Page 39 of Love, Magic and Misfortune
“I’ll let you know. Oh, you don’t have a pet mouse, do you? Cute little gray guy—or girl?”
Jasper went still, his face flat as he watched her. “No.”
“Hm. Well you might have some tiny roommates living here rent-free and scurrying around at night. You should probably investigate that—or at least charge them? You’ll also want to get a better lock on the back-garden gate. I’ll reimburse you if you give me the receipt.”
19
Then
“Hey Gram!” Violet called, bouncing up from the blanket and onto her knees. Her sundress fluttered out with her sudden movement, drifting into the plate of sandwiches and strawberries in front of her. Jasper leaned forward, pushing the material back and tucking it into the crevice between her knees and the blanket.
“Yes, sweet pea?”
“Is magic real?”
Gram paused and sat up straight from her crouched position. She removed a thick gardening glove from her hand to wipe the sweat accumulating on her forehead underneath her wide-brimmed hat. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I’m telling Jasper the story you told me and Rosie, andhesays it’s not real.”
Violet looked down her nose at the skeptical boy sitting across from her. He was holding a big strawberry by its green top and taking a bite. When his eyes met hers, he shrugged and kept eating.
Gram stood, groaning as she did so. Carefully, she stepped through the spread of wild flowers and herbs in her garden. It was early summer, the sky bright and cloudless but the temperature still cool. Gram had made Violet wear a light sweater with her sundress when she’d first come out for lunch with Jasper. Eventually, she’d shed the garment and tossed it aside, letting the gentle heat of the sun warm her skin. The cool breeze caressed her shoulders.
When Gram was standing over them, she put her fists on her hips, one hand clenching her gardening gloves. “I thought I told you not to repeat that story, missy. Your father doesn’t like it.”
“I know… but he’s not here right now, so how’s he gonna know?” Violet bounced against her knees, grinning.
“Hm. True.” Gloria bent slightly at her waist, whispering. “Alright, but it has to be our secret.”
Violet clapped as Gram sat down on the edge of the blanket. Jasper picked up another strawberry.
“Magicisreal,” Gloria said, gripping the brim of her large hat with her fingers and slowly pulling it from her head. She bent forward, keeping her voice low. “There’s just much less of it in the world now, so it’s hard to find.”
“Iknewit,” Violet whispered against the breeze.
“So what happened to it?” Jasper asked. “Why is there less? Where did it go?”
“The people who knew how to use it were treated very badly—”
“Persecuted?” Jasper blinked.
Gram sat back. “Well, that’s a big word for such a little boy.”
“Jasper knows lots of adult things—keep going!”
Gloria hunched down again, shifting her eyes back and forth between them. “Yes, persecuted. Long, long ago, magic flowed abundantly and freely throughout the world—streaming and moving through the air like a rushing river, free for anyone to reach out and harness some of its power.” Gram moved her arms gracefully to mimic the flow of a stream, then reached her arm out and clenched her fist, quickly snapping it shut. Violet’s eyes were wide, and when she looked to Jasper, his mouth hung open.
Gram straightened her posture. “But then, there were wars and disease. People were angry with those who had magic—with those who lived differently and in ways that were difficult to understand. The magic wielders became angry, too, and started using their powers for evil. This upset the Earth, and slowly, the magic stopped flowing. The river was cut off and the stream of energy dried up.”
“So…” Jasper began, his face filled with melancholy, “it’s all gone now? There’s nothing?”
“Oh, there’s still magic.” Gloria reached over and gripped his small chin with her fingers, lifting his head. “It just exists in more subtle forms now—inside of us… There’s a lot inside of you, my child. You’re practically brimming with it.” Gram tilted her head, her brow creased as she exhaled a sigh.
Violet brightened at this development. “Do I have magic inside me, too?”
“Of course you do, sweet pea. We all do.”
Jasper folded his arms. “But notrealmagic.”
