Jake dug his feet in and, for a second, broke mine and Julie's grip and started turning around. I got a firm grip on Jake's arm and started dragging him along as he mildly resisted, his gaze still fixed on Jasmine. Julie was pulling her best to the door into the Doctor's office.
As we burst in, the gnome receptionist sitting at the front desk looked confused and shocked. Every set of eyes from every other patient in the room was fixed on us. She adjusts her glasses and looks at us with confusion and concern. "Is everything alright?" she asks, eyeing Jake, who is still struggling against my grip up to the point that the door closed behind us.
"Don't know. I think my idiot brother fell in love," Julie says, her voice firm.
The gnome receptionist nodded understandingly. "Oh, the dryads? Yeah, the young ones don't have a firm grip on their powers, and...well, I'll put a note in your file for the Doctor to take a look."
Strangely, Jake stopped resisting and seemed just sad since the door closed, so I let go of him to see what he would do. He just stood there sighing deeply every few seconds.
The gnome receptionist looked at the screen on her desk and said, "I'll take you back to see the doctor."
Another patient pipped up, "We were here first?"
The Gnome snapped, "No, Karen, they checked in a few hours ago and accepted an early appointment if they could come here quickly, which they did, so" taking a deep breath, she seemed to regain her composure a bit, "sit down, and wait your walk in turn." Turning to us, she said, "Please follow me."
As we followed the gnome receptionist down a long corridor with several doors on either side, a feeling of unease sunk in my stomach. The walls were a dull grey, and the lighting was dim and a strange blue, giving the place an eerie feel.
The gnome receptionist led us to the last door on the left, which was a plain door like any hospital, but next to it was a scary-looking wooden door that looked more fit to be in a castle. I shivered at the sight of it, and I could see Julie looking just as uncomfortable as I was.
The gnome receptionist noticed our discomfort and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about that door. It's just the living quarters. It's enchanted and warded to only allow people who live there to enter and exit. The Doctor's office is right here."
She opened the plain door, and we stepped into a cozy room with a comfortable couch, a small coffee table, and a desk with a computer. Diplomas were hanging on the wall, and a few plants scattered around the room. On one side, there was a curtain that was open, and an examination or operation table was there.
The witch doctor was old and wrinkly, but there was a sense of stalwart strength in her. Her glasses perched on the edge of her nose, and her grey hair was pulled back tightly into a bun. She wore a white coat, and a stethoscope hung around her neck. As we entered the room, she looked up from her computer and gave us a kind smile.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Agatha Blackwood. What brings such a cute family in today in today?" she asked, gesturing to the couch for us to take a seat.
I cleared my throat and spoke up. "Actually, we were here originally for Julie here, but on our way here, her brother Jake seemed to be affected by something. He's been acting strangely, and we were hoping you could have a quick look at him while we're here," I said, hoping it didn't sound too urgent.
Dr. Blackwood blinked at me and looked at the Gnome about to leave. "Dear, what is he talkin' about?"
The Gnome looked over her shoulder. "You know the young dryads can barely keep their powers under control, their egos in check, and their sadism out of their pleasure centers of the brain..." The Gnome looked at us, realizing what she sounded like. "I put a note in the girl's chart, it should be available on your computer. To my untrained eye, it looks like dryad charms." She shrugged and turned back to leave
The Doctor scowled. "Thanks, dear. Those dryads need to be restricted till they mature." She smirked and added under her breath, "Not that I complain about the referrals."
Dr. Blackwood nodded, her playful. "Ok, let's start with the freebie," she said, looking to her desk to grab a medical wand and a strange-looking stone-looking tablet.
I nodded and watched as Dr. Blackwood walked over to the couch across from us and sat in the middle, across from Jake, sandwiched between me and Julie. She had a playful and familial glint in her eyes. With a smile, she strangely gripped the wand between her pinkie and ring finger and pointed it at Jake. A magic shimmer came from the wand and enveloped Jake as the Doctor started looking down at the stone tablet.
After a few seconds, Dr. Blackwood stopped waving the wand and examined the stone tablet. "Yep, that horney drayd charmed this poor boy," she said, with a sigh. "Well, later on, you should get a dispel charm or, better yet, a protection charm like the one on your wrist." She gestured to my wand bracelet. "But for now, let's clean this gunk out of his system."
