Wicked Magic

by K. T. Black

  “I didn’t wake you, did I?” Chandler took a quick look at the clock, worried she’d guessed wrong.

  “No, I’m just surprised to hear from you so early. What’s going on?”

  “I’m going back to Castleton today. I would have told you yesterday, but I decided last night. I need to get back home.”

  “No problem. I’m surprised you stayed as long as you did.” There was a brief pause. “You didn’t run into the old stepmonster, did you?”

  “No, thank God. I need to take care of something at home.”

  “Are you going to stop at the office before you leave?”

  “No, I thought that once I was showered and dressed, I’d pack up and go.”

  “Okay. Well, give me a text when you get home so I know you got there all right.”

  “Sure, not a problem. The hardest part is getting out of the city.”

  “Always is.”

  “Well, I’d better get moving or I’ll end up getting stuck in rush hour.”

  “Yeah okay, so I guess I’ll see you next month then?”

  “Most likely.”

  “Have a safe trip.”

  “Thanks.”

  Chandler ended the call, and then set her phone down on the table next to her laptop. Glancing at the clock, she knew if she hurried and got checked out, maybe she could beat the worst of the early morning traffic.

  * * * *

  Alex sat at her desk in the back of the room and waited for her 9:30 a.m. class to start. She checked the clock, noting that there was at least five more minutes before class started. She looked down at her lecture notes and wondered why she hadn’t called in sick. After her conversation with Kara last night, she was far too distracted to be focused on teaching her students the secrets of exposure, lighting and lenses. There was only one thing to do, and she doubted that any of the students would object.

  As Alex got up and walked to the front of the room, she was bombarded with a chaotic mix of student voices and notebooks being pulled from backpacks. After taking a position at the podium, she waited until the few remaining students made their way inside and moved toward their seats.

  Alex’s students began to settle down when she walked over and closed the door. Once she was back behind her podium, everyone became quiet and waited for her to begin class.

  With a practiced smile, Alex looked out at her students and greeted them. “Good morning, class. How many of you are ready with your projects?” She waited and noticed only half the class raised their hands, and of those most of them were hesitant at best. “That’s what I thought. Just this once, I’m going to extend the date until next week.”

  A low murmur of relieved voices echoed around the room.

  “I’m also going to excuse you early so you can go work on them.”

  Excited voices followed the relieved smiles forming on their faces.

  “I need to attend to something, and won’t be back on campus until tomorrow. So, if you have questions for me, please come see me now.” The room filled with the noise of students gathering up their things as they prepared to leave.

  Doing a quick scan of the room, Alex looked to see if there were any anxious faces. When she found three of her students looking in her direction, she nodded and directed them to follow her back to her desk.

  * * * *

  As Chandler approached Alex’s house, she found her confidence wavering. The only reason she didn’t stop and turn back toward her own house was because she knew Alex would still be at school.

  Using her key to unlock the door, Chandler turned the doorknob and opened it. She stood still a moment and looked inside as if she expected something to happen. When nothing did, she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. As she walked through the house, Chandler noticed that everything was the same as when she’d left.

  She didn’t get too far before she heard the front door open and close. She froze when she heard a surprised voice call out her name.

  “Chandler?”

  She turned around slowly and faced Alex.

  “You’re home kind of early, aren’t you?” Chandler felt like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

  “I felt like I needed to come home.” She looked like she wanted to rush over to Chandler, but resisted, probably worried she’d scare her away.

  They stood staring at one another, until Alex asked, “So, how did your meeting go?”

  “Oh, fine.”

  “That’s good.”

  “I never meant to stay away so long, but there were things I needed to help with. Some things are easier to do in person.”

  “Oh yes, they most certainly are.” Alex moved forward a few steps. “When did you get back?”

  “Just now.”

  “Kind of early for you, isn’t it?”

  It sounded like she was being teased, but she didn’t mind. “Sort of. I haven’t been sleeping much.”

  “No, me neither.”

  An awkward silence filled the room as they struggled to figure out how to get past the polite small talk.

  “Why don’t we go sit down?” Alex suggested, breaking the silence.

  “Okay.”

  Alex headed toward the entertainment/living room. Chandler followed a few steps behind her. When they entered the room, Alex sat down on the couch while Chandler headed for one of the chairs that faced it. A flash of disappointment crossed Alex’s face, but was replaced with a polite smile.

  “We have some things we need to discuss,” Alex began, getting straight to the point. “Things we should have discussed when we returned from New York. Things I should have told you before Millie interfered.”

  “Okay, I’m listening.”

  “What she forced me to tell you, it was all true, but you need to know everything that goes with it before you judge me, not just the parts that Millie wanted you to hear.”

