You must have noticed that I gave Shara the stage in a few of my Funny Fairy Tales. He was my favorite character, so I decided to give him a spotlight in Evans Witches too.
He always had a way of fitting in. Starting as a “visiting celebrity” in Haven in 500 AD when Kim and Seth travel back in time, and being Julie’s mirror in our time too.
Here he is:
From Dragon Fire
Shraga cheers Julie
I went to his room and knocked.
“Finally!” a sarcastic tenor voice answered.
I opened the door. The tall wooden frame and the perfectly clear glass, leaning against the back wall, greeted me. The room was small, with yellow walls and heavy curtains to give Shraga privacy when he needed it.
“Hi, Shraga.”
“Oh, you’re all nice now, aren’t you? I called three times! Three times!”
“I, ah…didn’t hear you.”
“Sure. Too busy eating? You chew so loudly. Crunch, crunch, crunch. And do you have to bang the spoon every single time?”
“Sorry.” I chuckled. “But I’m here now. And I’m back in New York, so I can take you home with me.”
“No dice. I like it here.”
“Really? I heard you were complaining about the cat.” The neighbor’s cat liked to climb up to the window ledge and growl at Shraga. It was harmless, but despite my dad’s best efforts, Shraga insisted on keeping the window and drapes closed at all times.
“It’s okay. That vile thing died.”
Oh? “When? How do you know?”
“I heard it stop breathing. Now, are you here to hear a story or not?”
I laughed and took a seat in front of him. “Which one are we doing today?”
“Your choice: long-haired girl or poison apple and a necrophiliac prince.”
“I’ll go for the first one.”
“Good choice! Because the second one, I mean…that lady with who’s the fairest of them all—how original, to ask a mirror how you look,” he muttered dryly. “Every single day!”
“I heard the huntsman―”
“He was asking it too.”
I laughed.
“Right. Long-hair coming up.”
From Forbidden Road
Kim and Leonard the dragon meet Shraga
“But Snow White was beautiful!”
What?
She had just turned a corner, to see a group of kids laughing in an alley. A large mirror was speaking with them. It was resting on a stone-stepped pedestal.
“No, she wasn’t,” said the mirror, in a grumpy voice full of certainty. “That’s why the queen was so angry. Because I kept telling her that she wasn’t any prettier than the ugly Snow White.”
The kids laughed.
“Morning, lass. Enjoying the show?” Someone pinched her leg.
She turned to see Leonard.
It was a pleasant surprise. He was not someone you could be emotionally down around, and she immediately felt like a load was off her mind.
“How’ve you been?”
“Okay. Thanks so much for breakfast,” she whispered, in case his camouflage was on and only she could see him.
“No worries, lass.”
She looked around quickly. “Can the others see you, or am I sort of speaking with myself right now?”
“Ah, not to worry. I never hide myself from kids. They like the entertainment.”
She laughed. “They seem to be getting enough now.”
“Who? Shraga?” He looked at the mirror. “Aye, he’s a hit. Convinced he’s from a world of fairy tales, from the future. My doing.”
“Your doing?”
“I took him to a mage who could see the future, who’s now a great wizard down south. He went to magic school near my loch when he was young. Meeting him got Shraga’s head slightly confused.”
“Wait, did you say there is a mage who can see the future?” How was that even possible? Did it mean that there were other answers to the questions on her mind?
“Aye. And now, Shraga is convinced that he’s from there. From about a thousand years from now. Though, he does seem to mix times a bit.”
“And you’re to blame for the poor fellow’s confusion.”
“Blame? He’s been having the time of his life since. You should have seen him before. All alone, head filled with stories. Now he’s got the right setting for them. He’s famous, at least in these parts. The magic mirror of Haven. Parents travel with their kids to see him.”
The kids were thrilled, sitting around the talking mirror.
“So…about that mage who could see the future. Do you still know him?”
“Aye. His name’s Merlin.”
No. It couldn’t be. It was the same name of the mage who had the other part of the prophecy’s visions. If that were indeed him, it was best to avoid talking about it. She couldn’t know which side of things Leonard stood on.
“So, what have you been up to today?” He changed the subject, to her relief.
“Not much.”
“Come on!”
“Really.”
“Okay, have it your way.”
She laughed. “Have your friends arrived yet?”
“They’re coming for lunch. I’ve got the kitchen on their feet!”
She shook her head. “I don’t know how you do it.”
“The art of being liked.” Just then, behind him, Seth was coming toward them with a note in his hand. Leonard turned. “Hey, mate!”
“Leonard!” said Seth. “Great to see you here. Thanks for breakfast, by the way.”
“My pleasure. Sorry for not being there. Had some important business in the morning.”
“Important business?”
“I had to sleep in.”
Seth laughed.
“Nice lass you got there. You two an item?”
Seth winked. “Not yet.”
Not yet?