She pointed her wand at Jake again, and a pale blue lighting jumped out and hit Jake in the forehead, causing him to fall backward. Julie screamed, but Jake just as quickly sat up straight and looked around. "Is that what love feels like?"
As Jake sat there with a dazed expression on his face, Julie let out a frustrated sigh and punched him in the arm. "What is wrong with you, Jake? You can't just go around letting dryads charm you like that," she scolded him, making Dr. Blackwood laugh.
"Looks like he's all good now. And dear, stay away from dryads.," she said before turning to her tablet to write up some notes and muttered, "At least without protection."
The Doctor turned to Julie and asked, "And what about you, dear? Was it it that's been bothering you?" Her voice was kind and gentle, disarming any defenses possible.
Julie looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers. "I don't know. It's just that I started doing strange things..." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dr. Blackwood nodded thoughtfully. "Did you get into drugs, dear?"
Julie's head snapped up, and she yelled. "NO! Why would you ask that?"
Dr. Blackwood leaned forward, her expression smiling. "To see your reaction, deary."
Julie balled her fists, her eyes filling with tears. "Why," she whispered.
I saw a shimmering start forming in her hands. Worry started balling up in the pit of my stomach again. I started putting manna into a defensive spell in the bracelet and the summon spell for my wand.
The Doctor glanced at me disapprovingly, and I realized this was her plan. I let the manna drain out of the magic circles, waiting to see what happened next.
Jake's face started to tense up. I could see his jawline get hard, and his fists also balled up, just like Julie's, but without the magic. But before he could say anything or, worse, do anything, I put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. I could feel the tension in his muscles, and I knew he was ready to jump to Julie's defense any second now.
Meanwhile, Julie had started crying outright, her sobs echoing through the small room. Her anger boiled over, and she pointed a finger at the Doctor and lashed out with magic.
I didn't blink, but I didn't notice the Doctor put up a defensive spell or anything. Julie's magic just fizzled out, and she clutched her hands together in front of her chest, biting back tears, and crying loudly.
Dr. Blackwood sighed and pointed her wand at Julie; the same shimmer surrounding Jake a few minutes earlier engulfed her. The Doctor looked down at her tablet and sighed. The shimmer disappeared, and she looked up at Julie with sadness in her eyes. She used a retrieve spell to bring a box from of tissues from the shelf and place it in front of Julie.
The Doctor then started muttering an incantation that I didn't recognize while holding the wand straight virticle. She held it there for a few seconds, glancing at her tablet before lowering the wand. I could see the shimmer of magic surrounding everyone. I felt a calm wash over me, and Julie's and her sobs subsided into soft hiccups.
"Sorry, dear. That's just a calming charm. You've been under a lot of stress lately, and it's making it harder for you to control your magic," the Doctor explained gently.
Julie nodded, still sniffling. "I just don't understand why this is happening to me," she whispered.
Dr. Blackwood put a hand on Julie's shoulder. "These things happen often, dear. But we can work through it together."
Jake sat up straight, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the Doctor. His jaw was tense, and I could see the veins in his neck pulsing. His fists were still balled up, but now they were resting on his knees. His body language was defensive as if he was ready to pounce at any moment.
"Doctor, do you know what's wrong with Julie?" he asked, his voice low, tense and scared.
I also felt myself tense up as the Doctor looked at us. It was strange what her eyes looked like. Her facial expression was soft, almost like she was looking at her grandchildren and about to offer a lolly pop. This disarmed both me and Jake on the spot.
The Doctor's soft expression suddenly changed as she summoned a small tin box on her desk, dropping it with a ringing thud on the coffee table between the couches. She opened it and pulled out a cigarette, placing it between her lips. She then took it out and placed it back in the box, seemingly changing her mind.
With a deep sigh, the Doctor turned to Julie and spoke. "Julie, I'm afraid this is a common problem with Mutts," she said, her voice tinged with sadness. "Your magic is...well, first it's delayed, then it's unstable, then it's hard to control... basically, this sort of thing happens a lot for half-breeds between mundanes and magical."
I could see the look of confusion and hurt on Julie's face. She clearly didn't like being referred to as a Mutt. I couldn't blame her; it's not exactly a pleasant term. "Maybe you could be a bit more nice? Bedside manner and all that."
