"What is it?" Gavon asked.
"Just…I've never looked at my magic like this before," I said, mesmerized by the power I held in my hand. "It's beautiful."
Gavon had a strange look on his face, one I couldn't pinpoint in the fading light. My magic whispered to take advantage of his distraction, and I released a purple orb of my own toward him. He sidestepped it with ease, and I earned a small chuckle.
Then the world tilted and I fell to my knees, feeling very much like I was going to empty my stomach on the ground.
"Yes, I forgot to mention that," Gavon said, sounding like he hadn't forgotten it at all. "Attack spells use a lot of magic. So when your magic is very quickly depleted, you will feel pretty awful."
"I'm…" I swallowed through my dizziness. "I'm low on magic?"
"Not dangerously so," Gavon said, kneeling in front of me. "And it will replenish with rest."
"How come you aren't…aren't on the ground?"
"I've been doing this a very long time," he said. "With practice, you'll be able to build your tolerance and stamina. But I think that's it for tonight, hm?"
All of that, for just one minute of sparring? "No," I said, struggling to my feet. "I'm fine. We can continue."
"Are you sure?" Gavon asked. "You shouldn't push yourself if—"
"I'm fine." I pushed myself out of the sand, only to topple back over. "I promise. Just need a second. One second."
His face filled my vision. "I think that's enough for tonight, Alexis."
I blew air out between my lips. "Can we try again tomorrow?"
"That's inadvisable. May take you a few days to fully recover."
"But if it feels so…why?" I apparently also lacked the ability to form coherent sentences.
"Because you've had your magic for less than a week, if you'll recall." He held out his hand and I took it, carefully rising to stand. "Now I'll send you back home. Go get some rest, all right?"
Before I could respond, his magic surrounded me and I found myself standing in my bedroom. A thousand questions circled in my head, but my body fell back into bed and I was asleep in seconds.
The man before me was menacing, his eyes borderline insane. He stood in the threshold of my house, as if drinking in this moment and this night. Behind him a bolt of lightning split the sky, and thunder echoed.
"He's not coming, you know."
My voice answered, "He'll come. But I don't need him."
But that wasn't my voice.
"Oh? You've been practicing?"
My magic gathered in my hands, almost by instinct. I had been practicing. We'd been practicing for months. But not for this, never for this. Not with my girls sleeping upstairs.
Where was he?
11
"Alexis, I know you're a teenager, but it is one in the afternoon! Get your ass out of bed!"
I opened my eyes slowly, blinded by the brightness of the room, then lifted my too-heavy head to look at Jeanie who stood in my doorway.
"Get up."
"Why?" I moaned, rolling over slowly and pressing my head back into the pillow.
"Because…because I said so," Jeanie said. "You can't spend your life in bed."
Oh, but that sounded so nice. "I wanna."
"Are you sick or something? Or are you…Lexie, did you go out drinking last night?"
"Wha?" I lifted my head to look at her. "No?"
"I didn't hear you come home," Jeanie said, running her hand over her face as I face-planted back into my soft and wonderful pillow. "Lexie, please don't do this to me. I already have enough trouble with Marie. Please don't turn into her."
"I didn't drink. I'm just tired," I said, my words muffled by my pillow. I lifted my head to look at her. "I swear, Jeanie."
"Then get your ass out of bed and go…do something," Jeanie said.
"Why?" It came out more a whine.
"Because…because…" A pause. "Because I said so. Now get up!"
Her thundering footsteps echoed down the hall and I pushed myself away from the most comfortable pillow ever invented and stared at the open door. The aches that seemed to settle in my bones were more pronounced when I sat up, especially in my chest and butt. I sat up all the way and checked under my shirt for bruises, but there were none. Perhaps Gavon was taking it easy on me, but I was going to need a few more rounds of this sort of thing before I wasn't sore the next day.
Releasing my shirt, I looked at my hands, remembering how beautiful my magic had been. I closed my eyes and tried to gather the power again, but even the hum was muted. Gavon had said using too much magic would make me weak. But this was worse than just feeling depleted—I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. There was no way this was normal.
I debated asking Jeanie, but something told me she wouldn't know, and, besides that, she'd probably ask what I was doing to lose so much magic. But since the answers thus far had been in the primer, I climbed off of my bed and retrieved it from the dust-covered floor. Yawning loudly, I began flipping through the book.
ON THE HEALING ARTS
With daily use, a Magical may wield his power without consequence. A well-practiced Magical may indeed exert a large amount as part of their daily regimen.
However, if an extraordinary amount of Magic is wielded, or a Magical is untrained, then it will happen that the Magical shall become faint, even to the point where they lose conscious thought. In very rare cases, a Magical may release all of their Magic, and they will perish.
When a Magical is first learning to wield magic, a Master may find their Apprentice to require the use of a Healer;
Take note that an untrained Healer may also suffer the consequences of more than a daily usage of Magic;
In the absence of a Healer, a healing potion may be used instead.
Well, as Marie wasn't talking to me, a healing potion was going to be my only option. But where was I going to get one of those?
"Alexis, you have five minutes to get out of your room or else!" Jeanie called.
