together, then to clarify. “We’re wizard paramedics.”

They began to raise their wands over Felix in a strange fashion. Harper and Bland, the other two wizards I recognised put their arms on my shoulders in a consoling fashion.

“We’ve got our best protectorates bringing the Creep in.”

“Bit late now isn’t it?” I said. “Where were you an hour ago!” I cried.

Sharon rested her head on my shoulder as we watched the wizarding healers raise a blanket over Felix.

Sharon whispered in my ear. “He’s a hero.”

“He’s a dead hero.” I corrected her.

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