Of Witches and Warlocks: The Trouble with Spells

by Lacey Weatherford

Chapter 8

  Vance met me at Grandma’s right when I was pulling in on my scooter. He waited for me to park and get off before coming over to drape his arm around my shoulders as we walked up the front steps.

  Grandma swung the door open before we could even knock.

  “Hello, kids!” she called out, stepping to give me a hug, then patting Vance on the back. She ushered us into the living room.

  Soon the three of us were in the cellar where she pulled the wooden table out from the wall. She already had some items sitting on it.

  “Have a seat.” She gestured toward the benches. Vance and I dutifully sat down together while Grandma remained standing.

  “All right. The first thing I want to start with is a concentration exercise,” she said, jumping right into things. “Your magic is already a strong current flowing through you. You’ll not always use it in a circle of protection but out in the open if need requires it.

  “Since you’ll need to be able to call upon your powers at any given point in time, I want you to learn to recognize the energy.

  “Close your eyes now, and clear your mind. I want you to try and think of nothing. Use deep breaths to help calm you, like we use in the meditation rituals at the store.”

  I did as I was instructed, letting my mind drift peacefully, and soon began to feel deeply relaxed.

  “Very good,” Grandma’s voice said softly after several minutes had passed. “Now keep your eyes closed and listen carefully. I’m going to start saying random words, and I want you to think about them like you normally would, visualizing them mentally. Do you understand?”

  I nodded.

  “Tree,” she said.

  Instantly, my mind was flooded with the image of a beautiful oak tree in its full, green leaves of spring. I could see the gnarled twisted branches as the sunlight filtered through the flittering foliage. I could even smell the tree, and I reached out to touch it.

  “Cat,” Grandma’s voice cut through to me.

  Immediately, I was nuzzling Jinx as she rubbed herself under my chin. I could hear her purr and feel the tickle of her whiskers, and it brought a smile to my face.

  “Flower,” her voice came again, and I was leaning over the most beautiful, red rose. It hadn’t completely opened yet, but it was still round and full with the most delicious scent. I reached out to grab it and felt one of its thorns sink into my finger.

  “Ouch!” I said, and snapped back to reality. I looked at my finger and could see the blood oozing to the surface. “How in the world . . . ” my voice trailed off as I questioned what I was seeing. I glanced at Grandma and Vance, holding my finger for them to see too.

  “You were manifesting,” Grandma said, smiling a look of approval at me.

  “Okay. What does that mean?” I asked.

  “It means your powers are much more advanced than we originally thought. Normally, only you would experience the things you were seeing.”

  “You mean you could see them too?” I asked, surprised.

  “We experienced it just like you did.” Vance held up his pricked finger.

  “Amazing!” I said, truly meaning it.

  “Your finger is bleeding?” Grandma asked him. “Mine isn’t.” She showed us her hand. “What did you see exactly?”

  “I saw myself reaching out to grab the rose, and it poked me,” he said. “Didn’t you?”

  “No,” she replied, shaking her head. “I saw hazy images of Portia trying to pick a flower projected in front of me. I find it very interesting that you experienced it from her perspective. I knew there was something different between you two.”

  She stared at him for a moment, and I wondered if he would tell her his suspicions about us, but he didn’t volunteer any information.

  “Hmm. I’ll try to do a little research on this later to see if anyone else has kept a record of such a reaction. Let’s try another exercise for now, though.” Grandma picked a wooden bowl from off the table. She placed it squarely in the middle. “Portia, see if you can make this levitate.”

  She didn’t give me any further instructions, so I simply concentrated on the feelings I had previously and tried to direct those emotions toward the bowl while thinking of the word “up” in my mind.

  It took a few seconds, but I began to distinctly notice the bowl starting to wobble a bit from side to side. I concentrated harder, focusing all my energy into the dish. Instantly, it lifted off the table, floating several inches above it.

  “Wonderful!” Grandma said, clapping her hands. “I can’t believe it!”

