A long-standing crush turns into a possibility when a mage embraces her chance at balance.
Melwiss has used every opportunity to get Andy over to her house for repairs and renovations. She has also used each chance to get him to take his shirt off. She might be consigned to the single life by the mages, but she can still look.
Andy has had his eye on Melwiss since the day she arrived at the Crossroads. Her job as balance mage means she is under a lot of stresses and when they spill over, he is only too happy to help.
The moment Mel gets her notice that she can find a mate at the Crossroads, Andy is at her door, and she has to deal with the sudden change from solidly single to desirable date.
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Wood Be Magic
Copyright © 2017 Zenina Masters
ISBN: 978-1-4874-1412-2
Cover art by Angela Waters
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Wood Be Magic
Shifting Crossroads Book 44
By
Zenina Masters
Chapter One
Melwiss giggled and ran toward the house, her arms loaded with flowers. The door opened as she approached, and she squealed and ran in, heading for the kitchen and the vases.
“Mel, what did you bring?” Her sister, Morwiss, was looking at the blooms with puzzlement.
Melwiss climbed up and got a fat vase that her five-year-old fingers could manage and brought it to the sink by walking on the counter. When it was full and on the edge of the counter, she jumped down and grabbed it again.
Morwiss helped her catch it.
“Seriously, Mel. What are those flowers?”
“I made them for Mom.”
“What do you mean, you made them?” Morwiss looked at the flowers carefully.
Mel cheerfully stuffed the flowers into the vase and then wrapped her arms around it, standing straight and heading toward her mother’s location in the morning room.
She hummed happily as she brought the flowers to her mother. “Mama! I made these for you.”
Deehlia turned in her chair, away from her book. “You did what, baby?”
Mel waited until she took the flowers and set them on her desk. “I made them for you.”
Morwiss was standing near her, frowning. “How?”
Mel grinned. “Mommy said that she liked irises and daisies, so I asked them to come together, and they did.”
Her mom looked at her and gave her a small smile. “Come on up here, Melly, and show me what you did.”
Proud of what she had learned, Mel grasped the flower and asked it to become the two separate blooms again. In a moment, she was holding an iris and a daisy.
Morwiss fidgeted. “That isn’t right. She shouldn’t be able to do that, Mom.”
Mel’s mom stroked her hair, and she let out the low humming noise she did when she was talking to their dad.
A few minutes later and Mel’s dad materialized in the study. He looked at the flowers and hugged Morwiss hello.
After she had been suitably greeted, he turned his attention to Mel. “So, bug. You have been busy.”
She wiggled on her mom’s lap. “The flowers have colours that my eyes can’t see.”
Her mom gave her a hug.
“You don’t say. Well, I need to take you and some of the flowers you made for Mom to a nice lady who will tell us what you did.”
Mel’s excitement was off the charts. “I get to transport?”
“Yes, you do. Come on, Melly, time to fly.”
She squirmed off her mom’s lap and jumped down, running to her daddy’s arms.
He held her tight, took some of the flowers, and there was a flash of light that took on a thousand colours that she didn’t have names for. When they landed, she looked around.
“Where are we?”
“Well, little bit, we are at the guild hall. There is a nice lady here who will take a look at the flowers and tell us what kind of school you need to go to.”
“Oh.” She suddenly began to realize that the flowers might not just be a fun thing. “Did I do it wrong?”
“No, Mel, you did what came naturally. This will all be fine.”
Mel looked at her dad, and she could see his worried face. He was lying so she wouldn’t feel bad. This wasn’t good.
“Her talent is going to be restricted until she is of age. She can’t be allowed to use this mix of magic.” The old woman scowled at the flower and prodded it with her finger.
Melwiss glared at her. “No.”
The elder blinked. “What did you say?”
“No. I don’t want to have my magic locked up. Mom and Dad say that I have to use it to learn. If I can’t use it, I won’t learn. That just means that all the learning will have to happen later. Give me a rule. I am good with rules.”
The old lady blinked at her. “How old are you?”
Mel cocked her head and held up five fingers. “I just turned this many.”
The light around the elder was powerful, but the edges were fuzzy. Mel knew that fuzziness. Her rabbit had had that fuzziness right before it died. He was really old. Mocha had been Mor’s bunny first.
“What are you looking at, child?”
“You should see a doctor. You aren’t good.” Melwiss frowned.
Her father made a hissing sound. “Melwiss. Don’t be rude.”
“I am not being rude. Mocha looked like that.” She looked over at the spot where he was sitting. Her father’s expression took on shocked understanding.
