Charmed (The Enchanted Kingdom Chronicles Book 2)

Chapter 1

Aglowing light shone through the misty forest, luring my gaze away from the clump of mushrooms I’d been foraging. The light flickered like a firefly, darting amongst the trees that stretched out in all directions, as if searching for something.

I hesitated a moment before hooking my basket on my arm and venturing a cautious step forward, reaching out to caress the light with my fingertip when I drew near enough. It pulsated with tingly warmth, a caressing whisper against my thoughts. I instinctively knew what it was.

Magic.

Though magic existed as an invisible force I’d never encountered it before, especially in the forest where my family made our home. These woods weren’t enchanted like the places I often read about in my little brother’s favorite storybooks…or perhaps they were and I was only now discovering it. Anticipation tingled at the thought.

At my careful touch, the light paused its wandering to momentarily hover above my hand, creating the appearance that I cradled sunlight in my palm. All at once it darted away to disappear amongst the trees, leaving behind a sparkling trail. Almost unconsciously I took a step after it, unable to resist following, drawn by my curiosity and the promise of adventure, a welcome reprieve from my ordinary life.

The branches twisting in a canopy above me seemed to curl around me like a cocoon, gently pulling me deeper inside; my skirts caught on the leafy undergrowth as I ventured off the familiar path. The pine-scented air felt heavy with mystery and secrets, brimful with the promise of discoveries just waiting to be made at whatever destination this glowing light patiently led me to.

Eventually the forest opened into a large clearing glistening with color, where the light slowed. I paused along the edge of the trees that masked me from view. The light was no longer alone—a man draped in flowing wizard robes stood in the center, waiting.

He didn’t seem to notice me, his attention on the pulsating light. He lifted his hand in invitation and the light approached, answering the summons of its master; it danced across his skin as he cradled it carefully between his fingers.

“You’re back sooner than I expected. Did you find anything of interest?”

Though the light remained silent, concentration furrowed the wizard’s brow, as if he was listening to words inaudible to my ears. I stared, fascinated by the exchange, one far different than anything I’d ever encountered in my small village.

He sighed in response to whatever silent words the light had conveyed. “I shouldn’t be surprised; quests are only worthwhile when they provide a challenge. And yet…” Disappointment tugged at the corners of his mouth.

The light quivered, appearing to say something else with its silent communication. The man’s eyebrows rose.

“You were followed?”

He swiveled in my direction before I could duck behind a tree and our gazes locked. My breath caught but I didn’t look away, as if bound by some sort of spell. By all appearances this man was a wizard. I’d never met a magical being. Rumor often described them as eccentric, a word he already embodied with the way he communicated with a ball of light, as if such things were entirely natural.

He stared at me a moment before his lips curved up. “Hmm…interesting.”

Still cradling the light, he approached, his footsteps slow and cautious so as not to startle me into running away…and despite it being the sensible thing to do, I was far too intrigued not to remain.

“How did you find this place?” he asked.

I cast my gaze around the clearing, aglow with a glimmering, almost otherworldly hue. “Is this place forbidden?”

“Not forbidden, but it was protected by a shielding spell that should have made it impossible for you to stumble upon it.” With an almost inaudible word and a wave of his hand the shimmer vanished, causing the clearing to melt into the regular evergreen hues of the forest. I wondered at the trick, marveling that magic could orchestrate such an illusion.

“I followed the light.” I motioned towards it and it gave a little quiver in acknowledgment.

His eyes bulged. “You did?”

I nodded, puzzled by the intensity of his reaction. He stared first at me, then at the light in his hand. “It appears my search wasn’t entirely in vain.” He spoke in a low murmur, as if musing to himself, before once more meeting my gaze. “I believe an introduction is in order.”

“My name is Maeve.” Unsure of the polite way to greet a wizard, I settled for a curtsy, which I executed rather sloppily due to my unfamiliarity with the movement.

I awaited his own introduction but he didn’t seem inclined to give it. When it became clear he wasn’t going to respond, I shifted my gaze to the golden glow hovering above his palm.

“Were you communicating with the light?”

His attention finally shifted away from me to nod towards the light with a casual air, as if he hadn’t been caught doing anything out of the ordinary.

“Oh, you noticed? It’s a most amiable companion.” His expression softened as he affectionately stroked it, causing it to preen with delight. “Such things might seem impossible, but not all communication occurs through words. Magic connects with us on a deeper level to caress our thoughts and senses with ideas and images.” He tilted his head. “Does magic interest you?”

Surely magic interested anyone. “So you are a wizard.”

As if the observation finally warranted a proper greeting, he swept into a bow…yet he still didn’t divulge his name.