  “Is that good?” I asked her, not knowing.

  “It’s unheard of on your first attempt. You’ve got much better control of your emotions than one normally does.”

  She bounded around the table and gave me a hug while I smiled at Vance over her shoulder.

  “Look at the bowl, Milly,” Vance said, redirecting her attention. Grandma and I both turned to look at the bowl, which was still floating in the air.

  “Are you still doing that?” Grandma asked, her eyes widening.

  I shrugged. “I guess so. No one told me to put it down.”

  “This is amazing,” Grandma said, looking at Vance.

  “I know,” he agreed with an appreciative look.

  “What’s the big deal?” I asked, not understanding what was so wonderful.

  “You’re keeping the bowl in the air all this time even with us distracting you. That’s usually the sign of a very accomplished witch.”

  “Oh.” I stared at the levitating object.

  “You can put it down now, show-off,” Vance said teasingly, with a gentle elbow to my ribs.

  I concentrated on lowering the bowl to the table until it softly touched the hard surface once again without making a sound.

  “I’m going to suggest something a little unorthodox,” Grandma said, tapping her lips with her fingers.

  “All right.” I was a little apprehensive, wondering what she had in store for me now.

  “I want you to wander around the house, and yard, or wherever. Try to use your magic for whatever crosses your mind. Don’t hold yourself back, just do anything you feel like doing.”

  “But what about the Law of Three?” I asked, worried about upsetting some sort of balance and being punished for it later.

  “As long as you’re not hurting anyone or anything in a bad way, you’ll be fine. The Law of Three is there as a guideline. It doesn’t necessarily mean something bad will happen to you or a consequence will be immediate.”

  “Then how come you got warts after casting against your brother?” I asked, not understanding how it all worked.

  She laughed at me. “Apparently, you didn’t read the part about my mother being the magic behind that. She was trying to teach me a lesson, and it’s a lesson for everyone whether they’re magical or not. You get back what you put out there.”

  “So it’s basically a metaphor?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around this pearl of wisdom she was trying to teach me. “It doesn’t necessarily apply to magic?”

  “It is a metaphor, and it can apply to magic depending on the things you’re doing,” she replied.

  “I’m confused,” I said, my head starting to hurt again.

  “I’m saying it’s not absolute, but you should always try to be aware of what you’re doing.”

  “So, better safe than sorry?” I asked.

  “Exactly, but don’t be afraid to use your magic either.”

  “Okay,” I said, thinking I kind of understood what she meant.

  The three of us headed upstairs, and I began my wandering, not really knowing what to do. I tried to concentrate on the energy flowing through me.

  I spotted a glass vase on the mantle. I focused on it and raised my hand slightly into the air, flicking it. The vase swept off the mantle and landed with a loud crash onto the wooden floor, shattering into a million pieces.

  Instantly, I felt sorry for breaking Grandma’s vase. “Oh no,” I crie
d out, and I leaned over to gather the broken pieces, wishing I could fix it. I think I was just as shocked as everyone else when the vase reassembled itself in front of me. I carefully reached down, picked it up, and gently placed it on the shelf.

  “That was impressive,” Vance said, and my grandma agreed.

  “Can you do that?” I asked both of them.

  “Yes,” Vance replied. “But it took me a few days to master it.”

  “Days?” Grandma chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “It took me months.”

  Not willing to risk damaging the house anymore, I ventured out into the yard and walked toward her flowerbeds where the flowers were showing signs of wilting with the cooler fall air approaching.

  I slowly ran my finger over one of the plants, and it immediately began turning greener, standing straight as the flower burst into full bloom. I made my way down the entire flowerbed until it was completely brought back to life.

  “I’ve seen enough,” Grandma said. “It’s clear she has good control over her powers.”

  “But I don’t really know what I’m doing or how I’m doing it,” I complained.

  “Maybe not consciously,” Vance pointed out. “But you do in here.” He pointed to my heart. “That’s what matters. The rest will follow.”