“Um, Elder Mechari, you might want to consult a healer... immediately.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Mocha was our rabbit, and the day before he passed away, Mel mentioned that he looked fuzzy. If she says you look like he did, you will want to either straighten your affairs or get a healer.”
The lady huffed. “That is ridiculous.”
Mel’s father turned to her. “Little bit, what colour is she?”
“Purple with hot pink and fuzzy edges. She’s mad and scared.” Mel huffed and squirmed. “Do I have to keep sitting here?”
The elder climbed to her feet. “Remain in the circle for a few minutes. I will be right back.”
Melwiss felt her lip quiver when the lady left. “Dad, I don’t want to be here.”
“Just a few minutes more, peanut. We will be out of here soon.”
“I shouldn’t have made the flowers? Mom said they were pretty.” Her face felt hot, and her eyes were itchy.
Her dad sighed. “They are pretty. Very pretty. They also contain a lot of magic. You are just a little bit. You shouldn’t have that m
uch magic at your disposal. It is scary. I don’t want you to hurt yourself by using too much.”
“I didn’t use any. The flowers gave it to me.” She sniffled.
He blinked. “They gave it to you?”
“Yeah, I asked them if they would mind being new, and they said yes, so I gave the magic from one to the other, and then, I do it again.”
Her dad widened his eyes. “Really?”
“Yeah. What does she think I did?”
Her father looked toward the door where the elder had disappeared. “I don’t know, but I don’t think it was that.”
Mel sat, and slowly, fat tears tracked down her cheeks. The magic circle that she was in the middle of glowed softly as she sat and looked at the floor.
It felt like forever, but her dad finally got to his feet and dismissed the energy ring around her. He picked her up and held her, returning to his seat with her in his lap. “It’s okay. I won’t let them do anything to you.”
They waited, and she listened to his heartbeat.
* * * *
“Mage Dayson?” The voice was soft.
He looked down from the top of his sleeping daughter’s head and nodded to the healer standing there. “Yes?”
“Elder Mechari has just had an incident. She is resting. She requested for you and your daughter to attend her.”
Iver Dayson got to his feet, careful not to disturb his youngest as he carried her through the guild halls. Children were not supposed to manifest their magic so early. When his wife had contacted him, he had returned home immediately, summoning another transporter to take his clients.
Mel was definitely an independent spirit, and her magic seemed to follow. Morwiss had yet to show her talent, but he guessed that his eldest was following after her mother in the healing arts. He had no idea where Mel was getting her skills.
The gathering of healers and elder members of the council told them which room they were headed to.
Iver carried his daughter through the whispering crowd and felt her tense as she woke up. “Easy, peanut. We are going to talk to the elder again.”
Her small fists rubbed her eyes. “Will I have to sit in the circle?”
“No, baby. You are staying with me.”
She nodded and leaned against him again.
Past the murmuring observers, he found the elder sitting up in bed and looking at Mel with narrowed eyes.
“It has been several decades, but I do know part of your daughter’s magic. She’s a death-seer. As for the binding of creatures together, perhaps that comes from your ancestor.”
“Elder, she didn’t bind creatures, she bound flowers.”
“And she is only five. Creatures will come, and you must guide those impulses to combine things. Consent is absolute, and someone must be with her at all times. There are prices for that kind of magic, and her price is yet to be discovered.”
“You mean that she actually has binding magic?” Iver looked down at the rumpled hair and mismatched socks that were her trademark. “I thought that was a myth.”
“It is, and we are going to keep it one. Don’t tell anyone anything beyond her being a death-seer. That is enough to keep most folks at bay. I will put through a request for you to move to a larger house on a more secluded property, and wards will be put in place to keep any of her subjects from hopping or creeping out.”
He shifted Mel to his other arm, and she leaned against him but kept her gaze on the elder.
“I am grateful, but Morwiss is in school, and I don’t wish to move her. I also don’t understand the change of heart that you have had.”
The elder scowled and waved her hand. The door shut and they were alone.
“Your little wonder there identified my imminent death. I sought a healer and was speaking to her when the cardiac incident struck. Because your tiny terror there warned me, I got help. Tell me, Melwiss, what do you see when you look at me now?”
Iver felt his daughter concentrate. “The fuzzy lines have pulled back to about a year. I guess if you do what my mom says Dad should do, the fuzzy might go away.”
The elder’s lips twitched. “What does your mom say to your dad?”
“Eat a fucking vegetable and go for a run.”
Iver’s shoulders shook as he tried not to laugh. Mel was a direct little bundle of goods.
The elder’s eyes widened, and she laughed. “I will come visit you about the details of keeping her contained and out of the public eye. Expect my visit. You can go now.”
