Magic Realized (5-9)

Warning Rated ASL because of blood, it’s not bad just don't want to offend anyone. this is the full version, groups of chapters are located in my portfolio. thanks again for the read, please comment i would really appreciate it.



Tera

Chapter 5



“We have to help him.” I cried, “He’s going to be killed.” The look I received from Kyra could freeze the ocean. She saved these looks for two purposes, when somebody was bugging her and she couldn’t concentrate and two, when you crossed her, I sure as heck didn’t want to be on either side. My mouth snapped shut, I stared at her looking for the compassion that should be present at this time but I couldn’t find.

“Aren’t you worried for Justin?” she looked at me again but this time I could see the compassion that she must have had hidden before. Kyra was a very hard person to read, she knew how to hide her emotions because people used them against you and we had had this happen to us before.

“Of course I am but I can’t keep watching what’s going on if you keep talking to me.” She explained. We traded looks and I ran over to her and sat down. When I relaxed enough to speak calmly I noticed the very slight but tangible feel of her magic, it felt like a windy day that could change from a breeze to a hurricane grade gust in an instant.

“Take me there!” she grabbed my wrist and the room we were in faded away, Kyra faded away, the only thing I could see was Justin, and the magestry. Although I couldn’t hear what was going on, I could tell by their stance, Justin was on the ground and the female was standing in a menacing way. At that moment a shadow erupted from female and Justin threw a spell that emitted a radiant purple light, right to the center of the shadow.

The room was back, Kyra was clutching her head in her hands. The room was still shaking from the impact of the two spells; the occasional sound of small explosions could be heard from the direction of our trainer.

“We need to get out there now.” She said “that collision of magic broke my spell, whatever it was?” I looked toward Kyra, but she continued to stare straight ahead, her eyes dilated, moving my site to the wall that we had entered in I and spoke the reversal. I finished the spell just as the wall began to shimmer and then dissolve.

Justin was standing in the opening looking battered up, he had cuts all over his face, and his arms where blackened probably from the soot that coated every inch of the now destroyed hallway.

I ran at him, he wrapped his arms around me. He gave me a reassuring squeeze before letting me go.

“Now I wouldn’t leave my students to the wickedness of the Magestry, but we do need to go.” He glanced at Kyra and noticed her stare “Is Kyra ok?”

“She was actually using the mind’s eye spell you taught us and she was watching everything.”

He walked over to her and kneeled down, putting his right hand on her right hand and his left at the bottom of the skull in the back of her head.

He kissed his right hand, the small insignificant amount of energy that that he emitted almost missed my perception but watching Kyra’s posture change to one of relaxed comfort, I knew it was more than he let on.

They both stood up and she hugged him, let’s go he thought healing the link between our minds.

“How are we getting out?” I asked, we walked through the door and started running.

“Well the magic I just used really drained me so we won’t be able to move ourselves out but we can find the exit I hope.” he replied but I heard Kyra speeding up behind me and she grabbed us both. The floor was ripped away from my feet as I tumbled in pure darkness the sense of Kyra’s hand disappeared.

My perception of time and senses became distorted instantly. in a place that I thought was darkness I could see light everywhere almost as if there was a strobe light flashing so fast the light was almost lost before it even reached me, in this dark almost light space I thought I should feel a chill but there was nothing, no heat, no cold, Just nothing. Seconds went by, then minutes, hours, I couldn’t tell anymore, this feeling was getting way to un-nerving when the ground rammed into my legs buckling them. I went sprawling but surprisingly I didn’t feel a thing I just knew that I wasn’t upright anymore.









Justin

Chapter 6



The first thing that came back was my sense of smell, I could smell spice soup being made in the other room, I could also smell the freshly mowed lawn outside. A few minutes passed and I started to hear the movement of people around me. I could hear Kyra and Tera breathing very slowly the same way I was, then I realized what happened, Kyra had tried moving us, she didn’t focus enough, this shouldn’t have taken this long to return, at the longest it should only take 15 seconds.

Focusing on my center, the place that holds the magic I sent two tentacles out until they ] touched the girls not just their bodies but also their soul, “rathna” I thought directing it at their minds. Reality crashed in on me all at once.

Light invaded my eyes blinding me, it felt like a hundred pounds of gravity was pushing on my back as I lay on the coarse carpet. I could feel the sun on my face from the window that was to my right next to the door. I could also hear the girls breathing really heavy next to me, knowing how they felt I didn’t blame them. I rolled over and forced myself to sit up. My head spun from the earthly feelings that had returned to me and I was greeted with Trilly staring at me with a look of worry.