  “You two are the experts,” I said, slumping into a lawn chair. “Now what?”

  “I think you need to practice things on your own, and see what you can find out about yourself. Each witch’s magic is different from the next. Just like people have different physical features, witches and warlocks all have unique powers that are individual to them. You’ll need to experiment and find out what yours are. I’ll continue to tutor you on the different herbs we have and what we can use them for. They’ll help to supplement your natural magic.” Grandma paused a second. “I also think I’ll give you a little homework assignment. I want you to write your own spell for something in your Book of Shadows.”

  “But I don’t know anything about writing spells,” I reminded her.

  “Spells are all individual to the witch or the warlock too. It can be anything you want it to be. Think about it carefully and then follow your heart and your instincts,” she explained. “I want to see what you’ll come up with.”

  “All right,” I said, both a little nervous and excited.

  “You two had better get going. It’s almost supper time,” Grandma said, looking at her watch.

  We followed her back into the house and through to the front door.

  “Thanks for everything, Grandma.” I gave her a hug.

  “It’s my pleasure.” She squeezed me tightly.

  “Thanks for letting me come too,” Vance added as we stepped out the door.

  “Anytime, Vance,” she replied with a smile.

  Grandma stood on the porch watching us while we both walked out to our bikes.

  “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” Vance said, casting a quick glance at Grandma, and I knew he wanted to kiss me goodbye, but her watching was making him nervous.

  Even though she was there, I reached up and gave him a quick peck on the lips, lingering for just a moment to enjoy the feel of his lips pressing against mine. “I’m glad you came,” I said as the breeze stirred my hair and blew it across my face.

  Vance reached out tenderly and tucked the wayward strands behind my ear. “Me too.” He moved away to get on his motorcycle.

  He waited for me to get my helmet on and start my scooter, then gestured for me to go first. I was surprised when he followed me home and embarrassed too, since traffic piled up behind me and my scooter, which was maxed out at a speedy twenty-five miles per hour. It was all I could do to not duck my head when he waved as he continued past our driveway.

  I parked in the garage and then went into the house. My mom was working again this evening, and Dad had gone off to another “sales meeting,” whatever that meant. I popped a bag of popcorn, poured it into a bowl, and carried it to my room.

  Jinx was snoozing happily on the bed when I entered. I tried to be quiet, but she still woke and did her lazy-cat stretch before coming over to greet me with a soft meow and nuzzle. I told her all about my afternoon, and she listened with rapt attention. I thought I could almost sense she was proud of me, which seemed ridiculous when I thought about it.

  I settled cross-legged on the bed and decided to work on the spell assignment Grandma had given me. I calmed my emotions for a few seconds before seeing my Book of Shadows lying there on my desk. I reached out toward the book with my palms open and mentally commanded the book to come to me. It lifted easily and settled into my outstretched hands.

  Next, I managed to conjure a pencil I couldn’t see, but I knew was in my book bag. That was exciting. Everything else I’d done previously revolved around things I could physically see. I wrote all these things down in the book and then sat pondering a few minutes on what I’d want my first spell to be for. It didn’t take me long to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. I would write a protection spell for Vance.

  I thought long and hard about it, thinking about some of the incantations I’d seen in my Grandma’s book. I was only writing the spell for now, and I wouldn’t actually put it into use until Grandma had approved it, so there was nothing to fear. After about thirty minutes, I felt like I finally had it down.

  A Spell of Protection for Vance.

  Items needed:

  1 large White Pillar Candle

  1 Aloe Plant

  Sword

  Lock of Vance’s Hair

  Instructions:

  Cast a Circle under a Waxing Moon. Place the pillar candle in the center of the circle and light it. Cut a piece of the aloe plant off and squeeze out the juice letting it drip while walking around the candle in a circle clockwise and repeating these words:

  Oh moon, tonight I call on thee

  To help me set a spirit free.

  Give thy protection on this night,

  Ever surround him with the light.

  Let no evil near him get.

  May only goodness now be met.

