Daragonborn, Book 1: The witch's apprentice

Chapter 1:Fireborn

Twelve-year-old Jeffrey sat on the cold Bench outside his foster agent's office. His most recent foster family had dropped him off earlier that morning and told his agent that they couldn't take him anymore then without saying goodbye or giving him a single glance his foster dad had left the building. Jeffrey pulled up his legs and sat in a fetal position. He'd tried with this family, what happened wasn't even his fault, he'd always tried to be extra helpful and do whatever his new family wanted him to do, no chore was too great for him…but then it happened again, just like it always did with all his other past foster families. He'd woken up and all around him, fire blazed! A normal person's first instinct would be to try and go out the window or flee the room, but this happened to Jeffrey too many times to count, he got out of the bed in his bare feet and walked out into the flaming carpet, there was no pain, there never was. Jeffrey knew other people burned when they were this close to the fire, he knew it quite well, his foster father had burned his hand on the stove, just the other day but it never affected him like it affected others. He never felt anything whether he was walking over it or putting his whole hand into the burning flames right next to him, he always felt nothing…it scared him. His newest foster mother and father were waiting outside with several of the neighboring families as well as police and firemen. He could tell by the look on their faces that this was the last straw, he hadn't even been living here a month and knew they'd send him back just like all the others had.

Why did this always keep happening? It wasn't like he was trying to make it happen, he didn't even know why it happened. He tried to tell his past foster parents about it and see if maybe they could find out why he did this or find someone who knew what was happening, but they never believed him, and then by the time it happened, they didn't want anything to do with him, so just send him back.

Jeffrey then felt something furry rubbing against his ankles and looked down to see a gray cat with dark spots purring as it rubbed itself against his ankles. Jeffrey smiled before bending down and rubbing the cat behind its ears, it liked that, her cat purred louder as he did it.

"Hey there little guy, what're you doing in here?"

The cat stopped purring and looked up at him as if he had just insulted the creature before turning around and showing Jeffrey her rear end.

"Oh sorry, little girl, I mean."

The cat then went back to her former sitting position as he continued to rub her in the ears.

"Jeffrey?" An old woman from the Director of Social Services's office called.

Jeffrey sighed.

"Don't worry." A feminine voice said.

Jeffrey looked around but didn't see anybody looking directly at him.

"What?"

"Down here."

Jeffrey looked down and his eyes went wide as he saw the gray cat below him, smiling and beginning to talk well not exactly smiling, but the closest to the cat could smile, even though he was bigger than it saw a small feline flash, her teeth at him still feel a tad fearful.

"I heard them call you into the director's office. Don't worry, it might not be a fun time in there but you've got people looking out for you, they won't let anything bad happen to you, I promise."

Jeffrey looked askance at the cat not listening to word the feline had said, but still looked at the creature in shock that an animal was speaking to him. He shook his head and gently smacked his forehead, a few times to bring himself out of whatever sleep-deprived dream he was having before he heard the elderly assistant call out his name again and got up.