  “I think that’s only fair.”

  “Good, I’m glad to hear you say that. What would you like me to begin with?”

  “How long have you been a witch?”

  “I was born this way, although I didn’t reach my full power until I was thirteen.”

  “So is everyone in your family a witch or what?”

  “No. It only passes from mother to daughter, and doesn’t always pass consecutively. If there are two or more daughters, the eldest possesses the most power, and she is the one who inherits the mirror.”

  “So your mother is a witch?”

  “Yes, and one of my aunts, as well as my grandmother.”

  “I imagine that must have freaked your father out when he first met your mother.”

  “It’s an adjustment for non-magical people. Although, once a love bond is formed, some magic is passed from a witch to her lover. That only occurs after a marriage ceremony where the ritual of handfasting is performed.”

  “So your mother can’t put random spells on your father if she gets angry with him?”

  “No. Once the bond is formed, he is protected.”

  “It’s just before then that he would have had to be careful.”

  “In a matter of speaking, yes. She has other non-magical ways to deal with him when she’s not happy with him, same as regular people.”

  “So your brother is only an average person with no abilities.”

  “Yes, pretty much.”

  “And his wife is okay with the witchy stuff?”

  “Apparently.” Alex acted as if it wasn’t that big of an issue.

  “And you swear you never did anything to me?” Chandler looked directly into Alex’s eyes.

  “No, Chandler. I never did, and I never will. As I told you before, love is too powerful to be manipulated. What you feel for me, and I what I feel for you, that is real.”

  “What do you feel for me?”

  Alex looked at her as if it should be obvious. “I’m in love with you, my dear.”

  Chandler felt her face flush under the intensity of Alex’s gaze, knowing she spoke with since
rity.

  “I’ve been a wreck since you left.” Alex’s eyes became glassy.

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  “I can’t say that I blame you. It was a lot to be dumped on you.”

  “What about Millie?”

  “She’ll never bother us again. That I can promise you.”

  “You didn’t do anything to her, did you?”

  “I altered the spell she used on the both of us,” Alex explained. “All magic brings repercussions. If you do good, you are blessed with good things. If you do evil, you suffer the consequences of your actions.”

  “Does that mean—”

  “Don’t worry, Chandler. The universe understands justice. I’m allowed to protect myself and those I love. It’s when you do things intentionally to people that you set yourself up to pay the penalty for your actions.”

  “So, Millie’s a witch like you?”

  “A far less powerful one, but yes. I should have dealt with her better before I came here. I never expected her to involve her grandmother, or to even take things this far.”

  “Then there are other witches in the world besides the ones in your family?”

  “A few families, many who are in Europe, but they live pretty low-key like mine. Most people are so skeptical about such things that it’s easy to hide from them. Does it bother you that I’m a witch?”

  “It was a bit of a shock to learn the way I did, but no, I guess it doesn’t.”

  “It’s the mirror.”

  “Well—”

  “It is the one area of my magic I do abuse, I can’t deny it,” Alex replied, wearing a mischievous smile.

  “It gives you an unfair advantage over people.”

  “It’s magic,” Alex stated matter-of-factly, as if that was all the justification she needed.

  “That doesn’t make it right.”

  “You used the internet to look up things about me.”

  Chandler was surprised she knew that, but didn’t think it was worse than what she’d done. “That’s different.”

  “Oh, is it?” Alex chuckled.

  “I couldn’t look into your shower with it.” Chandler tried to defend her position.

  “You could with the right equipment.”

  “Well, yeah, maybe.” Chandler folded her arms and pouted. She hated to admit Alex was right. Then she quietly grumbled, “Just not as easily.”

  “Would you like me to apologize again?” Alex teased, sporting a wide grin.

  “Why? You’re not really sorry.” Chandler gave Alex a look, daring her to try and deny it. Then she attempted to appear upset, but knew she wasn’t very convincing.

  “Initially, oh hell no. I am a voyeur. Look at what I do for a living. Whether I look through a photographer’s lens or a mirror, not a ton of difference except for other people’s awareness.” Then Alex became serious. “But when Millie exploited the image to use against us, yes, I was sorry. At one point, it was something I was going to share with you. After what happened, I erased it.”

  “But you have others?”

  “Not as many as you think, and not the way you believe.”

  “How do I know that?”

  Alex stood. “Would you trust me to show you something? I think once you see it, you’ll understand, but I’ll need to use my mirror to do it. Will you come upstairs with me?”

  Alex looked so vulnerable as her eyes pleaded with her that Chandler couldn’t refuse. “Okay.”

  “Good.”