  Squeeze the remaining aloe onto the original plant, and place the bits of hair into the dirt. Give the plant as a gift to be kept near the entrance of the house for protection.

  I closed the book, satisfied, but feeling anxious to show it to Grandma and see what she thought about it. I wasn’t surprised one bit when my phone started vibrating, and this time I was positive I knew who it was.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” I answered.

  “Please tell me you knew it was me this time and not Shelly,” Vance teased.

  I laughed at his joke. “What’s up?”

  “Well, I’m having withdrawals. You see, I didn’t get to kiss you goodnight properly,” he complained.

  “You could’ve stopped when you followed me home, you know.”

  “I thought I had more homework than I did,” he replied. “And I didn’t want to interrupt yours either. I’m trying to be supportive right now.”

  I snorted. “For your information, I don’t have any homework tonight. I got it all done at school today.”

  “Really?” he drawled out. “Well, how would your mom feel about me taking you out on a last-minute date then?”

  “My mom’s at work tonight, and my dad’s out of town,” I told him. “How would you like to come over here?”

  “Be there in five minutes.” He chuckled.

  “Sounds great!” I said, my face breaking into a wide smile, and I hung up the phone.

  I headed downstairs to the kitchen to rummage for some food, wondering if Vance had eaten anything yet. I pulled some items out of the fridge to make hamburgers and placed a pan on the stove to heat.

  There was a soft knock on the door, and I heard Vance call out, “Hey, it’s just me.”

  “I’m in the kitchen,” I answered, continuing to pat out the hamburger patties.

  He entered the room, coming to a dead stop, clasping a hand to his chest. “And she cooks too,” he said with
an exaggerated sigh. “Can this relationship get any better?” He approached me from behind and moved my hair away from my neck, leaning down to place a kiss there.

  I tried to ignore the immediate goose bumps that rose and laughed.

  “You might want to hold your remarks until you’ve actually tasted it,” I said, tipping my head to the right when he dipped in to kiss my neck again.

  “I have faith in you,” he said against my skin. I savored his touch for a moment before shoving him away with my elbow.

  “Stop it. You’re distracting me, and you’re not going to get the chance to find out if I can cook or not.”

  “I’m okay with that too,” he said, stepping toward me again.

  “Vance! I mean it!” I lifted my greasy hands. “If you come near me again I’m going to wipe this all over that pretty leather jacket of yours.”

  That turned out to be the trick. Vance raised his hands in defense and backed away from me.

  “You wouldn’t dare desecrate the jacket, would you?” He grinned.

  “Try me and find out,” I threatened, taking a step toward him, though I knew I would never do anything to hurt his wonderful coat. He looked amazing in it.

  He shrugged out of it and placed it on the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

  “I think I’d better put this baby out of the line of fire,” he said. I laughed at him, turning to wash my hands at the sink. “What can I do to help?” he asked.

  “There’s some plates and cups in that top cupboard there, and bags of chips in the pantry around the corner if you want to get those out.”

  He helped me prepare the rest of dinner, and soon we were sitting down together, enjoying our food.

  “I was right,” he complimented after finishing his first bite. “You’re a good cook.”

  I couldn’t help my smile.

  When we were finished, we went into the family room and turned on the television, snuggling on the couch.

  “This is so much better than homework,” Vance said, running his hand through my hair absently.

  “I agree,” I replied, looking up at him.

  He winked at me, and I smiled.

  “Tell me something about you I don’t know,” I said, suddenly wanting to hear everything I could.

  “Like what?” he asked, light laughter rumbling in his chest.

  “I don’t care. It can be anything. I just want to learn more about you.” I bit at my lip in anticipation.

  “Hmmm.” He pondered my request for a moment. “How about this? I really, really, love sugar cookies.”

  “Sugar cookies?” I asked, giving him a questioning look and wondering if he was messing around with me.

