C.A.M.P. Phoenix Destiny of the Apothecary

By R. M. Wolf

The nine wizards of Boar house are back for their second summer at C.A.M.P. Phoenix! What could be more fun than spending the summer on a hidden island? Spending it in learning magic with your best friends!

The third book in the C.A.M.P. Phoenix series features Jacob Wilson, the apothecary of Boar house. His Familiar is a horse named Guldfaxe. The Boar house wizards all wear bracelets they made themselves that can turn them invisible. No longer new to the idea of magic and Destinies, Jacob and the rest of the Boar house wizards, an Elf, Metamorph, Alchemist, Witch, Vampire, Werewolf, Dragon and Firebird, are now aware that there are dark forces in the wizarding world out to eliminate the next Archmage, who just happens to be the Firebird of their own house.

They continue to stretch their boundaries by sneaking out after dark, brewing illegal potions in their bunkhouse and performing magic spells that have unwanted consequences. Jacob gets into trouble and as punishment has to work in the camp's kitchen, where he meets more of the magical beings of this strange and wonderful world. He also plays a big part in the presence of an unwanted member who joins their bunkhouse. Before the summer ends he gets abducted and returns to C.A.M.P. with an oak staff to add to his arsenal of magical weapons, all just part of being a wizard in training.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R. M. Wolf
• Release date: Jan 23, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301536221

R. M. Wolf

R. M. Wolf is the author of C.A.M.P. PHOENIX a magical series written for children ages 9 to 90. She is a certified nutritional herbalist, holds a black belt in karate and is a devout Tibetan Buddhist.Her writing reflects her belief that there is one constant in the universe and that is that everything changes. The ocean of life has both ups and downs. She believes that you can ride the waves or be tossed and tumbled by them.But there's more. There's always more. You don't have to settle for just surfing the waves - you can rise up and walk on top of them. Magic isn't just for kids. It isn't just for fairy tales. There's magic within everyone and she hopes to pass this message along:You have power you can't even imagine. Seek it out. Develop it. Put it to work in your life and be happy!

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C.A.M.P. Phoenix Destiny of the Apothecary

R. M. Wolf

Smashwords Edition

Copyright (c) 2013 R. M. Wolf

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Other books in the C.A.M.P. Phoenix series:

C.A.M.P. Phoenix - Destiny of the Elf

C.A.M.P. Phoenix - Destiny of the Metamorph

For David and Susan

I bow to you.

Just to see you, just to hear you, just to think of you brings great things.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 1 - Back to C.A.M.P.

Jacob pulled the long lanyard out of his backpack. A single key hung from the end of it. He used it to let himself into the apartment. Yesterday he had to sit outside until his aunt came home because he had forgotten his it. That should have been enough punishment for his forgetfulness but that’s now how his aunt worked. She made him put the key on that purple and red striped string. There’s no arguing with Aunty. He tried to complain but she doesn’t care about how things look at long as they work.

The uglier it is the more likely you’ll remember it, she told him in her no-nonsense way.

Dumb mamowy locks and keys, he mumbled under his breath stuffing the key back into his backpack. He went down the short hall and into his room where he dumped his school stuff onto his bed. Summer was almost here and he couldn’t wait. He liked his new school and he made pretty good grades, but he couldn’t wait to go back to C.A.M.P. Phoenix.

He rubbed the smooth surface of the unusual bracelet on his wrist. It was made of thin strips of braided wood that was soaked in a special clear potion that he and his housemates brewed last year at C.A.M.P. He never took it off but instead of showing signs of wearing out, it was actually becoming more beautiful. Almost everyone comments on it but there are only a handful of people on earth that know its true power. There are exactly nine of these bracelets in existence, all created at the same time. The others belonged to his housemates.

He walked over to his calendar noting the two dates that were circled. One was June first. Just two more weeks, he thought. Tomorrow’s date was also circled. He was supposed to be visiting his parents. He wanted to see his dad but he wasn’t as excited about seeing his mom. She broke his arm the last time she was alone with him.

She wasn’t his real mom, she was his stepmother but she insisted that he call her mom. When she broke his arm he was taken away and brought to his aunt’s house. He was a lot happier with her, even though she wasn’t that good with kids. Jacob was getting used to his new home and new school. He wished he didn’t have to visit his parents. They didn’t want him around, he could tell. Everyone’s happier with him away.

He tried to remember his real mother. He was just a baby when she died in a car accident that almost killed his father, too. The woman next door kept Jacob while his dad was recovering in the hospital. She moved in with her two kids. When his dad came home from the hospital they just never left.

