by Marva Dasef
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Rune slitted his eyes. He lay in his mother’s arms tightly wrapped in a blanket. Aunt Thordis hovered nearby. His sister’s white face bounced around like a balloon. The healing witch, Glinda, had laid her hands on him and murmured spells. He opened his eyes fully.
Ardyth, his mother, held him closer and wept. Glinda drew back, then stood. “He’ll be fine now.”
The healer moved out of his sight, while Thordis floated nearer. “What happened?” Rune gazed at Thordis. “Your magic quit, then all my magic left. I don’t know why.”
Thordis’s face turned away and she muttered something to someone he couldn’t see. Rune pulled his hand out of the blankets swaddling him and touched his teeth. He was relieved that his canines were back to normal.
“Let the boy up, Ardyth. He’ll be fine.” His mother loosened her hold and Rune sat up.
He touched his head again; it hurt like somebody had laid into him with a frying pan. “I saw the lights. Thordis’s purple, mom’s blue. Who has the orange aura?”
Thordis snorted, then heaved a sigh. “Mordita. She was closest to the gate, so I called on her.”
“Where is she? I’d like to thank her.”
“You can do that later. She went back home right away. You know how she is—a loner.”
Thordis moved to the fireplace in his mother’s home, then faced him. “Where were you exactly when your powers left you?”
Rune thought for a moment, trying to picture where the town had been before it melted away. “I was near the ice cave.”
Thordis glanced at Ardyth who raised her hand to her mouth. She turned back to Rune. “Ah! Well, that explains it then. The ice cave tends to pull the magic right out of a person. The only one who can go there is Kat. She wouldn’t notice whether her magic went away or not.”
“Gee, thanks Aunt Thordis,” Kat said, not attempting to hide the sarcasm. “It’s not my fault if I can’t spell worth a darn.” Kat stomped to the hearth and plopped down with crossed arms.
Rune struggled to his feet, holding the blanket wrapped around his waist. His clothes had disappeared, probably burned to ashes when he’d changed into the Fire Vampire. “Please don’t talk to Kat like that. She can’t help that her magic sucks. You know she’s got plenty.”
“True. But it’d be nice if she could actually do something with it.” Thordis glanced toward her niece. “Sorry. Not your fault.” Rune didn’t think his aunt sounded very sincere.
“I’d like to get dressed now.” Rune headed toward his bedroom, then stopped at the door. “Why couldn’t you tell I was lost out there?”
Thordis’s cheeks turned pink. “I got, ah, busy, but I was going to check on you when the magic booster ran out.”
Rune shook his head. He’d grown up about five years in the last hour. He now knew he could depend only on his own resources. He vowed to double or triple his training to enhance and control his warlock magic. And, more importantly, keep his vampire side in check. No more kid games for him. It was definitely time to get serious about magic.
Read More of the Witches of Galdorheim Series
Excerpt from Bad Spelling