  Chandler stood and followed Alex upstairs to the master bedroom. Once they were both in front of the mirror, Alex turned to Chandler. “I was a teenager when I first saw glimpses of you and your life.”

  “How is that even possible? I never met you before you came to Castleton.”

  “Magic, remember? I only ever saw sporadic images of you. And no, nothing like the scene in the shower. I usually saw you with your family. It was hard to watch how they treated you. Like you didn’t matter. It was shameful. And you never once treated them the way they did you.”

  “Why did the mirror pick my image if you didn’t know me?”

  “Part of the mirror’s magic is to show its owner possible soul mates.”

  “Did you see any others besides me?”

  “Yes, but no one who stood out like you did. This mirror was a gift from my mother when I turned eighteen. It displays only truthful images. A lie would distort and break the mirror.”

  “If I asked it to show me if you were telling me the truth—”

  “It would,” Alex finished.

  “Show me then.”

  “Mirror, go back in time and show us Chandler as a teenager. The one incident I’m thinking of.” Then she waved her hand and the mirror’s reflection changed. When it refocused, an image of a much younger Chandler was displayed. She was confronted by her stepmother in her bedroom.

  “What are you crying about?” Chandler’s stepmother asked. “I never said you’d be coming with us to the party. You can spend the holidays at school. You’re so bookish I didn’t think you’d know the difference.”

  “But Daddy said—”

  “Don’t you dare bring your father into this. He was merely telling you what you wanted to hear so you’d leave him alone. I don’t need you stumbling around my friends embarrassing me, or getting in the way of my daughters. Be grateful I allowed you to spend Thanksgiving here with us this year…”

  Alex waved her hand, returning the mirror to normal.

  “Horrible woman,” Alex said as if there was bad taste in her mouth.

  Chandler stood speechless, and stared at the mirror.

  “I wanted to use the mirror to figure out how to go to you then, but my mother stopped me. She told me I couldn’t interfere or there would be tragic consequences. I had to allow you to follow your path so you could learn your life lessons. To insure I did as I was instructed, she took my mirror from me. She informed me that if we were meant for one another, we would find our way to each other. When she was satisfied that I understood what she’d told me, she returned my mirror.”

  “When did you get your mirror back?”

  “A few years later. The only problem, I didn’t see you in the mirror anymore. I asked my mother why and she told me that you must also have power. Maybe not exactly like mine, but enough power to hide yourself, to hide your heart. It appeared that when you got to a certain age, you gave up on finding someone to love you, so you became invisible. It didn’t stop me from searching. Then, as luck would have it, I was brought to this town, and to my happy surprise, here you were. There was no way for me to tell you this without frightening you away. Even without knowing anything, you resisted getting close to me. The night you made your wish, my mirror activated and showed me you. I used Zelda to make certain you were receptive enough.”

  Chandler didn’t know what to say. If she hadn’t seen what she had, she’d have a hard time accepting what Alex told her.

  “Whatever you feel for me, I didn’t manipulate it,” Alex reiterated as she looked into Chandler’s eyes. She took a step forward, taking both of Chandler’s hands into hers. “You and I, we both deserve to be happy, and I believe together, we can be.”

  Chandler looked down at their joined hands. Searching her heart, she knew how she felt. She belonged with Alex.

  “So what do you say? Will you give me another chance? Let me make all this up to you?”

  Chandler smiled and nodded. Before she could utter the word yes, Alex pulled their bodies together and pressed a bruising kiss to Chandler’s lips. She responded by wrapping her arms around Alex and kissed her back.

  When Chandler pulled back out of their embrace, she brushed a loose strand of Alex’s hair off her face and admitted, “I love you too.”

  Alex smiled and prepared to kiss her again, but Chandler stopped her.

  “What?” Alex appeared confused.

  “So, this mirror records images for you. Is that night in there?”

  Alex smirked. “Ye
s. Would you like to see it?”

  “Yes.” When she noticed Alex’s eyes darken in response, she told her, “You’re really evil, aren’t you?”

  “I admit it. I do have a little bit of evil in me, but I think that’s what you like about me.”

  Chandler was about to argue when Alex crushed her lips against hers again. After several minutes of kissing, Chandler no longer cared. She allowed herself to be consumed by the magic that was Alex.

  The End

  Publisher’s Note

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  About K.T. Black

  K.T. Black often mixes genres when creating her romance stories. Whether her (F/F or F/M) stories are filled with witches or regular people, they frequently include mystery/suspense, sci-fi, fantasy or paranormal elements. She never limits the direction her imagination takes her when telling a good story. You can visit her blog at www.ktblackbooks.com