It and I watched as Stupid “took care” of me for the day.

  “Look Beeg,” she chirped, “Stupid is using cleaning magic!” She would then proceed to wail on my walls, my desk, my clothes, and anything else that got in her way with one of my dirty socks.

  “Stupid is like Beeg!”

  I chuckled as I turned back to It, who was seated beside my bed. He had conjured up a plate of meats and cheeses, which surprisingly had helped my headache.

  I was still left with barely enough strength to move, though.

  “So, what exactly happened?” I asked.

  It snorted, eyeing the book.

  “Well, the book siphoned every ounce of magical energy you had out of you and proceeded to go to town,” he drawled.

  “It feels like it,” I affirmed.

  “Dust be gone!!” Stupid shrieked, sneezing hard enough to blast herself to the ceiling, where she proceeded to mutilate a cobweb before falling back down.

  “I didn’t realize magic worked like that.”

  “It doesn’t,” It chuckled. It still amazed me how a chuckle could be done in monotone.

  “It would probably be more accurate to say you were smashed onto a page like a brush belonging to a very rough artist. Normal people choose the magic they want done.”

  Behind us Stupid sneezed, then proceeded to attack with gusto whatever she had sneezed out.

  “Well, unless you are her. Never know what will happen with her,” he amended, gesturing behind him with his thumb.

  I grunted. “Not sure I am following.”

  “Most people have a grimoire. Or a spellbook. Or a wand. Or a lucky rock — seen those work, too,” he amended thoughtfully. “Point is, no one has a Guide to do magic for them.”

  “So… I’m special?” I joked.

  “Oh, you’re special all right,” he deadpanned me.

  Ouch.

  “Either way, we’ve yet to see you display any magical talent, just what the book does through you. But also, the book was able to accomplish… way more than it should have. We knew you had exceptional aptitude for Ordo. You must also have rather massive reserves. I can see why it wanted to test you.”

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  “Well, I wish it wouldn’t have,” I stated sourly, struggling to raise my arm so I could scratch my brow.

  It shrugged. “That feat of magic would take an above average mage 50 years of study. You did it with no study and no effort.”

  “Great, so I can make pink common rooms,” I joked, although I had to admit it was kind of cool.

  “Stupid wantz a pink roomz too!” Stupid chimed in, skipping over.

  I grimaced. It had cost me 5 coins and a room mate with no expiration to get the Tavern done. I wasn’t sure I was willing to pay the price.

  “I was surprised to see Vaarg attack it,” I commented instead.

  The book opened its cover and snapped it back down — the equivalent of a huff, I would imagine.

  So it was listening, I grinned to myself.

  “Vaarg is… special,” It nodded. “I wouldn’t recommend you do the same. For the sake of your longevity and all,” he nodded.

  “Uh…” I gulped.

  “It is still a Guide after all. Vaarg is just… Vaarg,” he smiled, his teeth glinting in the light.

  “Maybe one day I will know that that actually means?” I huffed.

  “I hope that day never has to come,” It responded, sliding off the chair and gesturing towards the window, where a pair of perfectly black drapes grew from the rod.

  “Come Stupid, Beeg needs his rest,” he sighed, slipping under the bed.

  I really wasn’t that tired…

  “We will see you when you wake, Beeg,” It called.

  I was asleep before they were gone.

  ____

  “Eez Beeg really ok?” Stupid asked as she and It walked down Aisle 87.

  She giggled because she knew the store didn’t usually have that many aisles. But mageek store also knew she liked aisle 87 because it was pretty.

  She stopped to look into a mirror that showed a beautiful forest, with lots of tiny goblins flying around! Boss said it was more like a window, but it didn’t look anything like the windows in the store.

  So she thought mirror fit better.

  “Yes, he is just tired,” he responded.

  “Oh, Stupid knows that,” she nodded, her ears flopping. She giggled. She really loved her ears. “Stupid was super tired too, after she sneezed the portal to go rescue Beeg!”

  She was really proud of that one. Normally, she didn’t get to choose where her sneezes took her. But Boss had said it was up to her and that he believed in her!

  And it worked.

  She knew it worked because Beeg was her bestest friend.

  “But Stupid didn’t mean the mageek tired,” she said thoughtfully, peering into a new mirror that showed lots and lots of stars. “Stupid sometimes remembers bad things. Things about teefs and fire…”

  She trailed off as memories started to hurt her head. She jumped as It touched her, patting her head softly.

  She smiled as the bad thoughts slipped away.

  “Fanks.”

  It nodded, covering the star mirror with a blanket.

  Stupid nodded sadly. She wanted to keep looking, but she knew she shouldn’t look too long.

  Ugly had told her so.

  “It, Beeg doesn’t have anyone to help him forget the bad things,” she said sadly.

  It stopped and smiled at her. It made Stupid happy, because he never smiled, except for Beeg.

  And sometimes Boss.

  Stupid thought It must be very sad, too.

  “He has you,” he said.

  Stupid paused. “Because… we haz friend fries?”

  “No silly,” he chuckled, “Because you are his friend.”

  Stupid froze, her chest too full for her to understand what was happening.

  And then she cried.

  There, in Aisle 87.

  Surrounded by all her favorite mirrors.