The Missing Mage by Robyn Wideman Page B

couch and went to the door. When she opened the door, she found a stranger looking at her. A slender mop-haired teenage boy stood timidly at the door. “Hello?” said Sharon.
    The boy stood there for a moment, then stammered out a greeting, “Hhhello.” Sharon waited for him to keep talking, but the strange boy just stood there paralyzed like a startled deer. “Can I help you?” asked Sharon.
    This got the boy’s attention. He shook his head a bit, as if to clear the cobwebs, and then replied. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting someone that looked like you to be opening the door.”
    Sharon smiled. “Oh, am I supposed to look hideous? Be an old woman, a young boy? A redhead or a troll? What were you expecting?”
    Her teasing revitalized the boy some as he chuckled before replying. “No trolls, I was expecting to meet a couple young ladies.” The boy paused, looking past Sharon to Rose then back at Sharon again. “I just wasn’t prepared for how beautiful they would be.” The boy lowered his head, embarrassed. How cute, thought Sharon, he is so shy.
    Rose came to the door and introduced herself. “Hello, I’m Rose.”
    The boy turned from Sharon to Rose and gave her a small smile. “Hello Rose, I am Quinton.”
    Rose immediately smiled back, breaking into an ear-to-ear grin. “Oh I know who you are. You are the amazing genius magician that Avera told us about. You are the one who painted my room.”
    Quinton laughed, “Aunty Avera is much too kind in her praise, she is my best customer, and at one point she was my only customer.”
    Rose would not accept his modest reply. “Well I love my room, I think you are amazing.”
    Quinton shrugged. “Thank you, Rose. I am very glad you like it.” Turning his attention back to Sharon, Quinton stammered, “I could do a painting in your room if you like… I mean if you wanted one. Aunty Avera said you might like something but it’s fine if you don’t.”
    Sharon laughed at the shy boy’s inability to speak to her. “Are you crazy? Of course, I want you to paint my room. Your art is amazing. I love the painting in Ava’s room and Rose’s forest walls are incredible. I was feeling left out, being the only one without magic art in her room.”
    Quinton blushed at Sharon’s praise. “Okay, I can start whenever you like. Do you have an idea of what you might like?”
    Sharon thought about this for a while. She had seen most of Quinton’s paintings around the house, and all of them were beautiful and unique pieces of art. Rose’s room was very interesting, with the trees and the forest that changed with the time of day, but the painting in Ava’s room of the people dancing at a ball was one that fascinated her. “My favorite painting is the one in Ava’s room. I would like something like that in my room if I could.” She looked Quinton in the eye and smiled, excited by the idea of having her own painting.
    Quinton stared at her for a moment, before quickly averting his eyes. “Okay, I can do that for you.”
    When Nathan and Ava returned from magic lessons, Quinton was still visiting with the girls, Rose had a million questions about illusions and Quinton was happy to answer as best he could. He found talking with the curious young girl much easier than trying to talk to the intimidating Sharon.
    As Nathan and Ava entered the room Rose yelled out to them. “Hurry up you two, Quinton has been waiting to meet you.”
    Quinton stood up from the couch and greeted them. “Hello Nathan, Ava. Rose here has been telling me all about you.” Quinton grinned.
    Nathan laughed, walked over, and shook Quinton’s hand. “Hello cousin, Aunt Avera has been telling me all about you as well.”
    Quinton joined Nathan in laughter, while this was their first time meeting, both young men already knew quite a bit about the other. Nathan from hearing stories from Avera and, to a lesser degree, Verin, while Quinton had spent the last few hours trading stories with Rose and