Jacob doesn’t remember her ever being nice to him. Well, she pretended to be nice when people were around but then she’d hurt him when no one was looking. He did everything he could to keep her happy. She’s the only mom he ever knew. He didn't take it personally, her not liking him; she didn’t really seem to like any of them. His dad was afraid of her and did whatever she wanted just to keep her from blowing up. His stepbrother and stepsister figured out the one way to make her happy, which was to constantly fight to be her favorite. But being her favorite only meant she was a little less mean. She seemed happiest when everyone else was miserable, Jacob noticed. So when he visited he knew the more miserable he looked the happier she’d be. He always put on his most worn-out clothes and tried not to smile at all while she was around. He was starting to feel upset about having to visit. It’s best not to think about it, he told himself as he went into the kitchen to read the whiteboard.

1) Don’t forget to wash your hands before you handle the food.

2) Dinner is in the fridge. At 5:50 turn the oven on to 350 degrees. At 6:00 and put the whole tray in the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes. I should be home before it goes off.

3) There’s a letter for you on the desk.

His aunt got the whiteboard right after she got him. She tried just telling him a list of things to do when he got home from school but he never remembered everything. She insisted that he put any messages he had for her there as well. She called it their communication board.

Jacob went into the small, spotless bathroom to wash his hands. His reflection in the mirror caught his attention. He wasn’t that ugly, he thought. He wondered why his parents didn’t want him. He was tall for his age, already almost as tall as his mom but that wasn’t saying much. Now if he were almost as tall as his dad it would be something, he was over six feet tall. His mom was almost as wide as she was tall. His brother and sister were short and fat as well.

Maybe that’s why she doesn’t like me, he thought. She would not like anything that made him look better than her own kids. He never really fit in and it didn’t help that Jacob didn’t look like any of them. Everyone else had brown eyes and hair. He was the only one who had blond hair and his eyes were blue. His mom always cut his hair as short as possible, as if she were embarrassed about the color.

Now his aunt takes him to the same place she gets her hair done. He likes the way the lady leaves it long enough to covers his ears. He noticed it was getting very light, probably because of all the time he spends outside.

He doesn’t remember what his real mom looked like but when he looks in the mirror he imagines that it is her eyes looking back at him. He asked his dad what she looked like once, but all he said was that his stepmother threw away all of her pictures. If I look like my mother, it’s probably another reason she doesn’t like me, he thought.

He went back to the kitchen to put the food in the oven. Once he did that he found the letter addressed to Jacob Cameron Wilson on the desk.

He could tell it was a letter from C.A.M.P. Phoenix because instead of a return address it had a symbol in the corner and his full name spelled out neatly. Jacob remembered getting his first letter inviting him to C.A.M.P. exactly one year ago.

He didn't know until he arrived that it was a training camp for wizards. He and his housemates learned together that wizards came in all types. At C.A.M.P. they're called Destinies. Each Bunkhouse had one wizard from each of the nine Destinies: Elf, Metamorph, Apothecary, Alchemist, Sorcerer, Vampire, Werewolf, Dragon, and Firebird. They decoded their names to discover which Destiny they belonged to. He was Boar house's Apothecary. Jacob smiled at the memory. He opened the envelope, took out the letter and read:

Dear Jacob Cameron Wilson,

You are invited to return to C.A.M.P. Phoenix for the summer. Please be at the Hill Street bus stop on June first at nine o’clock in the morning and give the driver the enclosed form. Make sure both you and your guardian sign it.

This is a reminder to all wizards returning to C.A.M.P. to dress in ordinary clothing for the trip and not to mention magic, wizards or anything else that would spoil the first years’ surprise when they get to C.A.M.P. We look forward to having you back with us this summer.

Yours truly,

Lady Orlaith Albright

C.A.M.P. Registrar.

He signed the form right away and left it along with a pen on the table for his aunt to sign. They never discussed exactly what type of camp he attended. Along with all the magical instruction he received there, he also took karate. His emails home last summer talked mostly of that so she calls it his karate camp and Jacob saw no point in correcting her.

He was feeling so good that he set the table with extra care and was checking the lasagna when his aunt came in from work.

Aunty! I got my invitation to C.A.M.P. Phoenix! he blurted the moment she walked in. There’s a form for you to sign. I put it there on the table.

Hello to you, too, she responded glancing at the form.

Oh, hello, Aunty, he blushed.

Excited about camp? she asked dryly as she handed him the signed form.

I can’t wait! he answered. He ran down the hall to put the paper in a safe place.

When they sat down to eat they talked a little about school. He asked her about work. He was never really interested in it but they didn’t have a lot to talk about. He only half-listened tonight because his mind was on C.A.M.P.

I see you managed to remember your key, I guess the ugly lanyard worked, she smiled.