Trilly was a stout women not only in size but determination and boldness. She wasn’t really big but the size of her mouth doubled her appearance. Her hair didn’t go past her jaw line and it was almost white, not with age, it was just the way she was. Her face had the features of an eagle sharp and angular with a little plumpness to her cheeks and neck. 

“What happened?” she asked, her voice sounded a little far away, it also quivered.

“We had a little run in with the magestry, I had expended a lot of my energy so I couldn’t move us but before I could say anything Kyra had grabbed us and well attempted to move us.” I explained as I reached over to Tera, I shook her shoulders to rouse her to move as Trilly went for Kyra. She shook her a little harder than needed. The girls moaned as they sat up, they shook their heads and opened their eyes they had a look in their eyes like they were looking past everything.

“Snap out of it.” I say as I stood up, the feeling of spinning finally ceased. Glancing down I was a little stunned, I looked like I had taken a shower, there wasn’t a speck of black on me, all the cuts were gone as with the blood that seeped out of them.

Trilly I thought, that women didn’t allow even the smallest molecule of dirt in her clean house, I headed for the kitchen as I passed Trilly I gave her an appreciative hug before continuing toward my destination. I passed the kitchen, the smell of dinner increased as I went for the door, I opened the door and saw the training room.

As I walked through the door I felt the familiar fizzle of shields that protected the room, it caused the hair on the back of my head to stand straight out.

The training room is a room where there are very powerful shield spells along with a variety of different cloaking and repelling spells. Designed to draw attention away from the room, no mortal stayed in that room for more than a few minutes before an idea popped into their heads like “wait I missed my appointment.” Or “I left the oven on,” Before rushing out of the room.

It’s not easy making a room this way lacing the spells together so they don’t interact with each other making disastrous combinations or even neutralizing each other. All forms of the gift must be used in the right proportions for something like this to manifest correctly.

The girls came in behind me they momentarily slowed when passing the shield, being in training they still didn’t like coming into that room.

“So Kyra, why did you do something that dangerous?” I drilled staring right at the now queasy looking teen girl. Her gaze drifted to the floor in obvious recognition of disobeying the rules. Kyra’s eyes looked up right into mine.

“Well” she started “I was really trying to help and I had read up on the theory of moving, I thought I could do it. I’m sorry.” She explained and apologized in the same breath, but even with the nervous sound of her voice her eyes never drifted from mine. This girl always astounded me, she never broke the rules but when she did it was always for the right reason and always took full responsibility for it.

Tera looked like she was about to say something to stand up for Kyra but I raised my hand to keep her quiet, never moving my eyes from Kyra.

“Explain to me what rule you broke?”

“Training rule one, never use a spell that you haven’t been taught.”

“Why is that rule in place?” I continued

“Because if a witch or wizard uses a spell that is to strong, or is used incorrectly, they can die. Magic isn’t endless, the amount of magic you have is set as stone, it can grow, but for right now you can’t get anymore.” She explained.

“Correct and what is the punishment for this kind of infraction?”

“Kitchen duty for a month.” She said, a sigh broke the silence after she had finished talking.

“I’m sorry I have to do this, but yes you can start after dinner, I would like you to take a nap before dinner, but before you go I want to teach you how to

I picked them up and focused a slight amount of move.” I said, walking over to their spell books on a round table in the corner of the room. Opening up a channel of energy I directed it into the books, and formed a mental image of the books in the girls hands, I than willed it into being and the books disappeared. Disappeared is probably the wrong word, more like they were never there to begin with. The girls looked startled as their books appeared in their hands, which again is not the right word for it.

“You had the general concept of moving but not the focus. There is essentially three steps, send a magic stream to coat the object, second and probably the most important, You must focus more than you ever have before, picture what you want to move to where you want it, finally you must will it into being like I’ve taught you.”

There were two cups on the table I picked them up and handed them to the girls. “I want you to move them onto the table exactly where they were, the closer you are the easier it is for your first time. It gets easier the more you do it until you can just thing of a name of a place to move there but until than you must focus on a picture.

They both started squinting at the cups in concentration, Kyra’s cup disappeared and reappeared on the table a couple of inches away from where it was before, she looked absolutely thrilled that she had done it correctly but looked over at her friend still staring at her cup.