  His face grew wistful then. “My mom used to make them for me when I was little.” He stared into my eyes while he continued to stroke my hair. “I remember coming home from school, and the whole house would be filled with the most wonderful smell. I’d run into the kitchen, and she’d be pulling a tray out of the oven.” He chuckled lightly, caught up in the memory. “I think she timed it that way. She’d always let me eat one warm while the others cooled, and then we frosted them together while I told her about my day. I’ve loved sugar cookies ever since.”

  He smiled softly at me, and I felt my eyes tearing for him, knowing he’d lost so much that was precious in his life.

  “Sorry. You probably think that’s a little too corny. Am I going to need to give you my ‘man card’ now? Did I lose all of my masculine allure?”

  I silenced his depreciating remarks by leaning over to kiss him on the lips, surprising him for a second. But then he pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me, and kissed me back. My arms threaded around his neck, hugging him to me even closer, letting him freely explore my mouth for several long moments until I finally pulled away from him. I rested my forehead against his, looking into his eyes.

  “That was a wonderful memory, Vance. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  “Now it’s your turn,” he said, placing his hand against my face and running his thumb over my bottom lip.

  “My turn?”

  “To tell me something I don’t know.” He smiled, moving to gently place a soft kiss near my chin.

  I took a big gulp of air and prepared to spill my guts. “I’ve had a crush on you for two years, since your first day of school here,” I blurted out, holding my breath, waiting for his reaction, but he only smiled and leaned in to kiss me on the cheek this time.

  “That doesn’t count. Pick something else,” he said.

  “What do you mean it doesn’t count?” I asked, pulling back from him a bit, giving him a confused scowl.

  “It has to be something I don’t already know.” He grinned slyly.

  “What?” I asked him skeptically. “What’re you saying?”

  His self-assured smirk grew even bigger. “I’m saying I’m aware of your crush and have been . . . since my first day of school here.” He laughed now, his eyes full of mischief.

  “How’s that even possible?” I asked, in shock.

  “I can’t tell you.” He smiled widely.

  I got off his lap and stood over him with my hands on my hips.

  “Why not?”

  He stood, taking a step toward me, so I stepped away, keeping some distance between us.

  “Because then I’ll have told you two things about myself, and you still haven’t told me one thing about you,” he said, stalking toward me again.

  I retreated until I hit the wall with my back, and he continued walking until he had me trapped there with his body.

  “Come on. Let’s hear it,” he said, running his hands over my arms, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake, before he stopped and rested them on my shoulders.

  “When I was younger I wanted to be a fashion designer. I played with Barbie dolls until I was thirteen, mixing and matching all their outfits so I could have runway shows with them,” I blurted out, the heat of my humiliation spreading quickly through my body.

  He let out a soft laugh at that, sliding his hands up my neck and into my hair. I knew he was trying to distract me, and he was succeeding.

  “See, that wasn’t so hard.”

  “Tell me how you know about the crush,” I prodded, trying to keep my head. “I never told anybody about it.”

  He leaned in closer to me, his lips brushing against my ear when he spoke.

  “I can hear your thoughts,” he whispered seductively. “I’ve wanted to tell you but . . . ” His reply was cut short when his phone started buzzing, and he had to step away to dig it out of his pocket so he could answer it.

  “Hey, Marsha. What’s up?” he asked.

  I could hear Marsha speaking rapidly about something, and Vance gave a sigh while he listened.

  “No problem,” he said. “I’ll be right there.” He ended the call, sliding the phone back into his pocket. “I’m sorry, Portia, but I’m gonna have to run now.” He gave me a look filled with true regret.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked him, suddenly worried something had happened with his dad.

  “Everything’s fine,” he assured me. He gathered me into his arms and gave me a sweet kiss. “Thanks for having me over. I had a wonderful time, and I promise I’ll answer all of your questions later.”

  “Okay,” I replied, sad that he had to leave already. I slipped my hand into his as I walked him to the door. He stopped to kiss me hungrily one more time before he stepped outside.

  “See you tomorrow, baby,” he called over his shoulder. In another second, he’d started his motorcycle, and then he was gone.