Page 43 of Tricky Magic
21
Ellea
Ellea sat in the same spot as yesterday, in front of Elias with her palm up, an illusion of an apple in her hand. It kept flickering, and she cursed under her breath.
“You seem distracted today,” Elias scolded. Shewasdistracted. Ros hadn’t shown up this morning, which should have been a blessing. Yet, the break in routine had thrown her off. The weird part was that her magic was rumbling worse than usual. Ellea thought it should be singing at the break from the giant asshole. The run had also lacked its usual intensity without Ros’ unnecessary comments spurring her on.
“I think I’m just tired,” Ellea lied with a sigh. “We have been working on this nonstop.”
“Well, lucky for you,” he said, pausing to place her hand back where it belonged, “I will be gone for a few days.”
“Oh? Where are you going?” she asked, thankful for the opportunity of a break but still curious. Ellea still didn’t know much about him, only that he was kind and very helpful.
“I have somefamilybusiness to attend to,” he said. “It’s south of here. I will be gone until Sunday. We can start fresh Monday morning.”
“Is it serious?” she asked. His tone had her curious.
“Nothing new. Now, let’s work on the apple core. Think about the seeds first and go from there.”
So she did, finally holding the illusion steady. She envisioned an apple being created, the seeds being covered by the white flesh, the hardness of it. She directed her powers into that illusion like she had done so many times before. A wet slosh sounded, and her hand was covered in what looked like roughly made applesauce.
“Dammit.” She groaned. “The seeds were so much easier.”
“I still think you are more distracted today,” he said, cocking his head and searching her face. “Let’s call it. I want to show you something.” He stood and reached out for her clean hand, helping her stand. Ellea looked down at her other hand that was covered in sticky wetness. She pulled away as he tried to grab it, but he was so much quicker. She grimaced thinking of the sticky mess it would cause, but as his cool hand pulled away, hers was clean.
“Thanks,” she said, marveling at the magic. “Where are we going?”
They hadn’t had too many serious conversations over their time together, but she still trusted him. When they did talk, it was always easy, nothing compared to the conversations she had with Ros.
“I wanted to see what you thought about the other house on the lake,” he said, gesturing toward the hilly path behind the greenhouse. “I hope you are up for a walk.”
Smiling over his shoulder, he led the way.
Ellea had only seen the property once. She had snuck off with Billy when she was a child. She only remembered that the property had a vastly larger greenhouse and fountains and statues that made you feel like you were stepping into an old movie.
Elias kept stride in front of her, and the conversation was easy, talking about the area, the different trees, and some of their favorite books. His favorite authors were the typical F’s—Faulkner, Fitz, and Franz Kafka. He didn’t know any of Ellea’s favorites. She wasn’t surprised; he liked old-school literature, and she favored anything steamy, anything with dragons, or both.
They crested the top of the hill, and Ellea was thankful for all the running she had been doing. She was barely panting, but her legs and butt were burning. She noted to add back in some weight training, or maybe even tackling this hill every once in a while.
Ellea paused as the old structure loomed in front of her. The cabin was so beautiful, even under all the overgrown vines and chipping paint. Its base was jagged stone that made it look like it was built into the hillside. The large back porch sat on tall stilts; she was sure it had an amazing view. The top had several haunting peaks that Ellea loved, and the wood was dark under the greenery. Ellea shivered as she noted the darkness inside.
“I’ve been here once,” she said, rubbing her hands along her bare arms. “When I was younger. I don’t remember the cabin, but I remember the—”
“The greenhouse,” Elias interrupted. He swept his arm toward the large structure. “That’s why I keep coming back to it.”
In front of them stood an intricate glass structure. Where Ellea’s was simple and rectangular, this one was complicated and beautiful. It had four tall peaks on each corner and a large peak in the center. It was massive and had an ornate fountain to match.
“I’ve been told a wealthy green witch family built it,” Elias said, opening the door. “Most witch’s homes have some form of a greenhouse in the north. That way, they can grow herbs and things all year round.”
“I didn’t realize I was getting a history lesson on this tour.” Ellea smirked at him as she walked in. “I have a smaller one at my home in Halifax, but it doesn’t get much use. I never had a green thumb.”
She wiggled her thumb at him.
“Maybe that will change once you master creating things,” Elias said. “I never knew my mother, but my aunt would have loved this. It reminds me of her.”
He had never mentioned his family before.
“I’m not sure any of my family had a green thumb,” she said, not sure where to go after he mentioned his mother. Ellea wasn’t a fan of talking about family.