Tera always had a problem with focusing she was never able to keep a train of thought for more than a few seconds, almost like a predictable teenager.

she was the absolute opposite of Kyra she had brownish hazel eyes, brown hair that hung about the same length as Kyra but wavy so It was probably at least four to five more inches than it showed.

Sweat started to bead on her forehead when the cup vanished with a loud Crack, we looked around but it didn’t appear on the table, it was on the ground under the table, but it was cracked neatly in half. She looked like she was going to pass out so I guided her over to the chair and made her sit down.

“Good try Tera, don’t worry about it, this is a fundamental skill that takes a while to learn, even longer to master. Kyra good job, but do you remember my instructions, they were to move the glasses back to the exact spot.”

She gave me the look that said “but I still did it, so shut up.” I returned it with an “I’m not playing this game” sort of look. She got the message immediately.

“Go take a shower if you need it and a nap, dinner in two hours.” I told both the girls, they left the room without a word. They were tired and I could see that, I could also see that they were both dirty and they weren’t going to waste anytime sleeping, when they had to make themselves look “presentable” or in teenage girl time 2 hours of shower, makeup, and hair.

I looked around the room examining the shield, and spells that were interlaced within it. Before I added another, this one was deadly. I sat in the center of the shield and centered myself feeling deep within my soul searching for the pool of magic that was encased within myself.

The pool of magic was as bright as could be. The more I concentrated the more it stopped glowing and turned into a reflected surface, as I continued to concentrate, lines started forming until it looked like several thousand little mirrors so close together that they were one big mirror.

Each mirror had a single symbol, and each symbol was a mirror of magic that I had copied. When Alexus had called me a mirror it cut me deeper than usual. My power works like a mirror, when I encounter a person with a specific power like prophecy, my magic almost takes a picture of it, a mirror image of the power and I gain the ability. Most people with the gift feel that mirrors take the power from the person which is a lie, but its why there is only three other mirror’s left in the world, the girls and me.

We were in danger, currently people with magic find mirror’s to have a very evil gift even if it’s not, so they eliminate them in a way that is so painful to people like me that we kill ourselves before they are captured.

I gently allowed my mind to extract itself from the pool of magic and return to the world outside of my mind. I glanced at the clock and saw that the better part of two hours had passed.

I stood and removed the deadly shield that I had laced through the previously enclosed area. It was never a good idea to leave yourself unprotected when you were meditating because time was never perceptible in that state.

As I stepped out of the shield the smell of spice soup slammed into me.

Dinner went really well, Trilly had made spice soup along with biscuits. Spice soup wasn’t spice soup without biscuits. It is one of my favorite meals, and the girls also, especially the way Trilly made it, she didn’t throw everything in it.

Everybody but Kyra went to bed, she stayed back to clean up the kitchen. Before I had left the room Ileft a trace trip, so that if anything in the kitchen was cleaned with magic I would know.

The girls did this on occasion, they were still inexperienced with magic and didn’t respect magic, they also still don’t understand the feeling of doing something with their hands and giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Magic, was both, an easy way out, and a tool. In the wrong hands it could turn the world inside out or just let people cheat their way through life, which is what caused a lot of evil mages to be born.

Magic can taint if used for trivial things.

Justin

Chapter 7

I woke to the smell of smoke, I realized what had woken me up first. Somebody uninvited had come to our house setting off the magic bells. Looking out my bedroom window, which is right above the door I saw the flames licking up the side of the house, right where the door was.

The fire couldn’t reach anywhere else because of shields I had placed on the house. There was a hooded figure standing directly in front of the flames. There where lights flashing between him and the door.

He was trying to break in. Not today, I thought sending out a ball of magic extinguishing the fire that was burning through the door, the spell also sent the hooded figure flying through the air.

He landed on his back in the middle of the front yard I sent a tentacle of my magic and wrapped it around the hooded figure holding him down and keeping him from casting any more spells. Jumping out of bed “wake up,” I thought sending it to the thre girls in the other rooms on the same floor, I also sent a picture of why they needed to get up.

By the time I had sent them the picture I was down the stairs and out the front door. I was in a tank top and shorts so the chilly early morning air didn’t affect me in any way. Being submerged in my magic helped keep me warm too.

I sent a command through the magic and it raised the figure causing its hood to fall back revealing who was underneath, it wasn’t human but some kind of pure black humanoid. One second it had a shape,  a second later the robe and tentacle of magic slipped off it as its shape dissolved into a cloud of pure dark fog of some kind, but then it reverted back into a human shape. I heard the door swinging open as they girls came outside.

