A Breath of Magic

by Tracy Madison

  Now, hours later, we sat on her sofa. We’d just finished watching a movie, and by unspoken agreement had steered away from any serious topics of conversation. But the hours between now and when my plane departed the next morning were dwindling fast, and there was something else I needed to go over with Sheridan.

  “Hey, sis.” I crossed my legs. “If magic was real and you could have one wish granted, anything you wanted, what would it be?”

  “I don’t make wishes.” Humor glittered in her voice. “You still believe in that stuff?”

  “Oh, yes. I definitely believe.” I watched her carefully, trying to figure out the best way to proceed. Miranda had said that Sheridan wasn’t ready for this, so spilling everything was probably not going to happen tonight. “You still don’t?”

  A quick, decisive shake of her head, but a tiny smile appeared. “Nope. But you believed in Santa Claus longer than I did. Odd, when you take into consideration that I’m three years younger than you.”

  I grinned. Now was definitely not the time to give her the news about our heredity, but maybe there was another way. “Would you like to believe? If your common sense and”—I wrinkled my nose—“rigid rules were relaxed enough so you could, would you want to believe in magic? In Santa?”

  She grabbed a throw pillow and tossed it at me. “My rules are not that rigid. I just happen to prefer order and logic, and I get frustrated when things don’t make sense.”

  I sailed the pillow right back at her. “Answer my question, Sheri. Is there any part of you that wishes magic was real?”

  She dropped the pillow on her lap and stared at me, curious. “I guess so. But it isn’t, so your question really doesn’t have an answer.” She grinned. “But I suppose if I lived with the delusions you do, then it would be nice to have some type of power, something that would come in handy when things got tough.” She winked. “Maybe invisibility! Or the ability to wave my hand and have money appear all around me. Or…or to go back in time and hold my daughter.”

  “I want to try something.” I grasped Sheridan’s hands before I lost my courage. “But only if you agree. Will you let me?”

  “Um. That depends. What do you want to try?”

  “To give you magic.”

  A laugh belted out of her. “Okay, Chloe. You go right ahead. Give me magic.”

  “Pretend magic is real and that there’s some type of power inside all of us. One person might be able to bake wishes into cakes, and maybe someone else can draw pictures of the future, and perhaps someone else can bend the wills of others. The possibilities go on and on and on. If this were true, and if I had the ability to awaken your magic, even without knowing what that power would be, would you want me to?”

  I had a feeling that this was what I was supposed to do. That this is what Miranda had intended. Even so, my sister called the shots here. “Still thinking?” I asked.

  “I’m wondering if you’ve gone off the deep end.” She looked at me so seriously that I knew she meant it. “But if you want an honest answer—”

  “I do. Completely honest.”

  “Then, yes. If I lived in a world where magic was real, and leprechauns hid pots of gold beneath rainbows and fairy godmothers with sparkling wands could fix me up with my Prince Charming, then yes. By all means, I would want to experience magic.”

  Ha. I didn’t know about leprechauns, and I’d yet to see a fairy godmother, but we did have a great-great-great-ghost-grandmother. “Close your eyes.”

  She did, and I followed suit.

  The power came alive instantly. I opened my heart and soul, and when the magic had grown thick and heavy inside of me, around us, I brought to mind the carefully worded wish I’d been thinking about since my last visit with Miranda. As the energy continued to pulsate, ripple and surge, I silently recited,

  I wish for the magic of our ancestors to come to life inside of you, Sheridan, but only when you need it. Only when you reach for it. Until then, your power will lie dormant, awaiting your command, awaiting the right moment. And with this wish, I expunge my power, my magic, from my body, from my heart and from my soul. No longer will this gift exist within me. No longer will I be able to alter the wills of others.

  The power slammed through me harder than ever before. It stunned and rocked me, turned my world upside down and then back around. My breathing came out in fast, short gasps, and I was surprised I didn’t keel over from a heart attack. I held on tight, as I always did, not wanting to give in, not wanting to turn my back on this wish. But God, this time, in this instance, it was nearly impossible.