I ventured forward, gaze fixated on the golden glow. “Might I try communicating with it?”

Amusement twitched his lips. “If you’d like.”

I wasn’t entirely certain what to do, only that the experiment intrigued me. I tucked my basket more securely into the crook of my arm and extended my hand. Like the first time my touch had grazed the light, it was warm and tingly…but another puzzling sensation mingled with the others. It took me a moment to pinpoint the elusive feeling: a sense of purpose—and even a bit of mischievousness.

“Is the light obedient, or does it have a mind of its own?”

His eyebrows rose in astonishment at my observation. “So you can hear it after all. Unsurprising, considering you followed it here.” He glanced at the light. “It appears you found something of interest after all.” He gave it an affectionate pat.

The light ruffled, as if pleased with itself…at least that was the emotion I sensed from it, not in words as the wizard had explained, but as if the emotion seeped beneath my skin, allowing me to feel some semblance of it myself.

What had the light supposedly discovered? Surely he couldn’t be referring to me. I was as interesting as any other peasant girl—which was to say: not the least bit interesting at all.

The wizard seemed to think otherwise, appearing not merely intrigued by the woman his light had summoned but as if I was the very person he’d been searching for. He examined me with a studious air, as if I harbored a myriad of fascinating secrets.

I shifted beneath his perusal, suddenly self-conscious—my shabby and patched dress, my dirty bare feet, and the leaves that had tangled in my fluffy black hair as I chased the light through thick trees. I tried to pluck them free and smooth out the wrinkles in my skirt; his lips twitched but he was polite enough to pretend not to notice.

Considering how closely he studied me, it felt only fair to examine him in return. I’d never encountered a magical being before and found myself mildly disappointed. I’d always imagined their magic would be as discernible as any of their other features, but other than his attire, he appeared entirely ordinary…save for the otherworldly aura that cloaked him like his flowing robes.

My stomach twisted pleasantly as my gaze flickered over his features. Whether his appearance had been enhanced by his powers or he donned a magical disguise, I couldn’t deny the man was handsome—a dimpled chin, wavy brown hair, and large grey eyes that looked almost green to match his emerald robes, a vibrancy that contrasted with my own drab attire. An air of mystery shrouded him, as did the confidence he wore like the power emanating from him.

Fascinating.

He noticed my staring and lifted a single eyebrow in question. My cheeks heated and I dropped my gaze. “My apologies, I’ve never met a wizard before.”

“Technically I’m not a full wizard, considering I’m still in training, but for all intents and purposes I consider myself as such. The journey to mastering the magical craft is a long yet thoroughly enjoyable one…hence I’m here to practice.”

Practice what?I ached to ask, but before I could decide whether I should, he continued. “As well as to search for something.” I was curious what a wizard hoped to find inside a seemingly ordinary forest, but I doubted he’d divulge the details of his purpose after he’d already withheld his name.

I examined the light with increased interest. “Is this a tracking spell to help you find whatever it is you’re looking for?”

He rolled it across his knuckles and I watched in fascination as beams shot randomly around the clearing. “Tracking is only one of many things one can accomplish through such a simple spell; magic is obedient to those who understand it…when it’s not being mischievous.” He smiled fondly at the light before, in an instant, it vanished, as if he’d tucked it inside an invisible pocket. “What I initially came to the forest for is of little consequence considering I’ve found something much more valuable: an apprentice.”

I blinked. “An…apprentice?”

He nodded. “Magic is quite rare, yet you appear to possess it.”

It took a long moment to decipher his meaning. An incredulous laugh escaped before I could contain it. “I don’t possess magic.” Surely I’d know if I did, considering such a possession would undoubtedly make life much easier.

“You’ve already demonstrated several times that you do—following my magical light, entering a clearing protected by an enchanted shield, and showing the ability to communicate with it.” He lifted a finger to count off each point as he made them.

“Of course I followed it; it’s not everyday one stumbles across a sentient bulb of light that leads them to a wizard.” A magical being I was beginning to believe was rather eccentric after all.

“That alone proves your abilities—only magical beings can notice magical things.”

I opened my mouth to respond…only to snap it shut when words weren’t forthcoming.

Whether his magic alerted him or he simply had a keen intuition, he sensed I needed more convincing. As if searching for additional evidence, he cast his gaze around the clearing before it settled on my basket. He plucked a mushroom and held it aloft, twirling it by its stem.

“These mushrooms are enchanted.”

My mouth fell agape. “Are they?” I’d been gathering this particular mushroom for years. A flare of worry suddenly swelled. “They’re not poisonous, are they?”