A ball of magic came from the center of the creature and slammed into me like a truck going 80 mph. The shock of the cold spell chilled my bones into inactivity, kept me from reacting and I crashed into the house. Falling to the ground Blood started rushing down my back, but I couldn’t think about it the girls were there. They needed help.

Looking up and the girls were holding hands, they lifted their other hands and a ball of pure white light ignited in the center between them and the creature, they cast the ball toward the shadow.  It engulfed the shadow and imploded, but when the light faded the creature was still standing there, it didn’t look phased.

“Shield yourself!” I screamed as I saw spikes of black shoot out of its stomach. A shield of blue light popped into existence between the girls and the creature, but the spikes passed right through the shield as if it was made of butter.

“garath ruth” I commanded causing the earth directly in front of the girls to rise and form a wall of highly condensed earth that the spikes struck and evaporated. The earth wall crumbled as soon as the spikes were gone.

“Fari not athra!” I bellowed sending a tentacle of fire at the creature, as soon as the spell touched the shadow it burst into flames with an ear splitting scream. I stood up as the flames where abruptly extinguished, the creature looked as if it had lost its will to fight.

It turned its piercing glare at me, I made eye contact, bad idea I could feel it drilling deep inside me. I could feel it trying to tell me something, a message, no it was a warning. “You will die,” said a cold voice directly in my head, the voice sounded as if it was made of ice. The sound sent me to the ground I couldn’t get my legs to work.

Sending another batch of flames hoping to break its concentration, I condensed it into a ball form. It struck the shadow sending it 50 feet into the street, It flew through the air like a ball of flames. When it landed the creature was gone, the flames were also gone. The only evidence of the creature was the slightly charred door and the crumbled earth that was in front of Kyra and Tera. Trilly was trying to stop the bleeding from the wound on my head.

I was bleeding badly, I could feel the blood clumping on the back of my hair, but because of the amount of blood, pouring out it couldn’t clump on the gash, but I didn’t have time to worry about it, I started casting shield after shield all around the property. I cast over two hundred shielding spells before the effort of the magic along with the blood loss made me pass out



Kyra

Chapter 8

I saw Justin collapse from the effort he was putting into the shields, but I could also see that Tilly was trying to heal something on his head so I grabbed Tera and pulled her over to Justin.

When I got close, I saw the size of the gash on the top of his head. My stomach dropped three stories, It was massive it was at least a foot long running along the top of his head down the back of his neck.

I could see bone underneath.

Trilly was sending a large amount of magic into the wound but it didn’t seem to be helping. The flow of blood seemed to slow but only slightly. Her arms started to slump, she was running out of energy.

“Get back.” I said. I reached for the gash with a stream of magic, the moment I made contact I felt the pain as if it was my own, my head started to throb and ache. I took the pain in, pushing past the barrier in his mind, I could feel every stich of pain that surrounded him. I started using my magic to pull the muscle and fat back over the bone mending it together.

His skin came next, as I pulled it together I could feel the heat that emitted from the energy pouring into the injury, it slowly, reluctantly started mending itself, minutes passed before the blood stopped seeping out of the wound.

The skin sealed tightly together, the blood ceased, but I wasn’t done yet, I need to seal the blood vessels. I could feel my energy waning from the exertion of the spells. I felt a warm reassuring hand grab my right hand, all of a sudden magic seemed to pour into me. I brought back the tendril of magic detaching it from the wound.

I looked over and Tera was grabbing my hand lifting me back up, I hadn’t realized it but I had slumped to the ground with the exertion of energy, I was surprised I wasn’t down for the count.

I got an idea reaching back for the wound with my magic, I brought all the vessels back together, and then I magnified the natural healing process, almost as if time was going in fast forward.

The veins reattached themselves and sealed tightly. All the blood that had been trapped underneath the healed skin slowly was absorbed back into Justin’s body. I lost my grip on reality as I fell into a deep slumber.





When the shroud of sleep dissolved from my thoughts, I felt like my entire body was made of iron. Reaching up, I tried wiping the sleep from my eyes. It didn’t help, I let my arms drop to my side as my eyes open.

Faint morning light gleamed though the half closed window drapes, throwing the blanket off me I noticed I was in a loose fitted nigh gown, it was floral, I hate floral.