  I heard Sheridan giggle. Somehow, that helped me hang on. Sisterly love beat the crap out of Gypsy magic. That was nice to know.

  All at once, the moment ended and my body returned to normal. I kept my eyes shut, continuing to hold Sheridan’s hands, but I reached into myself, seeking the magic, trying to see if I could bring the power back to life. A shudder rippled out when I couldn’t find even a trace of the magic anywhere. Relief followed, strong and furious, because this was what I’d wanted. But also a fair amount of sadness came, regret that I couldn’t have had a different type of power. Something less dangerous. Something less morally ambiguous. Something a hell of a lot less addictive.

  “Do I have magic now, Chloe?” Sheridan teased.

  I opened my eyes. “No. But it’s there, waiting for you. If the day comes where you find yourself remembering tonight and wishing for something you can’t gain on your own, call me.” Maybe we’d have that particular conversation before that day, but just in case, I wanted her to know to reach out to me. “Okay? Promise me.”

  Twinkles of mirth floated into her eyes, but she nodded. “Sure, sis. If that’s what you want, then yeah. When the day comes that I wake up wishing for magic or leprechauns or fairy godmothers, I’ll give you a call.”

  “Good. That’s good.” I considered giving her the scoop on our familial relationship to Alice, Elizabeth and Verda, but decided to leave it alone. Besides, I wasn’t sure how to explain that connection without going into everything else. Instead I said, “I love you, Sheri. I’m so glad I came.”

  “Stop with the gushy stuff.” She flipped the pillow my way again. “But I’m glad you’re here too.”

  And then, knowing we might not see each other again soon, we hunkered down to talk for the remainder of the night and into the morning. I loved every sleepless minute of it.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I finished ringing up Mrs. Delinsky’s purchases and, after she left the store, dropped into my chair. Two weeks, one day and twelve hours had passed since my encounter with Ben. A total of 372 hours, or approximately 22,320 minutes, since I’d last seen the man I loved. Yes, I’d done the math. I’d resisted figuring out how many seconds, but only barely. Still, 372 hours without a peep.

  I missed him even more than I’d thought was possible. The yearning to see and touch and talk with him, to simply spend time with him, never left me. These feelings were there, regardless of where I went or what I did. And I still hoped with every part of my being that he’d find his way back. Strangely, though, other than the aching loss of Ben, I was doing well.

  Sheridan and I spoke often, and the miles between us now were just that: physical distance. Emotionally we were growing closer with every call, with every e-mail, and she was already planning a visit to Chicago. I couldn’t wait to see her again. Maybe by then, with the help of Alice, Elizabeth and Verda, I’d be able to share everything with her—or if nothing else, the fact that we were all related. I wanted my sister to have that particular gift more than anything else.

  “Hey, Chloe?” Paige interrupted my musings, stopping in front of the counter. Her voice held a hesitant quality, and she appeared unsure. Nervous, even. “I need to ask you something, and I hope you don’t get mad.”

  “Unless you’ve turned into an embezzler, I don’t think that’s possible.” I grinned, not worried in the slightest. “If you’re swindling money, then I won’t be able to
ask if you’d like to be my partner. So yeah, that might tick me off.” I’d been thinking about the idea seriously.

  Her lips formed a surprised O. “What?”

  “You heard me right, Paige. You know this place as well as I do, and honestly? I’d love to have someone to share the responsibility, so I can go visit my sister more. Take some trips. Become a”—I drew a circle in the air—“more well-rounded individual. And you’re a business major, graduating next year, so I thought you might be interested.”

  “Um…wow. Really?” She shook her head. “I don’t have money to buy in to the business, Chloe.”

  “We’ll figure something out with your share of the profits until we’re square.” My grin widened. Paige deserved the offer, and I really, really wanted her to say yes. “You don’t have to decide now. You’ll probably want to look over the accounting and talk to an attorney. But think about it, okay?”

  “Yeah, I will. And, you might rescind the offer once I tell you this.”

  “Doubtful. But go ahead.”

