Wyckerton,
like many cities, is a wonderful place to live but if you are a
resident you will also be magic.
Blissfully
unaware non-magics come and go during the day hours but an ancient
charm on the city ensures that only witches and wizards are able to
stay after six o'clock.
When
Alfie's father has to leave to work abroad, Alfie discovers that he
has magical powers. He lives
with his best friend, Derek, whose family own in a huge B&B in
Wyckerton.
Alfie
helps a friendly shopkeeper, Nigel, in exchange for a little
magical guidance and gets whisked up into normal days and magic
nights and soon prefers spells to spelling, broom flying to walking
and wizard history to world history.
But do
not be fooled into thinking Wyckerton is
perfect. Dark
wizards live there too. Alfie loves solving mysteries and has a
habit of discovering ones that usually go unnoticed.
Along the
route of his potion deliveries, he unearths a plot to kill
Nigel. He has to
use his skills as a wizard and as a detective to unravel clues but
puts himself and his friends in danger as dark magic moves
closer. Will he
succeed before the inevitable happens?
The
Northeast Quarter is a place you really want to avoid if possible
...
Extract from Chapter Nine:
"Alfie
had never been anywhere so gloomy. It felt as if his happiness was
being sucked away. He wanted to shrink, unwilling to touch the dark
buildings. He was sure that they were leaning towards him, trying
to absorb him into their shadowy walls. Anyone that lived here must
have something dark to hide."
Aunt
Edith tells Alfie the story of Mervyn and Martyn, the
two
most powerful brothers
to have ever lived
Extract from Chapter Five:
Aunt
Edith took a deep breath before she spoke, ‘Legend tells of two
brothers, the most powerful wizards to have ever lived. Martyn, who
was loved and respected by all, stood for nobility and justice. His
younger brother, Mervyn, stood for evil and deception. As children
they were happy. As they grew older, Mervyn started seeking power
and wanted to rule over all wizards. The only thing that stood in
his way was Martyn. A rift formed between them. Mervyn knew that if
he could kill Martyn, all other wizards would bow to him in fear.
When Mervyn heard of an object that killed instantly on touch, he
spent many years searching for it. They say he located it and gave
it to his brother as an anonymous gift, but Martyn’s wife, Ada,
found it first. She thought it was for her. As soon as her fingers
brushed over the object’s surface, her young life left her. Martyn
found her dead but without any wounds at all. He knew who had
caused it.’ She paused to catch her breath.
‘What
happened next?’ Alfie didn’t want her to stop.
Aunt
Edith shook her head slowly, her eyebrows were drawn together. ‘A
terrible battle ensued between them, Martyn against Mervyn, good
against evil. It was horrific; both equally matched and determined
to defeat the other. Martyn eventually whittled Mervyn down but was
still incapable of killing him outright. He entombed him somewhere
lost to history. If Mervyn had won, he would have ruled over all
wizards and would have enjoyed making Martyn’s beloved city succumb
to dark magic.’
