44__A mind that glitches

*Emma leaned over on the rock, happily offering the boy a warm, freshly baked scone.*
*He slowly looked up from the clear river water and stared at the baked good on her palm.*
*She inched her hand forward. “Go on, Viktor,” she told him with a grin. “Take it. My mum just baked a fresh batch.”*

*Viktor lifted his blue-eyed gaze to her smiling face, awed by her hazel eyes twinkling in the sunlight and her ginger hair bright around her pale face. There was a scattering of pretty freckles across the bridge of her nose which Viktor had never seen on anybody else’s face since he was born.*
*She puzzled him so much. How could a human be so gentle, so caring to his kind? And how could he find one who was not of his kind so lovely?*
*Slowly, he reached out a hand and took the scone, studying it as he did so.*

*Emma smiled. “Have a taste! It’s quite yummy. Pity I haven’t got any tea… but that’s alright!”*
*She pulled her feet up on the large rock, put her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her hands as she watched him.*

*His black hair always hung over his forehead. Emma thought he would look much friendlier if he pushed it back. It might make the other children stop hating him too.*
*She sighed. Oh, it was alright if the other children wouldn’t stop hating Viktor. She’d be his friend! He was much nicer than everyone thought he was.*
*She reached out a hand, stopping when he flinched back.*

*Emma smiled. “It’s okay,” she told him, gently brushing one small hand down the back of his thick hair.*
*She withdrew her hand but he was still frozen in place, staring at her with those dark blue eyes.*
*Emma sighed. He wouldn’t say a word to her after that first day when he’d murmured a dark “Viktor” after she’d asked him his name. He said nothing at all for an entire week and yet she found that she loved his company more than that of any of her friends.*

*Picking up a stone, Emma flung it into the water, letting her gaze follow it.*
*“Oh, I bet there’s plenty of fish here,” she told him. “Would it not be nice if we could go fishing together?”*
*Viktor said nothing as usual, only staring out at the clear water.*
*Emma turned to him with an eager grin. “Isn’t that a great idea? Should I fetch my father’s fishing rod then?”*

*She started to get up, but his hand on her arm stopped her. Emma looked down at his slender fingers on her arm then lifted her gaze to his.*
*Slowly, he shook his head. Emma sat back down, feeling a little deflated. “Why not?” she asked him. “Do you not know how to fish?”*
*Pulling his hand away, Viktor turned his gaze back to the water.*

*Emma tilted her head with a pout. “That’s strange. My brothers could all fish before they were even old enough to work in the barn! My father taught them. Did your father not teach you to fish? And to ride horses and dig a well?”*
*He looked at her for a moment and then shook his head.*

*She frowned in wonder and thought it over for a minute. Suddenly, Emma gasped as a thought occurred to her. “Oh! Oh, dear. Are your… are your parents dead? Is that why you live alone then? Oh, dear.”
Viktor’s mouth pursed and he lowered his gaze.*

*Emma immediately felt ashamed. How could she so openly discuss a topic that was definitely very painful for him?*
*“Oh, Viktor, I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have said that.” When he said nothing at all, Emma felt very sorry and started to get up. “You want me to leave, don’t you? I’ve bothered you, haven’t I? Alright. G-goodbye, Viktor.”*
*She looked at him for a moment, her heart heavy with guilt before standing and slowly turning to step off the rock.*

*“They’re not dead.”*

*Emma froze. She quickly turned around, her eyes wide in disbelief. He’d spoken to her, hadn’t he? She couldn’t have imagined it!*
*She hurried back to crouch on the rock, tucking her long skirt about her feet as she looked at his downturned face.*
*“Did you say something, Viktor? What was that?”*

*His gaze didn’t leave the water for a long time. Emma bit her lip at his silence wondering if she’d really imagined his response because she wanted to stay by his side so badly. Just when she was about to excuse herself again, he finally spoke.*

*“I said… they’re not dead.”*

*Emma’s eyes were as wide as her mouth. Wow. He’d really spoken. His accent was different from hers which made her excited to find out where he was from. Perhaps he was from a completely different country! The thought made Emma giddy with excitement. She’d never had a friend from another country before.*
*She leaned closer to him, careful not to fall into the water. He said his parents weren’t dead. Oh, thank goodness! What a relief. She hadn’t hurt his feelings then.*