  “You know when you were visiting your sister? I worked that Saturday with Jen. Anyway, Kyle came in.”

  My interest piqued, because I hadn’t heard from Kyle since I’d removed my spells. “He did? What did he want?”

  Paige took a step backward. “He asked about you right off. When I said you were in Seattle, he wanted to know how you were doing. I told him you were fine.”

  “Oh! That’s good.” I wrinkled my forehead in confusion. “Why would I be upset about that?”

  She took another step backward. “The shop was busy, but he hung around until we closed and we ended up going out to lunch. We talked for a long time. We’ve been talking a lot on the phone.” Paige sighed, and then pulled in a breath. “I like him. I’d really like to get to know him better. But I—I wanted to make sure that was okay with you. Before we…um…officially started dating.”

  I smiled and laughed. “You thought I’d be upset because you and Kyle want to date?” Jumping up, I ran around the counter. Paige’s eyes rounded and she looked ready to bolt. I laughed again. “Don’t look so scared. This is great news!” I grabbed her hands and squeezed.

  Paige humored me for a few seconds and then pulled away. “You’re happy I want to date your ex-fiancé? That’s not the reaction I expected.”

  Of course I was happy. For one, I’d clearly removed all magic from him, which meant I likely had from Ben, as well. For two…well, maybe Paige would be able to help Kyle get over Shelby. “He’s a great guy, Paige. And you’re a great girl. So…yeah, I’m good with this. He and I are still friends, you know. So why wouldn’t I be pleased?”

  Relief washed into her eyes, erasing her pinched look. “Wow, I was so nervous about telling you. I’m glad you’re okay with it.” She grinned. “And yes, I am interested in becoming your partner. I sort of hoped that might happen, but didn’t expect anything until after I finished school.”

  “Awesome. I’ll put together a profile of the business and get it to you sometime in the next week or so. And then, once you’ve had a chance to look everything over, we’ll go from there.”

  Her eyes glistened. “Cool.” She returned to the counter, taking the seat I’d vacated. In a light tone, she said, “There’s something else I meant to mention, but forgot with all of my concerns over Kyle.”

  I grabbed a book that a customer had left in the wrong place and replaced it on its proper shelf. “What’s that?”

  “Ben called yesterday morning, before you came in.”

  My heart stopped beating. I waited for it start again before I opened my mouth. “Oh, yeah?” I asked, as if I couldn’t care less. “And what did he want?”

  “He said thanks for the gift certificate, and that his assistant loved it. I guess she’s planning on taking one of our pendulum classes.”

  “Th-that’s it? That’s all he said?”

  Twisting her mood ring, Paige shrugged. “Well, he also asked for the name of Elizabeth’s bakery.”

  Every drop of air in my lungs escaped in a wheezy squeal. “Did you tell him?”

  “Yeah. I recommended their peanut-butter-chocolate-chunk cookies. He laughed and said he’d have to check them out.”

  “D-did he ask about me?”

  Paige blinked. “Nope. His call was about the gift certificate and the bakery. That was all. I’m sorry, Chloe.”

  “Uh-huh. Okay, then. I’m—uh—going to the back room. To do some paperwork. Lots of paperwork,” I mumbled. “You…um…yeah. Paperwork.”

  I nearly tripped over my feet in my rush. There was no reason for Ben to call about the gift certificate, and why would he care about Elizabeth’s bakery unless…unless he wanted to talk to Elizabeth about me? I didn’t know if I should be excited or worried, pleased or scared. What I did know was that I needed to get hold of Elizabeth. Immediately.

  When I called A Taste of Magic, I was told that she wasn’t in. I tried her at home. No dice there, either. Frustrated beyond belief, I phoned Alice and begged her to find her sister. She said she’d try and then got off the phone in a hurry, claiming Rose needed something.

  Once again, all I could do was sit and wait.

