Page 42 of Charmed

In the end, my fierce need to earn the position via my own merits proved stronger, along with the lingering unease brought by my tampered powers that sought my mentor’s wisdom. She immediately detected the worry harrowing my expression.

“It appears you’ve also fallen victim to the force siphoning the competitors’ magic, as have several competitors who arrived before you.”

Her resigned tone solved at least one uncertainty. “Which means the challenge it created isn’t part of the competition.”

By the sharp straightening of her posture, I appeared to have offended her. “Certainly not. It’s too dangerous to tamper with power in such an irresponsible way. Thankfully for now it doesn’t appear as if the effects are permanent, but I advise you to remain on your guard. There’s already considerable risk for someone of your status to be competing, but with this unknown yet sinister force—” Her gaze darted towards me with an expression I couldn’t quite read—a mixture of concern and some other emotion.

Despite her well-meaning warning, irritation flared. Why should my powers be given greater consideration merely because of the blasted title I’d been born to? It took every ounce of discipline not to offer a snapping retort; I respected her too well to unleash my constantly simmering frustration on my mentor.

Sensing my darkening mood, she silenced the remainder of her words and clasped her fingers together with an expectant look, nodding for me to present what I’d created for the current challenge.

I hesitated. At the time the joy I’d experienced from enjoying my magic again rather than using it as a measuring stick for my worth had made me proud of my spell, but beneath her scrutiny I became entangled within the familiar prison forged by my insecurities. I felt a swell of panic as I wondered why I’d thought my simple creation could possibly be worthy of such a prestigious competition.

“I’m sure whatever you’ve created is more than adequate.”

Her gentle cajoling gave me enough courage to withdraw the scrap of cloth from where it’d been concealed in one of my magical pockets, whose protective charm had thankfully withstood the magical force I’d just escaped.

Enchantress Ivy’s eyes sparked with interest as she took in the unassuming fabric. She leaned closer, a promising sign. “What spell does it harbor?”

I took a wavering breath and went through the same demonstration I’d given to Mae. With each step the enchantress’ smile grew, bolstering my feeble confidence, and as she tasted the berry after my last spell, I savored her look of delight. Yet pleasing her tastebuds wasn’t enough to win; my insecurities surged again as I anxiously awaited her response, hoping my spell wouldn’t be viewed as a mere parlor trick but as the lifesaving tool I’d intended.

My tension relaxed at Enchantress Ivy’s nod of approval that confirmed I’d passed. “I’m familiar enough with your habits to be admittedly surprised you went the practical route of creating a simpler spell, but such a course is key to your success. Far too many of the competitors focused on flashy forms of magic that resulted in them not only overextending their abilities, but in creating impractical charms that are far from the focus of the Enchanters’ Council. Well done, Alden.”

It was as Mae had surmised. A swell of gratitude in choosing to humble myself enough to receive advice from a frog filled me as I accepted the next clue and ducked out of the tent, where I nearly collided with a tall, blonde-haired witch.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding.” Her icy tone magnified the force of her cold smirk.

I barely bit back my well chosen curse. “Demetria.”

Her familiarity with my magic made my disguise spell as ineffective against her as it’d been against Enchantress Ivy. I’d been aware of the high probability that my sister would also enter the magical competition. As loathe as I was to admit it, Demetria was more powerful than I was, a fact which seemed particularly unfair and worrisome, considering her growing fascination with darker forms of magic.

What had initially started as suspicions had only been confirmed when she’d stolen my best friend Prince Xander’s feelings and memories of love for his beloved, Princess Taryn, only a few years before, which he had only recovered after much tribulation. I’d been wary of my sister’s hidden sinister nature before, but that act had shattered the last of my fragile trust; things hadn’t been the same between us ever since.

Anyone who would go to such sinister lengths didn’t deserve a place on the Enchanters’ Council…yet with her superior abilities that seemed to grow with each passing day, she’d likely prove successful, leaving only two of the three available positions, making my goal that already felt unachievable as out of reach as the stars. I needed to try all the harder; joining the council was my best hope of thwarting whatever malevolent evil she designed.

Yet with the trying events of the day and my never-ending war against my own doubts, I didn’t have the energy to expend on my sister today. I tried to step around her, but she only blocked my way.

“I should have known you would enter this competition, but to do so without our parents’ permission is unusually irresponsible; you must be quite desperate, dear brother.”

“It’s hypocritical to condemn me for a fault you yourself performed.”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “A false assumption. Unlike you, I not only secured their permission, but I don’t have a history of neglecting my duties enough to warrant their concern.”

I gritted my teeth at this other difference between us that constantly fueled my sense of inadequacy; while I struggled to balance these two parts of myself—prince and wizard—she managed to put on a front of an ideal princess even while remaining superior in magic.

A myriad of retorts burned my tongue, but goading her would only worsen her taunting, her favorite pastime to engage in against me and our elder sister, Dahlia, who possessed no magic at all.

When she remained an unmoving obstacle, I performed a silent spell that allowed me to manipulate the space around us in order to slip past. I strode away as quickly as I could manage without being forced to rely on further magic, not even pausing when she called after me.

“I’m familiar enough with your magic to sense something seems to have happened with your powers.”

She was the last person I wanted to explain the recent mysteries to. I slowed just enough to explore the air surrounding her own powers. From what I could tell, she’d been entirely unaffected.

Before her interests had veered so drastically off course from mine, I’d spent many hours of my magical training studying alongside Demetria. These memories of when she’d been filled with light rather than her current air of cold indifference made me want to think the best of my sister, but in truth I couldn’t be certain shewasn’tabove casting a spell to siphon her competition’s powers, providing herself with an advantage.

Thankfully she didn’t follow as I took shelter beneath the trees whose cover would shield my portal creation from her view; her heated scrutiny never failed to make me nervous, and though my powers had mostly returned, the strain had left me exhausted.

Mae stared after Demetria. “I never expected to encounter your sister.”

---