Yeah, he replied, thinking of the key tag, which was hidden from sight under his shirt. He liked the wizard way to lock things so much better. When they first arrived at C.A.M.P. last year everyone was given a key tag on a chain. They were told to wear them at all times. It automatically unlocked anything they were allowed to open including doors. He was supposed to wear it even outside of C.A.M.P. because there were old enchantments on some places that he wouldn’t be able to enter without it.

Are you finished with all your tests at school? his aunt asked.

Yes, and the last three days of school are only half days, he reminded her.

When they finished eating he offered to do the dishes, he was feeling that good.

June first finally arrived. He had packed his red Boar house backpack the night before. He put his small laptop computer into its padded compartment. He didn’t need to bring much, just his toothbrush and things like that. They would give him everything he needed once he got to C.A.M.P. He decided to pack some snacks for the trip. He remembered how hungry he got on the bus last year.

He was in the kitchen looking for things to take when his aunt came in dressed for work. The letter said to be at the bus stop at nine o’clock this morning, Jacob reminded her. They worked out their plan last night. She would drop him off on her way to work. We’ll get there a little early because I have to be at work by nine.

That’s all right, Jacob said. She liked it when he was independent. She explained that it meant that he could do things for himself. He liked that she thought he was old enough to be independent. He put some granola bars and fruit snacks into his backpack. He had one bottle of Gatorade left in the fridge so he took that as well. His aunt handed him an apple and said, Let’s get going, Tiger!

She always called him Tiger when she was in a good mood.

I’ll bet you’re going to be happy to have the house all to yourself again, huh? he asked. They climbed into her small car and headed out to the same place the bus picked him up last summer.

I actually think I’m going to miss you, she smiled and pulled over to the curb. She ruffed his hair and said, You’re a good boy Jacob. I’m very glad to have you with me.

It was a good thing they were early. Just as he was getting out of the car, he could see the big black bus coming down the street.

I’ll email you when I get there! he called jumping out of the car. She pulled away from the curb so the bus could pull up. She waved and Jacob thought for a moment that she was wiping her eyes.

The bus stopped and the doors opened. He climbed up the steps and handed the driver his voucher. He was still walking down the isle when the bus began moving.

Chapter 2 - High Wands

There was only one way to get to C.A.M.P. Phoenix and that was by ferry. They had been on the lake almost an hour when someone called out, There it is!

Jacob tried to act as if he had done this a hundred times before but when the Island rose up out of the crystal clear water of the lake, he rushed over the edge of the boat and watched in awe with the rest of the kids.

"That’s why it’s called Phantom Island," someone called out. It was very easy to make out who the first years were. Besides being the smallest ones there, they also managed to have both fear and joy on their faces at the same time.

Jacob knew that they’d be arriving soon so he shrugged his backpack onto his shoulders and started making his way to the side of the boat where the exit ramp was. He had been chatting with Lyric whose hair also seemed to have gotten a little more blonde. She was a witch, the Sorcerer of Boar house. He was surprised when some of his other housemates called out for him to join them.

He walked over to join the older kids forming a line to exit the boat. He caught up with Aidan who looked a little taller this year. Or maybe it was the presence of so many first years that made him seem bigger. You'd never guess by looking at him that when he transformed he was a huge Dragon.

Emma the Alchemist was standing in front of Aidan but was turned so that she could continue chatting with him. Her hair was still a mass of blonde curls and she still had that habit of pushing her glasses up with one finger as she spoke. But something was different about her too.

Lyric called his attention to the shore where they could see an adult wizard coming across the beach. He had long flowing hair and his cloak was flapping in the breeze. I wonder who that is? she asked. Jacob just shrugged.

Everyone was lining up now and the little first years were huddled together at the back of the ferry. Lady Albright called out to them, Line up! We’ll be docking shortly. Don’t forget to take your bags.

The ferry pulled up to the dock and soon the line was moving. Jacob stepped onto the weathered planks of the dock right behind Aidan. He heard Lyric’s too-cheerful voice call, Hello Lady Albright. She was speaking to the only adult who was on the ferry besides the captain. She exited the ferry first and was busy checking off their names as they passed by.

They didn’t linger on the beach where the first years were huddled. Jacob followed the others through the trees and on through the front gate passing beneath the mysterious message Entheos Entelechy fashioned out of twisted iron. They went directly to the dining lodge. He could smell it before he saw it. The aroma of all the foods was making him dizzy from hunger. Even after eating everything he brought along on the bus, he was still hungry.

I’m starving! Tyler walked up behind him.

You’re always starving, Madison pointed out.

Still, I hope the first years hurry, Abigail agreed holding her stomach.

Some things never change, came a voice from the bench in the garden.

Brandon! the girls cried out and they all ran