  The following evening—Friday—I arrived at Alice’s house thirty minutes early. I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t have anywhere else to be, and the mushy pile of nerves, anticipation and excitement that whipped through me left me with no other choice. Elizabeth hadn’t returned any of my phone calls, which was odd and annoying, but Alice assured me that her sister would be in attendance tonight, along with Grandma Verda, so I’d be able to ask about Ben soon enough—which was the reason for my crazy emotions.

  For the moment, however, Alice and I were alone in her living room. Ethan and Rose were visiting Rose’s paternal grandmother, Beatrice, so the house felt way more quiet than normal. I sat in the papasan chair Alice had owned forever, and she was across from me, on her sofa.

  I smiled, trying to pretend I was as cool as a cucumber. “How’s Rose doing? Have there been any new magic sightings?”

  Alice grinned, and the worry that had clung to her the last time we talked about her daughter’s gift didn’t seem as thick. “Not a one. I’ve decided, with Ethan’s help, to take her experiences one day at a time. We’ll handle them as they come along.”

  “That’s good. You seem more at peace with it.”

  She laughed. “I don’t know if that’s true, but my life is good. I’m in love with a man who loves me, I have a beautiful daughter, a wonderful family and”—she pointed her gaze at me—“a best friend who seems to want to be around me again.”

  A sob caught in my throat. “You know,” I said carefully, speaking from the heart, “this past year I acted like an idiot. I felt that because you were happy, I wasn’t as important to you anymore, that you didn’t have time for me in your life anymore. I should have just talked with you about it, but I didn’t know how. So I became—”

  “Lonely?”

  “Yes. Defensive too. I wanted you to see what I was going through and come to me on your own. But you had a new husband and baby, and how could you see anything when I went out of my way to avoid you?” The admission slipped out along with another choked sob. “I apologize, Alice.”

  She launched herself at me and drew me into a tight hug. Then she shook her head. “I have my own blame. I knew something was wrong, and every day I’d promise to call you or to pack Rose in the car and go see you, so we could get to the bottom of it. But each day brought something new, and I was always so freaking tired. So, Chloe, I accept your apology if you accept mine.”

  “Absolutely.” Not that she needed to say she was sorry.

  Happy that our friendship was back on track, I decided to confess something else. “So…uh…I haven’t told you what happened in Seattle yet.”

  Returning to the sofa, she crossed her legs and gestured for me to continue. I wasn’t going to tell her about Sheridan’s baby. At some point my sister might choose to tell Alice, but
until then my lips were sealed. “I…gave my magic up.”

  Alice sat up straighter. “You what?”

  I nodded and gave her the entire scoop. “As far as I can tell, the spell worked. I’m magic free.” Though the other day, there had been this man in my store. He’d smiled. I’d turned around to grab the phone and, just like with Mari, when I turned back he was gone. I wasn’t sure what that meant yet, but I was positive the will-bending portion of my ability had been dealt with. And honestly, if for some reason the rest of my gift had stayed with me, well, that seemed like a fair trade-off. Especially if I could help others.

  “Anyway, I wanted you to know that you don’t have to worry about what I did—using my power to make you tell me about Rose—happening again. Those days are over.”

  Alice scrunched her face up, confused. “I wasn’t that worried about it. And Chloe, I didn’t know we could give the magic up.”

  I repeated Miranda’s words, then asked, “Why? I thought you liked your gift.”

  “Oh, I do. But maybe…maybe with Rose?”

  “That would have to be her choice, wouldn’t it?”

  “Well, yeah. But I’ll have to ask Miranda about this. I mean, for us, we were given the power. Rose was born with her magic. So who knows if she’ll even have the choice?” Alice shook her head. “Not that any of this matters now, but I find it really interesting.”

  The doorbell rang before I could respond. A few minutes later, Verda and Elizabeth had taken seats in the living room. I wanted to pounce on Elizabeth for answers, but Verda had something else in mind.

  “Okay, girls. I have some news to share!” She tossed me a grin, and a wicked gleam shone brightly in her eyes. I sighed but reined in my questions for Elizabeth. Verda spoke softly, but her excitement reverberated in every word. “I’m starting a business, and I hope that each of you will support me in this new chapter of my life.”