Page 29 of Charmed

I lingered as long as I could before my weak arms ached from the weight of the small box. I bridged the remaining distance to break through the surface and hop onto the bank where Wizard Alden awaited me, eyes bulging with worry.

“Are you alright, Mae?” Even with my nod of assurance he remained unconvinced. He lowered his flattened palm for me to hop onto and lifted me eye-level to better examine me. Annoyance quickly eclipsed his relief at seeing me alright. “Why did you jump in after it?”

“To rescue it after you foolishly threw it away. There was little risk, considering I’m a frog.”

Wizard Alden sighed. “I have no right to participate in the next challenge. How can I do so in good conscience when in my weakness I entered the competition by claiming ideas that weren’t mine? I didn’t perform the knowledge spell Enchantress Ivy gave me credit for as it’s one I have yet to learn, nor did I create a third charm like the rules dictated. I shouldn’t have given into temptation by taking the easier path. I don’t deserve—”

I wanted to roll my eyes, but their position atop my new body rendered it impossible. “Youdodeserve to enter this competition. You’ve achieved an advanced level of magic through fifteen years of training and hard work, unlocked the magical lock on the map, deciphered the first challenge’s riddle, and performed a complicated spell that granted me speech. That’s notnothing. You need to remain in this competition, not just for the promised reward but so that you can prove to yourself what a remarkable wizard you are.”

He stared at me, his eyes glassy, as if he might cry. “Thank you, Mae.”

The emotion wrenching his voice reached inside to tug on my heart. I wasn’t certain frogs could blush, but I imagined prickles of heat tinging my cheeks, likely a lingering effect from my exertion in retrieving his clue.

I cleared my throat and hastily looked away. “Are you going to figure out how to unlock the box?”

He remained still a moment, as if determined to ignore the next challenge out of stubborn pride. In the end his desires for the magical position compelled him to examine it. He only needed a minute’s perusal.

“It’s not a complicated charm. I should be able to unlock it in an hour at most.”

“I told you that you were qualified. It’s not magic you lack but confidence.”

A shadow of a smile finally emerged and I thrilled to see it. I couldn’t help but watch as he worked at the puzzle lock—the way his grey eyes lit up, the furrows in his forehead as he concentrated, the steady confidence in each movement despite his flares of insecurity.

I hopped towards him for a closer look. He seemed to be spinning a glistening ribbon of light, but from my position on the ground it was impossible to see the way he maneuvered this magic like a lock pick.

My frustratedribbitdrew his gaze and he slowed upon noticing my attention. His fingers curled around my stomach to carefully pick me up and rest me on his shoulder so I could better see.

He’s so thoughtful.

I made the observation begrudgingly, hating to admit I’d been wrong in my initial assessment of his character. My attention was quickly drawn to his magic. Though my vantage point offered me a much clearer view, his moving hands got in the way, making it difficult to watch in any great detail.

“How is this unlocking process different than when you unlocked the enchanted map?”

My unquenched curiosity broke his concentration, but though his movements didn’t slow, he remained patient as he answered.

“Quite different,” he said. “The map’s lock was an enchanted one invisible to the eye that acted as an additional layer hovering above the object, while this is an actual lock. Opening it is like a code one has to listen to with a magical ear and careful observation of the magic surrounding it in order to decipher how to unlock it. One of the roles of the Enchanters’ Council is to serve as guardians for priceless relics and protective spells, so it doesn’t surprise me that such a charm guards the clue to the next challenge. I imagine there will be many more.”

His information saturated the dry soil parched from the knowledge I’d yearned for in the days following his absence, but not enough to completely quench my constant thirst.

“What’s the difference between a charm that requires you to hear the magic and one that requires you to feel it? What types of relics need to be guarded? Are there other things the Council protects? What—”

His chuckle interrupted the myriad of rapid questions. “You’re quite inquisitive for a frog, even a magical one. You remind me of my apprentice.”

He remembered me. By his frown, I worried the recollections weren’t favorable…and in that moment I realized just how much I cared about his good opinion.

My heart beat rapidly. “Is something the matter?”

He hesitated. “Thinking about my apprentice reminds me that I haven’t been a very good mentor to her. Her curiosity is one of my favorite things about her, her interest in magic like a thirsty plant that I repeatedly neglected to water, especially when she was just starting her magical journey. Despite being so consumed with preparing for this competition, I should have treated her better rather than be selfishly absorbed in my own interests.”

Though his clear remorse softened me, it wasn’t enough to heal the hurt brought by his neglect. “If you were so busy, why did you acquire an apprentice at all? Was it solely for the pride and accomplishment?”

“A bit of that.”

I blinked, stunned he’d admitted it so readily.

He considered. “But there was another, more important reason.” He said nothing more, but I couldn’t leave the question unresolved.

“What was this reason?”

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