Helen Speaks

Olive Framley Entry 10, 18th June.

Dear Talia,

I went out the other day and saw Maksym, Lucy’s young witch friend  with weather powers, was walking along by the cliffs with his father. They were some way ahead of me and his father was walking at a usual pace but Maksym kept darting back.

I realised he was trying to practise making the rocks fly, like I had taught him. He didn’t notice me, being intent on not letting his father notice, and he even furtively slipped off one of his training bands to get the spell to work better.

I didn’t know if I felt proud or responsible, Talia. I decided to catch up with them.

I was going to say a smart “good morning” to his father, but Maksym eventually spotted me and squealed excitedly “Olive!”

His father turned at this, and Maksym said, “Tato, this is Olive! She is a miracle, like me!”

It was a little hard to maintain my poise as Maksym was squeezing me around the waist, but I did my best. “Ah, you must be Maksym’s father – I’m Olive Framley… A colleague of Lucy.”

I liked ‘colleague’ but it turned out that he didn’t speak a lot of English. He did smile at the mention of Lucy. She seems to have met a lot of people while she’s been here, Talia. Can I confess that I worry she’s a better witch than I – at least in terms of networking?

“Has he been doing a lot of magic?” I asked him.

“Oh no,” the man said. “Maksym good boy. No magic until older.”

He gestured to the training bands that Lucy made for Maksym, who held one arm out while hiding the other where he’d loosened it. “These keep magic away.”

Maksym nodded in apparent obedience, giving me a wide-eyed look. He knew that I knew, and he hoped I wouldn’t say anything.

Poor kid. Imagine having your powers stunted like that! I know that Lucy hadn’t completed cut off his magic, but I wasn’t sure she’d made the right choice. It seemed like Maksym’s father just wanted to keep him small. I know what that feels like, Talia. It seems my mother does too.

Then, later today, Firenze surprised me again. I have long given up expecting my book on Chinese Water Dragons to explain anything that Firenze does, but today he really exceeded himself. He brought my little witch friend Maksym with him on one of his magical portal journeys!

Maksym didn’t even seem surprised – he’d spotted Firenze and followed him. He said that he’d told his father he’d gone to his friend’s to play, in the same block where he lives… but he’d snuck out to play by himself outside instead.

And he was carrying this grubby little fur bundle that turned out to be a kitten. “I found him, by the bin! He’s all alone. But he likes me… I think he wants to be my cat… like a hag’s cat.”

“Witch’s cat,” I said. “We’re witches. And that’s a good thing.”

The poor thing was frightened but it did seem very taken with Maksym, who didn’t even flinch as it clung on with its sharp little claws.

A pet is a lot of responsibility, I thought.

“We should take him to a vet or an animal shelter,” I said.

Maksym shook his head. “He found me. He wants me. I’m going to look after him.” He paused, looked at his feet diffidently, then took a deep breath. “Will you help me? I’ll learn from you. I’ll do whatever you tell me. Tato doesn’t want me to do magic but I…”

“You have to?” I asked him, “Because it feels like it has to burst out of you?”

“Yes. Yes, you understand. Please, Olive… I don’t just want to be a miracle. I want to be a hag.”

“A witch. Yes.”

“And… Can Pompom stay here?”

He peeled the kitten off his chest and gave him to me. I was a little less than impressed by this.

“He needs food and company – and I already have a familiar…” I gestured to Firenze, who was casually shedding a layer of scales while sipping water.

“Please Olive?”

He looked at me with his big blue eyes and I knew I was sunk.

I didn’t dream I’d be a mentor this soon, but this boy clearly needs me.

I needed to clear my head, so I went out and practised the weight altering spell a bit more. I think I’ve mastered it now and can reliably not make rocks float away – it’s going in the spellbook.

I feel like I have an apprentice, Talia. This changes everything.

Yours sincerely,

Olive.