I then noticed breathing coming from the chair beside the bed, Tera had fallen asleep she had her hand reached out as if she was comforting me throughout the night.

Forcing myself to sit up I felt the awkward sensation of sleeping for more twelve hours, I stood up.

I made my slow, uneasy walk to the bathroom, after I opened the door I saw somebody had placed a clean washcloth next to the sink.

Turning on the hot water, I let it warm before saturating the washcloth, washing my face I felt the night’s sleep fade.

Leaving the bathroom, I realized what room I was in, the infirmary. The room was designed to help heal injured. Looking around I didn’t see Justin in the other bed, Weird, wasn’t he hurt worse than me. 

Sensing through the house I felt he was downstairs, so he wasn’t sleeping. Leaving the infirmary, I saw the light underneath the door to the library.

Walking over to it, I opened the door and could see Justin sitting at the table in the center of the room, books lined the room on bookshelves built into the wall. The name library was misleading to most, at most there was only two hundred books in there but with The book of shadows, it didn’t need any thing else

The book was capable of showing all knowledge ever written down.

Justin looked up and saw me, he stood up and walked over to me. He put his arms around me and hugged me tightly. Holding me at arm’s length away he asked.

“Are you ok?”

Giving him the most confident smile, I could muster.

“I’m fine, what about you, that was a bad wound?”

“Good as new, you have exceptional ability in healing, if I would have known you where that good, I would have worked with you more on that subject.”

“Thanks.” I could feel my cheeks get really warm and red, he smiled at the unintentional reaction, which only served to make it worse.

“What are you going in here, it can’t be later than five in the morning?” I asked walking over to the open book at the table

There was a picture of what looked like the exact creature that had attacked us at the bottom of the page, above it was a description written in Cyrillic.

Where the name should have been was a blank space, looking back at Justin he could tell what I was thinking.

“There is no name for the creature because any time the creature is named it kills the person who named it, without fail. “

“The creature is a shadow creature, created by an extremely strong mage, it is invincible to any form of destruction. Except when its energy is depleted. Its kind of like a battery, it has to go back to the source or the creator, after it recharges it can use the energy for anything.”

“Is there a way to repel it or…”

“No, it looks like the only way to get rid of it is to deplete it of all its energy or to kill the creator, but there not sure killing the creator is a sure way, the book references the great wizard Kan, he killed an evil mage, that created these creatures to torment the townspeople.”

"Purportedly, he was killed shortly after by a creature that resembled the creator in the shadow’s form. After his death the creature disappeared.”

Turning the page of the book, I saw what looked like the formula or spell to create it.

“How is it possible, this spell looks impossible to duplicate?’

“That’s what I’m thinking also, I don’t know if there is somebody out there doing this, or if it’s the mage from before.”

“There was one thing I have to say about last night.” He said, looking at him his face had changed to his usual set, sympathy.

“You used too much energy trying to heal me completely, I would have been fine if you would have just stopped the bleeding, it’s too dangerous to come that close or running out of energy. You know how it works, if you use too much, you die.”

“I know but you were hurt, I couldn’t leave you like that.” I replied, my teenage angst reared its ugly head.

“You still need to be careful if Tera wasn’t there, you would have died.” He replied, wrapping his arms around me again, he squeezed.

“I will, dad…” his hand covered my mouth as the word left my lips.”

“shhh, prying ears I reminded her.”

“Aren’t we shielded here?” I asked as he removed his hand.

“We are, but you never know what stray strand of magic could be slipping through the defenses or the sound could carry.”

“Go back to the infirmary, I don’t want your sister waking up and you not being there. She has been through a lot today and you need your sleep.” He said pushing me toward the door.

“Isn’t it morning already?” I asked not really trying to stop moving.

“Yes its morning, about 6 but do you know what day it is?”

“no.” I replied

“It’s Mabon, the fall equinox.”

“Oh yah!” I exclaimed, the time when the mother becomes the crone.

Opening the door I exited the library and walked back to where Tera slept, she hadn’t moved from when I last saw her.

After getting into bed, I thought about the upcoming night.

Blackness filled my mind as I fell into a deep slumber.





























Chapter 9

Justin

 



When Kyra left the hallway I returned to the book of shadows. Speaking softly I said.

“Mabon.” The book closed slowly by its own accord, when I opened it again I didn’t see the creature but instead stood an old women in her late seventies.