The Doctor noticed Julie's expression and looked at me with an annoyed facial expression. "I'm 300 plus years old, and the only reason I know it's over 300 is because the year starts with a 20, not a 19 now. I don't keep up with all of your modern political correctness and modern sensibilities." She huffed, reaching for the tin of cigarettes with her right hand but slapping it with her left and pulling back with a frustrated sigh. She looked softly at Julie and quickly clarified. "I don't mean it as an insult, Julie. It's just a term we use for someone who is a mixture of magical and non-magical blood. It's not uncommon, but it does make it harder to control your magic. The technical term would be Homo Sapiens-Magicas, but that's a mouthful."
She incredulously at me, then turned back to Julie and continued softly, "For half-breeds, the magic usually starts shortly after puberty, maybe 6 or so months. I'm sure your mom talked to you about the regular bloody stuff. But for half-breeds, it's about as often a need to talk about the magic stuff as a roll of a 20-sided die. Maybe six percent." she muttered. "Not that the institutes will study it with any seriousness, those dip-shit idiots!"
Jake balked. "Ma'am, She's 12!"
She looked at him with a frown. "Yeah, yeah, tell her mother I'm old and crotchety. A shiny gold coin says she'll guess I looked Julie over." Turning to Julie, she added, "Did you talk to your mother about any of this? She should have given you the same information and sent you to me for more details."
Julie shook her head slowly, her eyes downcast, and I could see a hint of fear in her expression. Jake and I looked at each other, uncomfortable and unsure what to say. I saw Jake shift in his seat, his body tense and fidgety.
Finally, Julie whispered, "I was afraid to talk to my mom about it." Her voice was barely audible, and I strained to hear her.
The Doctor's expression turned from sympathetic to one of surprise mixed with annoyance. She looked back and forth between Jake and me, her eyebrows raised and her lips pursed. I could feel her irritation radiating off of her.
"Did neither of you idiots think to talk to Julie's mother about this?" she scolded us. "You two should be adults by now. You are responsible for ensuring that she receives the proper guidance and care for her magical abilities. It's not something to be taken lightly. This is a serious matter, and she should have been informed about the risks and difficulties of being a Mutt."
I could feel a flush of embarrassment and shame creeping up my neck. I shifted in my seat, avoiding the Doctor's gaze. On the other hand, Jake straightened up in his seat, his eyes narrowing.
"We were just doing what Julie wanted," he said defensively.
The Doctor's annoyance only seemed to increase at Jake's response. She leaned forward in her chair, her eyes flashing with anger and something darker. "And what Julie wants is irrelevant regarding her safety and well-being. That's not even talking about the safety and well-being of everyone around her. What if she lashed out and killed her dad or some random person or animal," she retorted sharply. "You both are adults taking orders from a twelve-year-old!"
I could see the tension in Jake's jaw as he gritted his teeth, his hands clenched into fists. His whole body seemed to be on edge. I could feel my own frustration mounting at the Doctor's scolding, but I knew she was right. We should have talked to Julie's mother.
Julie jumped up in our defense. "Don't talk to them like that. They were helping me!"
The Doctor turned her head slowly towards Julie, cocking it to the side as if surprised by her outburst. She looked at Julie for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, a loud, hearty sound that echoed through the room.
I was taken aback by the sudden shift in the atmosphere, unsure of how to react. Jake looked at the Doctor incredulously, his eyebrows raised in confusion. Julie looked relieved, her shoulders relaxing as she smiled at the Doctor.
The Doctor wiped a tear from her eye, still chuckling to herself. "Oh, Julie, you got the same fire your mom has. That muscle-brained barbarian refused to become a witch doctor, instead choosing to copy her dad and become a battle mage, for all the good that did for her," she said, her voice light and jovial. "But to deal with the problem, your main thing right now is a safe outflow of magic. I'll draw you up a dispel and manna drain circle. If you ever feel like you're losing control, put your hands on it and focus on the circle."
Julie pulled the circle I drew for her out of her pocket and showed it to the Doctor.
The Doctor's face went through a gamete of emotions as she examined the circle closely. Finally, she looked up and said. "This is decent. Not perfect, but usable. I'll make you a better one. Where did you get this, and why didn't you use it when I provoked you earlier."
Julie looked down at the ground and mumbled, "John drew it, and I forgot."