I slammed the book shut and slid out of bed, grumbling about why I had to get up when there was really nothing for me to do. My body creaked and moaned as I walked across the hall to the bathroom to take a shower. I moved like a sloth, staring at the pink tile for five minutes as the warm water washed over me. It soothed my aches and pains, but it didn't do much to clear the fog from my brain.
After dressing ridiculously slowly in a pair of pajama shorts and an old shirt, I finally made my way downstairs. It was a pretty day, the sun was shining, and Nicole was the only one in the kitchen.
"You look like death warmed over," Nicole said, eyeing me. "What's wrong?"
"I dunno," I lied, shuffling over to the coffee pot and starting the process of making a fresh pot.
"Did you go out drinking last night?"
The glass carafe almost fell out of my hand. "Why does everyone think that's what I've been doing? Do you guys even know me?"
"I don't know, you've been…strange lately," Nicole said, flipping the page of the magazine she was reading.
"Speak for yourselves," I grumbled, pouring the water into the pot. "You and Jeanie have done nothing but yell at me since I got magic."
"I haven't yelled at you, except when you hurt Marie," Nicole said, glancing up at me. "Not that she didn't probably deserve it, but… And Jeanie's well, she's just Jeanie."
I frowned and watched the coffee drip into the carafe.
"You know how she is," Nicole said after a moment. "She's just…never gotten the hang of this whole parent thing. I mean…she was my age when we came to live with her."
I looked at my sister and tried to imagine my aunt as her age taking in a seven- and three-year-old and a newborn. Jeanie seemed like the last person in the world who'd want to raise kids, and now, knowing that there was an entire family available, it made even less sense to me. Especially as my earliest memories were of Jeanie struggling to finish her education.
"Just cut her some slack, okay?" Nicole said. "She's trying h
er best. And I'm no help." She looked down at the magazine, a small blush creeping up her neck. "I really wish Gram would've…"
"Would've what?"
"Sent someone down here. Someone better equipped to answer your questions. Jeanie's just…I mean, I know she's pretty good with magic, but she's not great at it. You need someone who's been practicing—really practicing—for years."
"And why can't I go up to the compound or whatever it's called?"
Nicole stared out the window for a second. "That is a question Gram will have to answer."
I wondered if that response was genuine or magically compelled. I also began to wonder how much of the lies I'd been fed my whole life were because of Gram.
I thought of Gavon and smiled. "Are there any other people with magic in this town?"
"Not for a few hundred miles at least," Nicole said.
That was interesting; Nicole didn't know about Gavon. Did Jeanie know about him?
"I'm surprised you haven't had more questions about magic," Nicole said, before adding, "Not that I could answer any of them but, still…"
This was my chance! "You could teach me how to brew a potion. A healing potion."
Nicole's eyebrow lifted. "Why? Hangover cure?"
My face soured as I sucked down coffee, and Nicole laughed.
"Fine, fine, you haven't been drinking. But a healing potion isn't what you think it is. They're usually for magical ailments, that kind of thing."
"So? Maybe I'll get a magical flu and need it."
Nicole sighed loudly. "Also, I'm not…I don't really make potions."
"That thing you gave me the first night—"
"The first potion I'd made in probably ten years," Nicole said with a half-smile. "And I screwed it up by putting too much valerian root and knocking you out. And that healing potion for Marie was…well, it wasn't very good either. It should've perked her right up."
"No, they were great potions. You should make more. Make me a healing potion. Or at least teach me how to make one."
"Even if I wanted to, I don't know how I'd teach you. While I don't have a lot of magic, the magic I do have is…unique. You and I can mix the same ingredients and come out with vastly different potions."
I remembered Gavon telling me the same thing, but I wasn't deterred. "But there must be some potions that don't require potion-maker magic, right?"
"Oh sure," Nicole said. "But I don't want you brewing any."
I frowned. "Why not?"
"Because potion-making is dangerous, smelly, and messy. And there's no point to it, not with modern medicines. And to my eyes, you look completely healthy, except for staying up too late." She paused then continued, "That's what Jeanie's been trying to tell you all this time. Magic's not something you can use to get ahead in life."
"So why does Marie have a red convertible?"
"Because Marie's a horrible person," Nicole said with a laugh. "And I don't want you to turn into her. She's going to get a rude awakening when she graduates and has to make it on her own. You can't just wave your hand and make things happen."
To my eyes, that was exactly what magic was, but I didn't argue. "So you won't teach me how to make a potion?"
"No, but how about we go out for the day? Spend the day together?"
"Why?"
She snorted. "Because you're my sister and it was your birthday this week? Also, Jeanie told me I had to get you out of the house because you've been sleeping too much."
Going back to sleep sounded like a better plan, but I didn't say it.
I couldn't remember the last time I'd spent the day with Nicole, and I kind of wished I was a little more awake to enjoy it. She and I piled into her neat little compact car and hit the highway, when Nicole announced we'd be going to the mall.
I groaned. "Why?"
"Why not?"
"Because…there are people there."
"You're sure in a mood today, Lexie."
