Page 10 of Charmed

I mentally explored the feelings coursing through me, giving them an occasional poke. Eventually I was able to discern them; as if stirring awake they shifted, stretching and yawning in preparation to do my bidding.

“I may feel something…?”

“Good.” A smile filled his voice. “Now take hold of that sensation and push it towards your hand.”

The calmness I’d felt from his gentle instruction faltered as my anxiety rose to cinch my heart. “You want me to perform a spell? I don’t know any—”

“It’s just a simple charm,” he said. “Think of it as a parlor trick rather than a real spell, only meant to prove that you indeed possess power.”

My doubts remained, but my curiosity had grown too powerful for me to ignore. I did as he instructed, searching the almost tingly feelings stirring beneath my skin, but they only seemed to slip just beyond my reach whenever I tried to take hold of them.

Sensing my rising frustration, he stepped close enough to rest a hand on my shoulder, a touch that eased my stiff posture. “You’re too tense. Don’t overthink it; the process isn’t complicated. Simply imagine taking hold of your powers and then visualize pushing them towards your hand.”

The effort required strenuous mental concentration, a sensation similar to attempting to walk against a headwind. After several attempts and much focus on the image he described, the heated tingle I’d discovered spread to my hand, followed by a sensation of upward movement. My eyes snapped open in time to see sparkly, plum-colored light lift from my palm to twirl through the air, as if the magic had matched itself to my favorite color to identify itself as mine. At least, I hoped it was aligning itself with me and not showing allegiance to the wizard whose cloak was the same shade.

My gasp of surprise was drowned out not just by Mother’s but by another, equally dear voice. “Wow, Maeve, that was amazing.”

My brother’s sudden exclamation drew my gaze towards the bedroom threshold, where he’d managed to slip from bed and open the door wide enough to peek through with wide, fascinated eyes.

“What are you doing up, Corbin?”

He slowly eased from his room, his bright attention fixated on me and the wizard beside me. “I didn’t know you could do magic. Did this man teach you? Is he a wizard? Can he teach me to do a trick, too?” His excited questions came rapidly, one after another.

The teasing that usually filled the wizard’s expression melted into a look that was rather sweet as he crouched in front of Corbin. “You must be Maeve’s younger brother.” His tone was surprisingly kind for someone who’d been driving me mad ever since we’d met.

Corbin’s tongue stuck adorably between the gaps in his teeth as he grinned. “I’m Corbin. What’s your name, Mr. Wizard?”

I fully expected him not to respond, considering he seemed determined to keep his identity a secret, but not even the wizard’s powers were strong enough to resist my adorable brother’s charms. He answered the eager question with very little hesitancy.

“My name is Alden.”

He stiffened as his name escaped, as if bracing himself for some sort of reaction. When our silence extended too long, he cast me an almost expectant look.

“Doesn’t that name…mean anything to you?”

I frowned. “Is it supposed to?” Perhaps he was a high-ranking wizard well known amongst magical beings and he took offense at my lack of recognition of his prowess…though admittedly he didn’tseemupset, more anxious.

His shoulders sank in clear relief. “No, not at all.” Then to himself he muttered, “There are advantages I didn’t foresee in choosing an apprentice from an obscure village; it appears news travels slowly from the capital.”

My family didn’t appear to have overheard, but as if the magic filling the air had carried his voice to my ears, I heard his quiet murmur as clearly as if he’d spoken the words at a normal volume.

My brows drew together. “Pardon?”

“Nothing.” He cleared his throat and returned his attention to my brother, who stared up at him with an almost worshipful expression. “Would you like to see some magic?”

Corbin clasped his hands together. “Please.”

“Bring me any ordinary object and I’ll make it extraordinary.”

I opted to go to Corbin’s room in his place while Mother helped him settle in a chair so he wouldn’t exhaust himself from standing too long. I cast my gaze about before selecting the vase of bluebells I’d picked for him the day before.

My grin was wicked as I handed them to the wizard. “A distinguished man such as yourself seems to specialize in flowers.”

Amusement twitched Alden’s lips as he accepted them. “A proper wizard can use any material for his spells. Now to select the perfect one.” He studied the flowers with a thoughtful air. “Bluebells, hmm…” He lifted his hand…but nothing happened. Alden’s shoulders sank in an almost theatrical fashion. “It appears the spell the didn’t work. Perhaps you should try?”

Corbin’s eyes rounded. “Me?”

Alden’s eyes twinkled as he handed the vase to my brother, who cradled it carefully in his lap. He hesitated only a moment before determinedly squaring his shoulders and mimicking Alden’s earlier movements. With his attention diverted, he didn’t notice Alden surreptitiously exerting his powers—the wizard’s lips moved almost silently as he whispered an incantation, and with a twirl of his wrist, a sprinkle of glistening magic whirled around the bluebells before seeping into the petals.

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