He chuckled. “Not to worry—they’re enchanted, not cursed.”

“How could such a thing grow within an unenchanted forest?”

“That’s where you’re mistaken.”

My eyes bulged and I glanced around the budding woods with renewed interest, searching for the magic it supposedly possessed. Golden sunlight caressed the leafy branches, a canopy of magnolia, cedar, and pine that allowed just enough light to filter through in golden rays that glistened against the leafy undergrowth in a way that caused the mist to shimmer. The effect was enchanting, to be sure…but surely that wasn’t enough to indicate magic.

“It’s certainly beautiful,” I conceded.

“To be sure…yet it’s also magical, just like this mushroom.”

My brow furrowed as I took in the mushroom that looked as ordinary as any other I’d ever foraged. “How can you tell?”

“It’s easy once one knows what to look for. Magic exists everywhere, but only those with a discerning eye can discover it.”

He lightly traced the mushroom’s base. At first I didn’t notice anything…but upon closer examination I detected a faint shimmer, one that quivered with warmth when I reached out to touch it. I sucked in a breath and drew my hand back, staring in wonder.

“See? Magic can always be discovered by those who truly desire to find it.” He rummaged through my basket. “All of these are enchanted. Did you select them on purpose?”

His eyes glistened as I shook my head. My defensiveness swelled. “Experience has taught me that these are the most delicious mushrooms that best satisfy our hunger; magic has nothing to do with it.”

“Because they’re enchanted,” he said. “Think back—what guided you to these mushrooms in particular that caused you to select them over others?” He supplied the word I struggled to form. “Intuition?”

I considered. Perhaps it had been, a nearly indiscernible sense that had guided my hand without conscious thought. My silence invited him to continue.

“Instinct is the foundation of all magic, a word often used to describe unnourished power before it’s developed through further study; as a magical being, you’re naturally drawn to magical things.”

His words caused my heart to pound in an unrelenting rhythm. For a moment I allowed myself to hope…before practicality hastily dismissed the idea. “It’s a coincidence, nothing more.”

His eyebrows rose dubiously. “There is no chance or randomness in magic. The odds that you happened to only harvest enchanted fungi without subconsciously being drawn to them by your innate powers are miniscule.”

My rudimentary education in basic reading and arithmetic couldn’t even begin to attempt the calculations needed to figure out such odds myself. Did that mean…I possessed magic after all? Surely such a thing was impossible.

“How?” It was the only breathless response I could manage.

He shrugged. “No one knows why magic chooses certain individuals over others. Genetics play a part—I inherited my powers from my mother, as did my younger sister…though my eldest sister did not. Magic offered no explanation for why she was passed over, despite her being the most deserving of all of us. There must be something about you it’s drawn to.”

“But how could I possess such power and not realize it?” I lifted my seemingly ordinary brown hands to stare at them and wriggled my fingers, as if the movement would encourage my dormant—or more likely nonexistent—powers to manifest themselves in some way.

Nothing happened, yet the wizard didn’t seem concerned. “I’m unsurprised you don’t notice; magic has always been an intricate part of you, enriching your life in ways you’ve grown so accustomed to that you don’t recognize it for what it is. But magic is patient, remaining with those who possess it even before they understand how to wield it. And you will…once you become my apprentice.”

His smile was warm, an invitation to accept his offer.

The idea was tempting, seducing me with thoughts of a future that felt entirely out of reach. The day had begun in an entirely ordinary way when I’d ventured from my cottage this morning…only to stumble upon a magical light that had led me to a wizard who offered to tutor me in powers I didn’t know I had. It seemed a reality straight from a storybook, too fantastical to be real.

…or was it?

If magic truly was a part of me, had the enchanted light been drawn to the power this wizard suspected simmered beneath my skin, like a bee to nectar? For a blissful moment I allowed myself to imagine the possibility before I forced myself to push the alluring daydreams away with a rigid shake of my head.

The wizard blinked in clear surprise before frowning. “You’re not interested in studying magic? The curiosity you exhibited earlier proves otherwise.”

“I cannot deny I’m interested in magic…” I began hesitantly. “But it’s simply not practical. What use is magic to a peasant?” Magic seemed as rare and unattainable as wealth, reserved solely for those within the elite circles of society, who possessed both the resources and time to foster their power.

“On the contrary, it seems it’d be even more useful to a…common girl.” Seeming embarrassed he’d taken notice of my lower station, he awkwardly cleared his throat, a reaction that only confirmed what I’d suspected: he himself was no commoner. “Your education as my apprentice will allow you to learn how to wield it as a tool in your everyday life to assist you with even the most menial of chores.”

