A big thank you to Pip and CO, phanrose, MaFerviolon, Badpixie06, RubenesqueRomantic, Child of Dreams, smrb, Phantasma'sRose, lindaweng, SloaneDestler, Phantomgirl24, Batty Dings, peanutpup, Pensez-a-Erik, crawfordphantomluvr, and Aphaea21 for the lovely reviews!

Enjoy!


Erik

Chapter 71

The Magician

I moved at night.

No home. No family. I belonged everywhere and nowhere at once. I resumed my life the way it had been before I ever spotted Vincenzo and Carmelo passing by with that bag of money.

But now I had skills.

Now I was a better thief.

As I moved through Venice and into Austria, I no longer stole from grocers. I went, instead, into their shops and purchased with very legal tender - though the means by which I'd obtained such tender was certainly not legal.

Once in Austria, I realized that I'd never actually had a plan. No, in fact, I realized that my entire purpose had been to escape - but there was no real destination. But, I decided as well, I didn't want a destination. Destinations had only brought me heartache. I wanted, instead, to keep moving.

If I kept moving, I wouldn't have the time or energy to stop and think about what I'd lost. Idleness would only allow heartache to bloom - and I couldn't allow myself that. It would be far too painful, and I'd made a silent promise to Giovanni that I would keep living. I had to keep living. No matter what, I had to.

And if I was going to die, it had to be for something larger than my feelings. Larger than me.

If I was to make the choice to die, my death would need to make an impact. Save a life. Change the world. Only then would I feel satisfied with ending my life. Only then would I feel I'd honored Giovanni and the rest of my family. And only then would I finally feel I could rest.


It was in Vienna, a little after sundown, that I was playing with a coin I'd recently stolen. I was thinking, deeply - I wanted to stay in a tavern, I wanted a bed again after so many weeks, but I'd have to double my efforts to obtain money.

As I mulled over how, exactly, to steal so much in so little a time, I moved the coin between my fingers, making it appear and disappear in and out of thin air. I hadn't noticed at first, but a couple of boys a bit older than me, a few meters away, had begun to watch.

I noticed their intrigue - both at my trick and at my mask - and so an idea formed.

I turned to them, took the coin, closed it in my fist, and when I opened my hand I had two coins in them.

They smiled, glanced at one another, and came a bit closer.

I couldn't understand their language when they spoke to me, but the message was clear: they wanted to see more. And when they opened their purses to show how they'd reward me to show them what I could do, I smiled too.

I think, perhaps, I'd stumbled upon a career.

I wondered if Giovanni would approve-

But I pushed that thought quickly from my mind. I couldn't think of them now. I had to stay focused.

I had to survive.