Page 40 of Charmed

But the lines creasing his brow contradicted his hasty reassurances; he flexed his hand, as if trying to shake off an unsettling feeling. My worry had returned, causing my rapidly pounding heart to beat even faster than I’d become accustomed to in my new body.

Upon noticing the concern undoubtedly evident in my expression, his grip on the flower tightened as he hastily straightened. “We should leave; the deadline for the elemental task is quickly approaching.”

Before I could question him further, he created a portal that would take us to the next round of judging…where we’d see just how well Alden’s elemental flower held up against the offerings brought by the other competitors.

CHAPTER13

ALDEN

The portal’s glistening light faded, bringing the location where I’d enrolled in the competition gradually into focus. Rather than a milling crowd of the wizards and witches whose presence had previously crowded the spacious clearing with their magic, it was abandoned. This fact alone wasn’t surprising, considering many magic wielders had likely not passed the first challenge, with those who had succeeded in qualifying for the competition completing the second task at various times.

I sensed another difference, a sensation similar to a cloud obscuring the sun, casting everything in grey hues of dimmed light. I tentatively searched the air with my powers; it felt different, unsettling, as if the air was thinning. Not only was my reaction strained, but pain accompanied each magical movement, sharper than before, as if whatever sinister force filling the clearing magnified the invisible force attacking my powers.

I tightened my jaw to mask my wince from my frog’s prodding attention. I didn’t want to worry Mae, but by the creature’s narrowed dark brown eyes, my reaction hadn’t been lost to his keen observation.

The unsettling force lingered like a persistent shadow as I wandered the clearing, making my way towards where I’d registered with my mentor, Enchantress Ivy…only to reach the two maples that had previously sheltered the invisible tent and discover it was no longer there.

I ignored the discomfort brought by summoning enough magic to search the thinning air for the invisible folds guarding the entrance before allowing my hand to drop with a sigh. “Another challenge.” I flexed my hand in an effort to shake off the lingering unpleasant sensation that had haunted me ever since completing my elemental spell.

Mae remained silent, but his heated attention prickled, magnifying my steadily growing sense of unease. I distracted myself from his gaze by taking in the seemingly empty clearing for any hint of the absent judges but found nothing. It made sense that the judging would occur at different locations in order to provide an additional challenge, yet the unsettling sensation choking the air gave me reason to worry.

By my frog’s deepening frown, even when his cursed form suppressed much of his magic, his powers were attuned enough to likewise detect something amiss. “It appears you’ve also noticed it, which means it’s not the paranoid workings of my imagination—something has happened to the magic in this location.”

“Is this part of the competition?” he asked tentatively, his eyes swiveling atop his head as if he thought straining them hard enough would bring answers.

I considered. “Possibly. By your own deductions more is being tested than simply our magical abilities. There have been many recorded instances of magic going awry; with the council’s responsibility for helping restore it, it would seem fitting for them to test us in such an area.”

Yet in truth I doubted the possibility. I gestured the spellbook closer and used the charm to change its contents to information about forces strong enough to suppress power, muttering to myself as I flipped through the contents, none of which seemed to contain the information I needed.

“I doubt you’ll find what you’re searching for in a mere book.”

I startled at the sudden voice, already familiar despite our sole interaction last night. Beneath the shadows of the trees stood King Ciaran with his usual stoicism. He didn’t venture from the shade, as if whatever magic had allowed his presence would dissipate with the light.

By his expression I gained the impression he had been watching us for quite some time, yet I hadn’t felt the heated prickle of his gaze, likely due to his keeping his observation hidden beneath a magical shield until he’d chosen to reveal himself…evidence that despite my own current difficulties in accessing my powers, he remained unaffected.

My shock at his sudden appearance rendered me momentarily silent, but the king didn’t seem to be awaiting a response. “I’m impressed you could tell something was amiss, even when it’s currently subtle; your powers are more attuned than I initially assumed.”

This information was enough to recover my missing voice. “Does that mean you know what’s happened to the magic in this area?”

“I have a hypothesis.” He offered no further insight. Frustration tightened my jaw, but I couldn’t afford to be distracted by my annoyance with the king…or intimidation by his control over his powers. I took a step closer, the frog shifting uncomfortably on my shoulder as I approached.

“It’s almost as if the magic that previously filled the clearing is gradually fading, which is particularly strange considering the power from the vast number of magic wielders should have created an abundance of it, not less.”

King Ciaran offered no comment, much to my disappointment, a frequent emotion that had long outworn its welcome.

I sighed. “I suppose any advantage you give another competitor is a disadvantage to yourself.”

“True…yet even so, I’ve made it a habit to consider others before myself, making it difficult not to extend help when the need arises.” He cast his gaze around the clearing. “It would be too easy if the location used to complete the first task is also used for the second, yet it’s a cruel trick to leave behind such a sinister force to entangle the unsuspecting competitors who failed to realize this.”

If his knowing look was any indication, he’d offered me yet another hint, despite having no motivation to do so. It was as I’d initially suspected: the location of the judging was rotating, though the idea of using the previous location as a trap left me unsettled.

Before I could inquire further, the shadows comprising the king’s form began to gradually disintegrate, bringing him with them…slowing when King Ciaran paused, as if he’d just remembered something.

“My initial warning stands: something is amiss about this competition. I advise you to be on your guard.”

With that he vanished as suddenly as he’d appeared. I stared after him, willing him to reappear and clarify the ominous words he’d left behind to fill the empty patches created by the thinning magic.

When he remained absent, my shoulders sagged with a sigh. “Another warning. I don’t understand what could possibly motivate him to help us.”

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