Jeffery didn't understand Eviar, he was totally in love with Nora and still he didn't want to be with her all the time. Still he could understand why he didn't follow her into the store that sold underwear, that was a pity, but understandable. Jeffery sat on a stone bench his face focused on the large fountain. It was a beautiful piece of art, he loved to see it even when he was little. Tossing a small bronze acorn into the waters and doing a wish. He smiled at the memories, does were the times when he thought that he was being loved. But he knew now that it was all a lie. They never loved him, at least not the real him. He still remembered his father's face when he told him that he didn't love girls. At least not on a romantic level. He loved his sister, the only one who still talked to him. He sighed, a boy run towards the fountain and threw an acorn in the water. Jeffery raised his hand, the water started to dance near the boy. Little swans swum around the boy's acorn, dolphins made out of water, jumped up and disappeared back into the water. The smile that appeared on the little boy's face was priceless, the boy turned towards someone and pointed towards the water. An older woman walked towards the boy, and she started to laugh when she saw the animals made of water. Jeffery didn't pay much attention to the woman, at least not at first. The grin on his face disappeared when he looked into the woman's eyes. The woman looked at him and the joy died down. She walked with big steps towards him.
"Oh boy." He said. Eviar looked at him and then at the woman.
"Who is she?" Eviar asked. But the woman stood in front of them, before Jeffery could answer.
"Jeffery." The woman said, while she folded her arms. "Your father and I told you to stay away from our family." Jeffery lowered his head.
"I didn't know..." Jeffery said.
"You didn't know." She snapped at him. "You didn't know that we have adopted a boy, one that hopefully those not disappoint us." She snapped. Jeffery looked around and saw that the boy still eyed the water.
"Is that my little brother Michell?" He asked.
"He is not your brother, because you are no longer our son." His mother snapped at him. The black pit in his heart only widened even more. He had heard from his sister, that his parents had adopted a young boy. He was glad to know that he had a little brother, but now that he saw his replacement. It hurt. "And who is this, your latest flame?" His mother looked at Eviar.
"No, he is my teacher." Jeffery said. "Eviar Summers, this is the woman who gave birth to me. Amara Night." His mother looked at Eviar and pulled up her lip.
"Why is he teaching you?" His mother asked.
"I am a senior student, and a master hunter." Eviar replied. "I do not have to tell Madam Night what that means." Jeffery's mother shook her head. "Master Goodwing, thinks that Jeffery can learn more from me than from him." Jeffery's mother narrowed her eyes.
"So you are not even good enough to be taught by the master himself. Why does that not surprise me?" His mother said.
"Madam Night, that is not it. Jeffery is a great wizard and has almost reached the master level for all the elements. But knowing the spells is not all that there is to know. That is why I am teaching Jeffery." Eviar answered for him, Jeffery could hear in his voice that he didn't like the way that Jeffery's mother implied that Jeffery was weak. His mother looked once mote at Jeffery.
"I will call Master Goodwing, and I will tell him that we are no longer paying for your education." His mother turned away. "Ohh and do not spend all your acorns at once, because we are cutting you off." She said over her shoulder. She walked back to Michell and took the boy with him. Jeffery lowered his head and sighed.
"Jeffery?" Eviar asked. Jeffery sat down and cursed.
"Now I need to hunt Necromancers, if I want to stay." He said. Eviar sat next to him, Jeffery didn't want to look at him. He didn't want to see the rejection in Eviar's eyes. Or if it was not rejection it would be pity.
"So that is why you never go home, or never speak about your family. You are playing for the other team." Eviar said and Jeffery nodded. "Why didn't you tell me this?"
"I made that mistake once, with my parents. And you see how that turned out." Jeffery said. "I didn't even tell Master Goodwing."
"Well he will hear it from your mother." Eviar said and Jeffery groaned. He thanked his lucky star when his father had offered to pay for his studies, after it became clear that he had a great magical talent.
"It is maybe strange, but I really hate my parents. They made me believe that there was something wrong with me, after I told them." Jeffery said.
"But there is nothing wrong with you." Nora said. Jeffery looked up and saw her standing next to him. In her hand two large bags from two different stores. He knew that one was from the store that sold underwear, and he thought that the other was from the drugstore. "You know in my Coven we didn't reject anyone, not even when they come out of the closet." Nora said. Eviar opened his mouth, clearly he wanted to say something. But he changed his mind and shot his mouth. Jeffery nodded.
"Thank you, Nora. It means a lot." Jeffery said. More than he can say out loud.
"Well I believe I have everything I need to survive." Nora said, she lifted the two bags. "I went to the drugstore." She said. Eviar nodded, stood up and reached for the bags. "I can carry my own bags." She said. Eviar nodded, but picked up the bags with her clothing and shoes.
"He is a true gentleman, if he wants to." Jeffery said. Nora nodded and giggled. "But so can I." He offered her his arm and she took it.
"I am really sorry about your family." She said.
"It is not your fault, they are just..." Jeffery didn't know what to call them.
"Not seeing how friendly, helpful and strong you are." Nora said. He was not going for that, he was going to say something awful. About his parents, not about himself.
"Thank you, Nora. You are a good friend." He said and Nora gave him a smile.
"You know what my father used to say?" Nora asked. Jeffery shook his head, that would be imposible. He didn't know her father. "No of course not, you never met him. But that is now not the point. He always told me that every person had two families. One they are born in, and one of their choosing. The one of their choosing is made out of friends." Jeffery smiled.
"Well Nora, that means that you are now part of my second family." He said. "Eviar too!" He said a bit louder. Nora smiled at him.
"I am honored." She said.