The words tugged my mind away from this otherworldly exchange firmly back to reality, reminding me I’d been away from the duties that awaited me at home for too long. My gaze jerked upwards to track the sun’s progress across the sky. A few hours of daylight remained. If I left now, I’d have enough time to assist my family—Mother with dinner preparations, and my little brother patiently awaiting the promise I’d made when I’d departed at dawn.

“I have to go.”

The wizard sighed. “I’d hoped we could come to an agreement. While stubbornness isn’t an ideal trait for an apprentice, it’ll at least serve you well as you learn the basics of magic and beyond, particularly the more difficult spells you’ll encounter in the future.”

I frowned. “You’re assuming I’ll agree to your offer.”

“You will.” He spoke with such confidence that for a moment I wondered if his powers extended to seeing the future. “Magic is a part of you, one you’re now aware of. Thus you’ll come to desire to develop your powers, especially after a bit of…persuasion.”

Though his expression remained friendly, foreboding prickled my skin. “My life is perfectly content without it.” But my tongue burned with the lie, one that if his smirk was any indication he sensed.

Could magic also discern between truth and falsehoods? This was only one of many questions I yearned to answer, evidence that despite my determination, I wouldn’t be able to abandon all thoughts of magic even after the wizard and I parted ways.

“I don’t doubt you think you’re content,” he said. “But why settle when embracing the extraordinary will only enhance your life?”

Once more the alluring idea attempted to seduce me. Prior to this encounter, my only experience with magic outside had been through the whispers and stories filling the village that provided just enough fodder for my imagination to run wild as it played with the possibilities in vivid color.

As if he sensed my thoughts, the wizard’s smirk widened. “Magic can do all that you’re imagining…and much more.” His words were cajoling…too much so.

I narrowed my eyes. “Has magic provided you with a sixth sense?”

Mischief glistened as he tilted his head. “Perhaps. There’s only one way to find out for yourself: become my apprentice, and I’ll teach you everything you desire to know.”

A frustrated sigh escaped. The man was certainly persistent, which left me to wonder how long he’d attempt to persuade me or the means he’d use before finally giving up…if he ever did; I already found magic alluring enough without whatever tricks he had up his sleeve. But despite my curiosity, I couldn’t afford to bend; magic had no place in my life, not when my minimal time was best spent on my responsibilities that held far greater importance.

These duties stretched across the distance separating me from my family, beckoning me to return home. Though I’d ventured off the forest path to arrive at this hidden clearing, I was hopeful the detour wouldn’t cause any further delay. I walked back to the cover of trees and the wizard followed.

“Are you certain you know the way?” He sounded far too cheerful about the prospect that I might not.

“Quite certain, thank you.” I increased my pace and silently cursed when he easily matched it.

“Are you sure? If you’re lost, a tracking spell can lead you to wherever you need to go. I shall demonstrate it for your first lesson.”

“I have a keen sense of direction.” Not to mention I was intimately familiar with the forest I’d lived in my entire life.

He sensed my sincerity and frowned. “How fortunate for you.” Unfortunately he wasn’t dissuaded; in fact, the challenge only seemed to excite him.

The trees embraced me as I stepped within their cocoon of foliage, allowing them to swallow me up, but he only continued to follow, walking beside me like a persistent shadow.

I tightened my jaw to keep back my frustration, fighting a twinge of unease. Though the wizard seemed amiable, should he prove temperamental I’d hate to give him any reason to curse me. Despite his obvious disappointment at my rejection he appeared rather cheerful, as if he fully suspected to win this battle of wills and was only humoring my delusions otherwise.

We hadn’t ventured far when his good humor penetrated the soft sound of our footsteps against the undergrowth. “If you have no need of a tracking spell, perhaps magic can aid you another way: you appear to be in a hurry yet still have quite a walk ahead of you. Allow me to share an example of how magic can be of use in such an instance.”

I took a steadying breath in an attempt to quell my rising exasperation as my fragile hold on my limited patience finally faltered. “Please stop trying to persuade me,” I snapped. “I have no need for any of your magic tricks.”

“So you claim, but I’m determined to change your mind. Allow me to demonstrate.”

I bit my lip to hold back my aggravated sigh, even as curiosity warred against my better judgment. While I’d been honest that I didn’t find my life lacking without magic, I couldn’t smother the part of me that was drawn to it. It took considerable effort to once more summon my refusal.

“For the last time, that won’t be necessary—” The remainder of my protest was lost as I turned to scowl at the wizard…only to discover he’d disappeared, swallowed by the trees, as if he hadn’t been there at all.