Iver nodded a small bow, and he and Mel were on their way back home, spinning through light and landing out in the garden.
“Now, Mel, I want everything except the time you were sitting in the circle to be a secret. I will tell Mom and Mor, but you can’t tell any of your friends or grandma or grandpa. It is just for the people who live in our house, okay?”
Mel nodded and beamed. “Can we eat now? I am hungry.”
“You betcha, peanut.” He took her hand, and they ran to the house.
He had a mythical mage in his house, and he tamped down any unease of what she was capable of.
* * * *
Deehlia opened every cupboard and every drawer. All snacks, sweets and even the sugar was gone.
Melwiss was sitting outside and playing with her dolls in the yard. Morwiss was at school.
Deehlia went outside and asked her youngest, “Hey, baby, do you know what happened to the candy?”
Mel looked at her calmly and smiled while brushing her dolly’s hair. “I was hungry, so I ate until I wasn’t hungry again. It took a long time, but I brushed my teeth twice.”
Deehlia blinked and communicated with her husband via the link that had sprung up when Mel was two.
Iver, I think I have solved the mystery of what Mel’s price is.
What?
Calories. This is going to be one expensive magic.
The guild is going to give us a supplement for her upkeep.
I hope they have a controlling interest in a potato chip factory. She has eaten everything sweet or deep fried in the house.
I will grab some supplies on my way home.
She smiled. Thanks, love.
See you later.
Mel was sitting with her dolls singing, “You are him, and he is you, all because I wanted to.”
It was a cute song, and Mel had sung it since she started talking.
“Come on, peanut, let’s go for a walk. We can find some berries.”
Mel was on her feet and holding onto Deehlia’s hand in an instant. Her mismatched socks and small Velcro sneakers were bright and flashed with every step. How could someone so cute be such a powder keg of magic? Deehlia wasn’t convinced.
Chapter Two
Mel looked at the couple, staring into each other’s eyes with dazed passion, and she flexed her fingers. Dang! It seemed that the more couples she bound, the more of their energy clung to her.
She gnawed on her funnel cake as she walked away from the new partners on the beach and veered off to the stand that carried the carnival food she depended on.
“Evening, Lucy. How are things?” Mel smiled at the will-o’-the-wisp.
Fire magic flowed around the stall and kept the oil hot and the lanterns bright. The magic stilled and formed into the woman with the vivid blue hair and the bright blue eyes.
“Business is good. That binding was a strong one, did you want the usual?”
“Yes, please.”
Food began to swirl and dip through batters before it settled into the fryers.
Mel crumpled the funnel cake wrapper into a ball and carefully walked it to the garbage can.
“So, have you been mate shopping, Lucy?” She asked it casually on her way back to the counter.
“Here and there. The seers haven’t found one for me yet, so I am just keeping my eyes and options open.”
Looking over the magic that Lucy radiated, it was going to take
a special guy to ground all of that magic. “Are you holding out for a shifter?”
“I am holding out for a mate, full stop. My kind tends to focus on hit and runs when it comes to breeding, but I want a family. I want someone to come home to, or who comes home to me and doesn’t mind living at the edge of the fens.”
Mel chuckled. “Location, location, location.”
“Exactly. The fey have to stay where they draw their power. I draw it from the living fens.” She chuckled. “Even here, I count on the degradation of the plant life to sustain me.”
Mel nodded and watched the food collect in one of the flat boxes that Lucy kept for her.
It was as healthy as Lucy could manage while still packing the several-thousand calorie count that Mel needed.
“Thanks for this.”
“Did you want some lemonade with that?”
Mel shook her head. “No, I have some iced green tea at my place. Thanks though. Did you want to come by for a barbecue on Monday night if there isn’t a binding I have to work on?”
Lucy chuckled. “I will bring the fire.”
Mel grinned and took her evening munchies, walking through the now familiar streets and paths of the ever-expanding Isthmus.
Her home was on the shore where she could watch the inland sea. The deck that the beavers had built for her extended out over the water and gave her the most peaceful view she had ever had.
She climbed the steps and settled into her chair, methodically munching through the greasy treats. The buzzing in her body that was normal after a binding slowly receded. When the box was empty, she broke it into pieces and set it in her fire pit.
Groaning, she walked inside, using her elbows to open the sliding doors so that the grease wouldn’t stain the wood.
She washed her hands and got a glass of the iced green tea.
Living alone was a bit boring, but she could control her environment. It always surprised folks that she preferred a very sparse surrounding, but if she didn’t have a lot of stuff, there wasn’t a place to hide things like snacks.
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