The Lost Chronicles

Rippling Waves Cont

 

Natasha was stealing the can opener from me – they were evil, but I could manage – when there was a knock on the door. Confused, and clearly seeing Mrs McKraken on the other side of the property through the window, I let Natasha take the can opener and went out into the hall to the front door.

 

I pulled it opened and was greeted with the sight of a damp boy. I blinked. “Oh, um, hi.” I craned my head back, which caused my bun to come loose. “Nat! It’s Nick the nix nokken.” I looked at him. “Sorry, that’s just fun to say.” There was a clatter as Natasha dropped what she held and stuck her head out into the hall.

 

“What does he want?” she asked.

 

I raised my eyebrows. “Well? You wanna come in and talk or are you here to distract us before you family kills us?”

 

Nick stepped just inside. “I thought I’d tell you what happened. They’ve decided animals are okay, after much grumbling. They’re already having to mess around with details due to the sudden lack of shrooms, so in comparison it’s not too big a deal to change human to animal. I think my mum was impressed by how you guys, well, Avalon, stood up to her without quaking in fear.”

 

“I’d call that out as rude,” Natasha said, “but I was seriously terrified.”

 

“I don’t blame you,” I said. “Well, that’s good news, that no one will be drowned. Thanks for telling us.”

 

Nick smiled. “It’s no trouble. I thought you should know.”

 

“Yeah, well like I’ve said before, thanks. You want to come in? We’re about to make dinner, not that that’s impressive . . .”

 

He thought about it for a moment. “Sure. Why not? It’d be cool to hang out without people for once. I can’t exactly make friends being a nokken.”

 

I stood aside to let him walk past me and shut the door. Natasha was looking at me like I was out of my mind, but didn’t say anything. “Just don’t soak the furniture,” I told him. “Or we’re gonna have an issue with you being permanently damp.”

 

Back in the kitchen, I turned the stove on and we got to fixing dinner. Our nokken guest wasn’t exactly helpful in that regards. Somehow, it seemed like my friends in Misty Crossing had doubled, but only one of them was human. This town was turning everything on its head, and I felt the strangeness wasn’t done. After all, there were those magical notebooks.

 

No, as I set the table, I knew the mysteries and magic weren’t done by a long shot.