*“Really?” she said softly. “Well, that’s a relief. But then…” Emma frowned. “Why do you live all by yourself? I’m twelve, I’ll be thirteen in a month and you’re only a little older than me.”*

*Viktor turned his gaze on her and shrugged one shoulder. “They put me here.”*

*His words were flat with acceptance and it made Emma so sad. “But… why?”*

*Viktor picked up a sandy rock and she watched him slowly crush it, the grains pouring out from between his fingers to disappear in the water below. “They hate me,” he whispered. “They hate me so they put me here.”*

*********************

Viktor nudged open the door to his study with his elbow as his hands were full. Damn Kingdom duties were bothering him this early in the morning! He hadn’t yet even punished Kamilla for her dangerous actions yesterday.
He had things to do, for heaven’s sake! Like figuring out why his reflection in the mirror kept on glitching.

He looked up and froze at what he saw. His office chair faced the library beyond his desk and Viktor stared at the red hair just peeking over the top of the chair.
A heady feeling suddenly overtook him, making Viktor flinch back. He shook his head to rid himself of the sudden dizziness, but his head only started spinning even faster.
Viktor took a step back, closing his eyes tightly as he tried to clear his head. A bout of nausea rocked him when a sudden image filled his mind. It was so bright, lit up by the sunlight. He suddenly envisaged broad daylight over a vast field and in the centre sat… a girl. He saw her back. Nothing but her bright ginger-red hair as she tilted it back in laughter.

“Viktor…?”

Viktor clenched his jaw and gave his head a hard shake. Blinking his eyes open, he released a breath as his world stopped rocking. “What in the fuck…?”
“Viktor!”
His gaze snapped up to see Kamilla looking worriedly at him from his chair where she sat, a book clutched tightly in her hands.
“Huh?”
She sighed shakily. “Are you okay?!”

Viktor glanced away, clearing his throat as he walked over to the table.
“Well?” asked Kamilla as he placed his stack of folders and files onto the large table. “What just happened to you? Did you… did you feel any pain in your head just now?”
Viktor shook his head. “No. Something else. Something really bizarre, but it’s gone. I can’t even picture it anymore.”

Kamilla bit her lip and rested her hands on her crossed legs as he carried on arranging his folders. “What happened?” she asked.

Viktor shook his head and waved away her question as he came around the desk. Kamilla made a sound of complaint as he hooked his finger into hood and pulled her out of his chair.
She scowled down at him as he seated himself and drew the files towards him.

She tugged down her hoodie and crossed her arms. “Won’t you tell me what just happened? Did you maybe…”

Viktor looked at her with a tired look. “Did I what, Kamilla? Did I see my reflection as another person again? Did I hallucinate a whole circus into my chambers? What? Did I see the future?”
Kamilla gave him an expression that said *oh, come on!*

With a sigh she shook her head and inched closer. “Now, that is *not* what I meant. Although… if your reflection does happen to behave a little st—”
“What are you doing in my office, Kamilla?” Viktor cut her off sharply.

Kamilla looked at him wide-eyed for a moment before stepping a safe distance away from his desk. “Uhm… I…” She dragged in a breath. “I came to say … yesterday… I’m sorry for going to Cassius and talking to the enchantress about you… without letting you know. And then deciding to go ahead and get drunk on magically brewed alcohol which rid me of most of my sense. That was wrong of me.”

Viktor’s gaze lowered to her fiddling fingers before looking back up at her wide remorseful eyes. Clearing his throat, he glanced away. “Oh.”

Kamilla bit her lip. Oh? Was that all he had to say? She’d had to bite down on her pride to come here and apologize like this. He hadn’t spoken to her since he got up and left the room last night! Was he still mad at her?

Viktor’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you so anxious? Stop it immediately. I don’t enjoy this emotion one bit.”

Kamilla blinked. Oh. Right, she’d forgotten. Of course, he could feel that she was embarrassed half into her grave. She couldn’t help but feel a sharp sadness over how openly Viktor showed that he dislike being so connected to her.

“Uhm, sorry,” said Kamilla. She looked at him and squared her shoulders. “Viktor, yesterday Ursula said something else to me.”
Viktor raised a brow. “What’s that?”
Kamilla took in a deep breath. “She told me… that I had better tell you about him. That you two need each other to heal.”

Viktor rubbed his jawline as he frowned at her. “What? Tell me about who?”

Kamilla’s hand rose for a moment to point at him. “Him. She told me to tell you about him. The other you. Charming.”