Her silver hair hung down to her stomach, her face held thousands of little wrinkles. She was hunched over slightly, a cane leaned against a tree next to her.

A small black cauldron hung from her left hand, in her other hand was a black leather leash leading to a three headed dog.

Reading through the book to freshen up my memory of what is needed for the ceremony, I felt the heaviness of sleep creep into my mind. Closing the book I placed my head onto the table and succumbed to the dreams that pulled me in.

I woke to the sound of a pair of feet rushing though the hallway, then the clamor of two teenage girls fighting for the bathroom.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, the digital read out showed 10:40. Wow how did I sleep so late, I thought mentally kicking myself.

Heading for the door, grabbing the handle I sent a sliver of magic through my hand to the door activating the extra protections for the book of shadows.

As I entered the hallway the smell of eggs and bacon wafted up from the kitchen, my stomach growled in response to the smell, setting my hunger aside I went to my room.

Grabbing my clothes out of the dresser I picked up the necklace laying on top of the dresser, it was the symbol of the triple goddess, a waxing moon followed by a full moon, which turns into the waning moon, the part of the symbol of the we are celebrating today Mabon.

I also picked up the necklace with the triquetra design. Listening I could hear the girls in the kitchen laughing I made my way to the bathroom. When I finished showering, I put the necklace with the moons around my neck followed by the triquetra which ung an inch lower then the moons, the v-neck I was wearing allowed the pendants to be seen.

“Little late for breakfast don’t you think?” I said as I entered the kitchen, the girls had a heaping pile of eggs on their plate, but of course no bacon.

They both looked at me as if I swore.

“Of course not, there is no time that eggs and pancakes aren’t good.” Replied Tera as she reached for another pancake.

Sitting next to Tera I picked up the bowl of eggs and poured a good amount on the plate that was sitting in front of me, putting that bowl down I grabbed the plate with the bacon on it. I placed a couple of pieces on the plate.

“You guys ready for Mabon?” I asked as I sipped the orange juice Trilly had poured for me.

“Yes.” Kyra said, Tera nodded her head, excitement for magic wasn’t her strong point.

“Where did Trilly go” I asked noticing the absence of the little lady.

“she had to go to the store, we are missing the sapphire stone and the passion flower.

“Dang, I meant to plant some of that this year.”

“There’s always next year.” Replied Terra. She rinsed her dishes in the sink then put them in the dishwasher. Snapping her fingers the dishwasher closed itself.

“I’ve got plans with a couple of friends, I will be home in a couple of hours.” Tera yelled as she exited the room.

“wait.” I yelled back , putting my fork down I followed her into the living room. She was putting on her purple fleece jacket.

“Do you have your protection symbols?”

“No I left them in the room, I don’t think anything is going to happen today.” She replied heading toward the door.

Speaking quickly “knock, block and lock.” I cast the spell at the door. There was a quick, almost silent knock followed by the sound of an old fashioned wood plank lock being drawn against the back of the door.

She went to open the door but couldn’t turn the knob.

“What are you doing?” she asked

“I want you to put on those protection symbols, today is not a day to play around, there are things on this planet as you well know that can easily eat you for lunch.”

“Fine, but now I’m late.” She replied running up the stairs. Muttering the countercharm, the door unsealed itself.

Returning to my breakfast I finished it, I heard the door slam and the presence of Tera disappeared within my mind. That girl’s trying to be hide herself, I thought as I rinsed my dishes.

Looking out the window I saw Kyra harvesting some of the herbs in the garden, grabbing the extra pair of gardening gloves and shears I went out to help.

Looking in the wicker basket next to Kyra had already picked the majority of the herbs needed .

“We need some sprigs of sage and some of the un-bloomed  buds of the milkweed and the stalks of the milk thistle. Did you bring the machete?”

“No I left it in the shed, let me go get it.” she replied

“No we don’t need it.”

Standing in front of the milk thistle, I plunged my mind into the magic contained within my body.

Warmth coursed through my blood fighting the chill that had crept up onto my body.

“Thank you mother earth.” I thought as I sent the magic into the milk thistle, forming a machete like magical tool I started cutting at the spiny branches, with every slice the tool cut through it like warm butter. I continued until there was nothing but the stalk and the flowery purple bulbs.

Cutting off the bulb I put it in the basket, cutting the stalk into six inch segments they too went into the basket.

I continued this progression on two more plants. Turning to the milkweed, I pulled off ten of the bushes of un-bloomed flowers from a couple of stalks of the plant.