The Doctor nodded approvingly and glanced at me. "Well, you definitely have your father's talent for precision and mechanics and absolutely none of your mother's adaptability," she said, her tone complimentary and critical at the same time..
I blinked hard at the realization of her words. "Wait, you know my parents?"
The Doctor's smirk grew into a sly smile as she looked at me and asked, "Why wouldn't I know the children of my star pupil and her niece?" Her eyes glinted mischievously as she waited for our response.
Jake, Julie, and I all stared at her blankly for a moment, processing what she said. Then Julie's eyes widened in realization, and she gasped, "You mean...?" she trailed off, and Jake and I looked at her, even confused.
The Doctor nodded, still smiling. She looked around the office for a moment, then summoned a photograph from a nearby shelf. It was a looping image of a slightly younger witch doctor in a graduation gown, flanked by my mother on one side and Jake and Julie's mom on the other also in graduation gowns. They were all smiling and posing for the camera.
"Your mother and your mother and me....some time in the middle of the last century...or was it in the beginning of last century... Doesn't matter," the Doctor said, pointing to each person in the photo in turn. "I'm surprised you didn't recognize me. I visit your house oh at least 3 or 4 times a decade."
I looked at her. I started vaguely started remembering someone coming over when I was about 10 whom my mom introduced as her university professor and advisor.
The Doctor's revelation left us all stunned. Julie was the first to react with a gasp, but it was Jake who spoke up first. "Wait, I'm Julie's brother. How come you didn't say 'niece and nephew'?" he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
The Doctor shrugged nonchalantly. "Old habits die hard, I suppose," she said with a grin.
As the shock of the revelation wore off, my brain started processing at max speed. "I'm an only child. Last I checked, why did you say the kids of your star pupil?" I asked, confused.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Kid, you and Jake were born as twins. But Jake has a genetic disorder. Maybe 1 in a million or so with a malformed manna gland. He can't gather manna and will have a regular mundane life span and well life in general. And for a high society like the one that your parents were part of, this was a massive blow to their status. Your parents were shunned and kicked out of... everywhere and run off to a po-dunk realm."
She reached for her cigarettes but pulled back without even opening the box. Instead, she summoned a flat disk the size of a silver coin and placed it on the coffee table. She focused her wand on it and started sketching a magic circle, intricate and delicate, into the metal I realized was some sort of magic ore. While she worked, she continued explaining.
"I was so angry how the shitty snooty elites treated your parents, I burnt down, literally, my own coven and shut down the practice and school and set up a new coven for the mundane witch-doctors and outer realms. Fuck the capitol. I only go back if I have to under threat." She shook her head, pausing her sketching.
My mind was reeling as the Doctor's words sunk in. "John and Jake were born together as twins?" I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper.
Jake and Julie's eyes widened in shock as well, and they turned to look at me. The Doctor nodded, her expression serious. "Yes, and I'm happy to see you still have a relationship."
I felt a mixture of confusion and anger welling up inside me.
"So my parents just gave me away?" Jake asked, his voice shaking with emotion. My eyes snapped to him.
The Doctor placed a comforting hand on Jake's shoulder. "No, not exactly. I honestly thought your and Julie's mom were infertile after her accident which is why she and your dad adopted you, Jake. You were to be raised in the mundane. It seems she wasn't infertile after all and had Julie half a decade later or so."
Jake and I stared at the witch doctor dropping truth bombs left and right. When she went back to sketching the magic circle, I looked at Jake, horrified of the emotions he must be feeling, but he was a blank slate.
The Doctor went back to working on the magic circle while Jake, Julie, and I exchanged looks of horror, realization, and panic. None of us spoke as the Doctor put the finishing touches on the magic circle and handed it to Julie with a small smile. "You should try to get some training, and for now, just use the pendant. You can put it on a chain or bracelet or something," she said, gesturing to the disk.
Julie took the disk from the Doctor, her hand trembling slightly. I could see the shock and confusion written all over her face. Jake, too, was quiet, lost in thought.
The Doctor got up abruptly and said, "Well, that's it for now. Please pay on your way out. It will just be for the visit. The magic circle is on the house."
We thanked the Doctor and walked out empty-minded of her office and down the corridor to the waiting room, where the gnome receptionist processed our payment and thanked us for coming with a reassuring smile. I just nodded as we all turned to the door and started leaving.