Page 71 of Charmed

“I wouldn’t want you wondering why you ever agreed to apprentice to me,” he said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “It would be a shame if you forgot your immense awe and fascination with my powers when we first met that drew you irresistibly to me.”

I scoffed in response but felt my cheeks warm, because as loathe as I was to admit it, Ididfind myself irresistibly drawn to him now…though it had little to do with his powers.

Alden slowly withdrew his fingers from mine as dusk fell and he rose to tend to the fire before laying out his duplicate bedroll, drawing it the slightest bit closer than it had been the previous night. He settled into it and turned towards me, propping his chin on his hand. He took a breath as if to speak…but after a moment of silence slowly let it out and simply smiled at me.

“Good night, Mae.”

Unconsciously, his hand stretched a few inches towards me before settling back onto the bedroll, causing my heart to flutter in hope that the memories we’d forged together were as precious to him as they were to me.

CHAPTER22

Alden’s pale shock took in his trembling hands as the last of his magic’s faint presence faded. He made another attempt to summon his powers, but all he managed was a single spark that hovered in his cradled palm for a moment before it flickered out like a snuffed flame.

His shoulders drooped. “After weeks of exertion drawing on my reserves, it appears my magic has finally run out.” His tone was flat, emotionless, as if he couldn’t summon enough strength for anything more.

His powers had been gradually waning with each challenge, growing especially weaker with the tasks that had occupied our time these past few weeks that specialized in divination and herbology, leaving him nothing for this second to last exercise in transfiguration magic. Even with the dark force preying on his magic, Alden had always managed to possess just enough to accomplish each task in innovative ways…only to have finally reached his limit.

Despite having witnessed his repeated failure to summon the powers, part of me couldn’t believe they’d suddenly vanished. Memories from his confident display of magic during his efforts to convince me to become his apprentice and his frequent demonstrations during his tutelage weren’t that long ago, nor were the spells he’d woven just the day before…only for them to disappear like elusive vapor.

For as much as his powers had been slowly slipping away, my own remained unaffected, even though I no longer possessed the protective barrier created by my cursed frog form. This phenomena had caused Alden no end of puzzlement whenever he used every spare moment to research the still unknown force affecting his magic. We were no closer to discovering the culprit behind these dark events…nor the motive, and time was rapidly slipping away to solve the puzzle.

“Have your powers disappeared entirely?” I asked.

“There’s just enough remaining for me to barely discern their presence if I search for it, yet not enough to perform anything except for perhaps one or two more of the most menial spells, leaving the transfiguration magic required for the upcoming challenge beyond my current realm of possibility.”

Which meant that after all this time, our journey had finally reached its end…and not at the destination we’d aspired to when we’d first embarked.

Concentration furrowed his brow as he made another attempt to summon his powers, only for them to flicker out once more, leaving Alden staring after them with a desperation that willed them to return. “Magic has always been a part of me. I can’t fathom a life without it. Without my powers…” He slumped forward, elbows leaning on his thighs, as though the strength to hold himself upright had been taken along with his magic.

I wasn’t sure how to encourage him, especially as I felt a pang of guilt, wondering how much power he would have left if he hadn’t expended so much the day before creating two potions, transforming me back into a human, and then easing my pain with countless small spells. But I forced those thoughts away, unwilling to dwell on my own unhappiness when I glimpsed the utter brokenness on his face.

“Who am I without magic, Maeve?”

As someone who’d spent a lifetime wrapped too tightly in my own identity as my brother’s caregiver, I was the person least qualified to impart advice. But though my own vision was often clouded when it came to my own role, it was easier to recognize the limits Alden had placed upon himself.

But even as I observed the discouragement weighing heavily upon his shoulders, I was at a loss on how to comfort him. I’d been so certain that Alden would succeed in his magical endeavors and had given my all to help him—both for his sake and his promised reward that would help my brother—that I hadn’t considered the possibility of what I’d do should he fail.

I rested a reassuring hand over his; he stilled at my touch. “Even if you failed to accomplish the goal you set out to achieve, the venture wasn’t a waste considering how much you’ve grown in your power and knowledge throughout it. Even without your magic, you’re still Alden—a man who’s more than just a talented wizard; you’re many things, including an honorable prince and my talented mentor.”

He sighed. “I’ve done so little as either that I can’t in good conscience claim such titles.”

“Even when you were busy studying your magic, you always found time to both mentor me and see to your royal duties.” I could still see him bent over a stack of reports within my memory, his precious magic tomes closed to ward off temptation. “Not to mention you’ve always taken the time to see to your subjects’ needs, including twice ailing my brother’s spirits with a selfless display of your magic.”

He was silent a long moment as he took in my words before his hand stirred from beneath mine, flipping over to stroke my palm. “I never viewed such accomplishments as anything noteworthy, but I’ve likely failed to give myself enough credit. I’ve spent so long focusing on my magic I’m not sure how to fully embody any other role, but perhaps this is an opportunity to live up to the royal one I was born to. After I escort you home I will return to the palace.” His shoulders squared with determination, though his face remained bereft.

My heart lurched. If he returned to the palace now, he would officially be out of the competition. Though I recognized the hopelessness of the situation leaving us no other option, we’d come too far to give up now. “You can’t give up on your dreams. Perhaps there’s a way—”

He shook his head. “I can’t compete in a magical competition without power of my own. There’s nothing more to be done. I did my best to come up with a unique transfiguration spell, but in the end my power wasn’t enough. But though I will undoubtedly be forced to give up my magical studies, I won’t abandon you or our contract. Though I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to offer, I’ll still tutor you to the best of my ability so that despite my lost powers, you’ll be able to continue your own education.”

While I’d wondered about my magical training, admittedly I’d been more concerned about our paths diverging, not for the sake of Alden the wizard…but for Alden as my dearest friend, someone who’d only become more dear as our time together extended.

Though training under him would be better than never seeing him again, our relationship as apprentice and master wasn’t quite the same as what we shared now. I wanted to create a spell to bottle this moment so that it would always remain, but I doubted even the strongest magical force could ever stop time.

Alden’s faded powers prevented him from creating a portal to transport us to my village, and such magic was still beyond my skill level, requiring us to walk to the nearest village, where we could arrange for transportation.

After a short distance the trees began to thin before the woodlands eventually ended, opening up to a path that eventually led to a quiet hamlet of quaint buildings and picturesque fences overlooking the countryside of grazing sheep. Alden’s attention became immediately entranced by all the sights and sounds that, while entirely ordinary to me, were part of a world different from which he was accustomed to.

Such a provincial area wouldn’t have the means to transport us to my village, but rather than leave we found ourselves lingering to explore, as though we were unwilling to put this chapter of our lives behind us. Though Alden’s flowing wizard robes drew a lot of attention, for all the villagers’ curiosity they remained unquestioning and friendly.

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