Kyra was busy picking a couple of sprigs of sage.

“We have everything but what Trilly is buying.” She said, brushing off the dirt that had accumulated on her clothes.

I felt the thread of though Trilly was sending us reach across the yard and touch our minds.

“I’m back.” her presence disappeared from my mind as she retracted her mind.

“Let’s go see what she bought.” Kyra said heading for the house. I followed her into the house, the smell of dirt and honeysuckle wafted behind her.

Trilly was in the kitchen, putting groceries away, she was working on one bag, but there was five more bags on the kitchen table. Kyra and me took a bag and helped her.

We got down to one bag, which contained the ingredients for the ritual.

“Trilly could you start the cooking dinner, I will start the on the herbs.” She acknowledged me with a slight tip of the head and started banging pots and pans as she brought them from the cabinets.

I grabbed the bag from the table that still held the sapphire and a couple of bags of herbs, as I took out the sapphire I admired the beauty of unheated sapphire.

It wasn’t as bright and clear as jewelry you could find at a store, but it stored in it unhampered, unaltered potential.

I placed the fist sized gem above the fridge, keeping it well out of harm’s way.

“Kyra, use a spell, dry the passionflower petals, rose, and sage, I will do the thistle.”

Bringing a strand of magic to my fingers I touched the stalks of thistle, feeling what I wanted to happen, the stalks started to shrink. Severing the ties to the magic I picked up the stalks of thistle very gently and put them into the martyr and pestle, I started crushing the stalks into a fine powder.

Kyra popped up beside me, carrying the other herbs. She reached around me and put the dried herbs into the bowl, I continued to crush everything together until it was well blended and crushed.

Splitting the mixture in half I spooned two tablespoons of the mixture into satchels that Kyra handed me. Sitting the four satchels down I spooned the rest of the mixture into a large satchel.

“Kyra go get the candles for me please.”

“I set the holders outside by the fire pit last night.” Trilly stated as she threw the milk thistle bundles into the first pot of boiling water.

“Trilly will you be ok with dinner?” I asked looking around at the kitchen that now resembled a restaurants kitchen. Bowls of half prepared food scattered throughout the tops of the counters.

“yes, go get the fire going, it’s supposed to be a cold night.” Even with the extra weight she really didn’t like the cold.

Checking the clock above the door, the small hand angled slightly past the five.

“I hope Tera gets back for the ceremony.”

“Why did you let her leave then, you know she won’t be back until late.” Replied Trilly.

“I know, but you know how this ceremony works, if there person doesn’t do it of their own free will nothing will work.”

She nodded as I walked outside, glancing around the yard I saw the long candle holders leaned up against the fire pit. Kyra opened the door behind me and followed me to the pit.

“Form the shape into a pentagram, starting with spirit” I said picking up a poker and waiting for her to bury the end of the first one in the ground.

Spirit, earth, water, air and fire, in order invoking the protection of the pentagram, no lights appeared or wall formed just the peace of protection seemed to settle over the land.

“Throw the large satchel in the pit.” I commanded as I started putting large logs in the pit. She threw the satchel to the top of the pile.

“Aldrnari.” I commanded, the logs and candle wicks burst into flames. The smell of the herbs filled the air as the fire continued to burn, relinquishing the stream of magic that I was funneling to the fire, the flame continued to burn.



Kyra

As I walked out the door I threw the moon necklace in the flowerpot outside the front door, my friends couldn’t think I was a freak right?

Keeping the triquetra necklace I started my four block walk to Paige’s house, Bret and a new guy where waiting for us at the pizza joint across town.

Knocking on her door made of red cherry wood, I listened to the song that was blaring from the cd player inside a lady gaga song I knew all too well.

She pulled the door open and the skunky smell of weed slammed into my face.

“Why do you insist on smoking that’s stuff?” I asked trying to wave the smell away from my face.

“Come on, stop being such a goody goody and take a puff she said trying to hand me the well rolled joint.

“Maybe later.” I said deflecting the request, “So when are we going up there?” I asked keeping the subject off weed.

“Once I get my purse we will go.” She said as she walked inside to get her purse. She returned to the door,  a headed for the convertible parked skewed in the driveway.

“Why don’t we walk?” I said. Mixing weed and driving was not on my list of fun evenings.

“Why?” she whined, the sound of a rich kid who never had to do a thing in her life.