"I'm tired," I said, yawning to prove a point. "And you're dragging me to the mall. Which I hate. Because people."
"Duly noted." Nicole shook her head. "Where would you like to go instead?"
"Mmdunno."
"How about the bookstore?"
I sat up. "Yes, please."
Nicole reached across to jab her thumb into my thigh. "Brat." But she exited off the highway, driving toward our small city center.
We passed by the exit to Nicole's university, so I asked, "How's school?"
"Could do without the forty-five minute drive every morning, but other than that, it's great." Nicole flashed me a smile, and I pressed my head against the glass.
"Why don't you just have Jeanie magic you there?"
She sighed. "Lexie, magic isn't—"
"I know, but it almost seems like if you're not gonna use it, why have it?" I yawned again. "It's not like your appendix or anything. It's useful."
"I suppose it would be if I had it."
My eyes opened. I'd hurt her feelings. "Nicole, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"It's fine."
I slouched in my seat and picked at my hands the rest of the awkward car ride. Nicole was soon distracted by hunting down a parking lot, and I did my best to help her find one. We parked a few blocks away from the center, and I was more than happy to get out of the car into the pleasant October air.
While my town had the big box stores, we also had one small independent bookstore in our city center. Even better was the small coffee shop next door, which usually satisfied Nicole while I perused the overly crammed shop.
"Do you want anything?" Nicole asked.
"Coffee, please," I said, hoping that she still wasn't angry about my insensitive comment. "And…could you spot me fifty bucks? Gram gave me birthday cash, but I left it at home…Or wait, couldn't I just—"
"Lexie, this is how you get into trouble," Nicole warned me. "I'll pay for whatever you want. No magic."
I wasn't sure I had the energy to summon the bill from the other side of town anyway, so I accepted the offer. While Nicole went to get us some coffees, I entered the store, breathing in the scent of old books and the almost-magical hum inside the shop.
I nodded to the old clerk and ducked between two rows of books. I ran my fingers along the spines, wondering if there were any magical books tucked between the spaces of financial management and investment books. Then again, if my family were the only magical ones in the area, why would our local bookstore have them?
"Reading something good?"
A smile grew on my face at the voice behind me. "Gavon! What are you doing here?"
"Was in the area and I saw you in here. Thought I'd check up on you after our match last night."
So does he live here or not? I dismissed the question and offered him a smile. "I'm sore as hell and exhausted."
His eyes twinkled. "Sparring's not so great after all, is it?"
"Are you kidding me? I love it! When can we do it again?"
He surveyed me like he was gauging my magic. "You've got a few days of healing left to do. I'd say we should hold off on any more matches until Friday at the earliest."
"Friday?" I said a little too loudly, catching the attention of the clerk at the front of the store.
"Oh, it's not that bad," Gavon said, plucking a book off the shelf over my head. I turned my head to read the title, eCommerce and You: Making Your Fortune in the Modern Age, then looked back at him with a frown.
"I can't wait until Friday," I said. "Why not…tomorrow?"
"Trust me when I say you won't be feeling back to normal until the end of the week." He finished flipping through the book and tucked it under his arm. "Look at you."
I looked down at myself, wondering what he saw. "I'm fine. Been caffeinating."
"Caffeine does many things, but it doesn't replenish magic, I'm afraid."
"Isn't there something that you can do? The primer said something about a healing potion. Or a healer—"
The stern look on his face cracked a bit. "Do
n't you happen to have one of those in your house?"
"Yeah, but she's not speaking to me after I…you know…the whole wall thing."
"Might be a good chance to kiss and make up then."
I groaned. "Come on, Gavon! Help me make a healing potion! I want to keep sparring."
"I'm sure you do, but taking shortcuts is never the way to accomplish anything—especially in magic. You'll just need to heal on your own. Or ask your sister for help."
"You know, I'm starting to think magic is one big cop-out."
"That's the spirit," Gavon said, sliding another thick book into my hand. "A consolation prize, to keep you busy for the next few days."
The Warrior's Guide to Dueling
"Sweet!" I cheered. "The primer is really lacking in this department."
Gavon laughed. "George Fisher, the man who wrote that primer, was a bit of a pacifist."
"He's a bit wordy too," I said, turning over the old book. I smiled at Gavon. "Thanks for this."
"Get some rest. I'll see you on Friday." And just like that, he was gone in a puff of purple.
"Lexie?" Nicole's voice echoed through the store.
I gripped the old book as she turned the corner, but yet again, Gavon seemed to have bewitched the book so she couldn't see it. And while I was grateful neither she nor the clerk asked me about it, I was starting to question why he felt the need to keep things from my aunt and sisters too.
12
By Monday morning, I was still feeling the aftereffects of sparring, mostly because Jeanie came into my room and kicked me out every time she caught me sleeping during the day. I couldn't tell if she was punishing me for some unknown slight, or if she really thought I was that lazy. Either way, she never asked me why I was feeling so depleted, which saved me from coming up with a believable excuse.
I'd also spent most of Sunday trying to read my new dueling book, but would only get through a few pages before dozing off and incurring Jeanie's wrath. Still, what little I had read left me intrigued and desperate to read more.
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