“Because, we both could use the exercise, and two because you’re not driving while you’re high.”

“Come on I  just had one puff, just get in, and if anything is about to happen do your little witchy think.”

“What witchy thing?” My heart pounding, what could she have seen?

“You know what I’m talking about, your always able to get out of things. Every time something is about to happen I don’t know what you do but it doesn’t happen.”

My heart slowed.

“I have no Idea what you are talking about.” I said, giving her the your crazy face

“How bout this, you drive.”

“Deal.” I agreed, catching the keys she threw to me. The drive to the Joe’s pizza palace was uneventful, as expected Paige didn’t shut up.

Hoping out of the car I checked my face in the side mirror, combing back the strand of hair that fell across my face I followed Paige into the building.

Bret was sitting at the booth in the back, talking to a guy that was dressed in a white v neck shirt and a leather jacket, his hair was a deep black, cut short.

“Hey boy.” Yelled Paige

“Hey girl.” Yelled Bret, the signature catchphrase to this couple, it was kind of funny though. They kissed and sat down.

“My name is Kyra.” I said holding my hand out.

“Van Haski.” He relied in a deep voice, extending his hand out, as his hand circled mine I felt an electric tingle sucking in my breath I pulled away.

“Must have been static.” He said putting his hand to his side. He looked in my eyes, I felt the same tingle, his eyes where a deep shade of green that seemed to glow with an inner light.

“So a a where do you live.” I stammered as I tried to get my mind in order.

“I just moved here last week from Florida, it was way too hot for me there.”

“So you picked Utah, why not somewhere, you know in the top 15 places to live?” Paige said as she ordered her slice of pizza.

“Because I was in the mood to slow down, I don’t want to jump right back into all the chaos of teen life, I’ll take a vegetarian.” He said looking from Paige to the waitress.

“and you two?” she said glancing at me and van.

“Just a cheese, and a Pepsi.”

“Ditto.” he said giving me a smile, “Great minds must think alike.”

“Where did you get that pick up line, your grandfather its ancient.” Laughed Paige.

“I know but it worked didn’t it.” I barely heard him as I continued to stare into his eyes something about them seemed familiar, I tried to recall if I had seen him before but I continued to draw a blank.

Paige elbowed me in the side sending a pain up my left kidney.

“let’s go pick a song from the juke box.”

“ok.” I replied breaking my stare we walked over to the other side of the room before she started to talk.

“Don’t you see he likes you, he likes you.”

“You sound surprised.”

“You know what I mean, it’s had to have been at least three months since your last date.”

“Are you counting?

“Again, I’m just looking out for you, I want you to be happy.”

“I know Paige, but I’m not you I don’t jump into things without knowing the guy.”

“Hey that’s offensive to any women out there.” She giggled as she picked a Lady Antebellum song.

“Country?”

“Somebody needs to get the romantic juices flowing.”

“Well your being REALLY subtle.” I said as walked back over to the booth. Our food had arrived and the boys had started eating. They finished off their lasts bites as we started our first.

“Now that’s got to be a record.” Paige exclaimed her mouth hung a little slack.

“I have to get going, that should cover my part.” Van said as he pulled a five dollar out of his wallet.

“Why so soon?” I asked trying to stall

“My grandparents are coming in tonight and I’m expected to be home. Sorry I have to eat and run, I hope I can see you again Kyra.”

“Yah, give me your number so I can call you.”

“Toss me your phone.” Reaching into my purse, I handed him my phone.

“Make sure you put your full name in I’m really bad with names.”

“Here you go, call me soon. Bye guys.”

He walked out the door, I lost my appetite as I listened to Paige and Bret started making nicknames for each other.

Looking up at the digital clock above the table, I panicked when it read 6:50.

“I guess I got to go too, I didn’t realize how late it was.” I said as I called the waitress over for a doggy bag.

“Do you need a ride?” Paige asked not really taking her eyes of Bret.

“No it’s not that far of a walk. See you guys later.” I picked up the Styrofoam container and placed another five dollar bill where Van had placed his.

I grabbed my purse and walked out the front door, as I walked out the cold air rushed over my body. Pulling my jacket closer I walked turned to my right and started my walk home.

Two blocks from the pizza place I felt my necklace tingle. Using my magic I sensed around me, the only people where the people in the houses.

“Protect me on this moonlight night, the moons light so bright” I said touching my magic. A tingle shot up my spine as something collided into the back of my head.

BLACKNESS