Chapter Seven
You feel, you create
“Hi,” I croaked, facing forward.
Gah, his magic felt like a cozy winter day—wrapping me up with a thick blanket to bask in the crackling, sizzling, flickering fire inside him.
“Beautiful,” he said, and I turned to see what he called beautiful. It was the leaves outside the window.
A mixture of yellows, reds, and oranges danced outside like a flame in the window.
Then I realized that was my doing.
My face heated, and I tucked my hands between my thighs. The magic vanished. A low chuckle tickled my ears, but I ignored it.
I guess his words yesterday were right that he’d see me in class.
“Now, I assume everyone here has experienced magic of some kind, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.” Professor Jules waggled her fingers as if to say hello, and a green, wood-carved wand appeared out of nowhere.
The class leaned closer, and a few gasps were heard echoing in the room.
“Wands are conduits for magic. You can, of course, channel your magic without it, but most find it easier with a wand or amulet. Which you will be getting at the upcoming fair.”
Every gaze in the room watched as the professor swirled her wand around and little white fireworks shot out like a sparkler.
“Magic has been around for thousands of years, even in this realm. Every time you go into nature, you can feel the wonder, the energy connecting us all.” Professor Jules smiled, and a few of the students nodded.
“The magic running through you is like the very blood flowing in every vein beneath your skin. It is you, in your very cells. Like a living entity working with you. Your closest friend, if you will.” She watched us kindly, and I looked at my hands like they were strangers instead of friends.
I didn’t have a traumatic experience of magic. Though most of us knew the stories of planes crashing to the ground, buildings catching fire, and people turning into animals.
The electric energy in the room fizzled out, and a heavy feeling coated the air.
The professor caught onto the shift right away. “Yes, those of us from Nathuria understand magic has troubled your realm. Once our two sides have come to further arrangements, we will try to help rebuild what we can.”
Rylan stiffened beside me. From what I’d learned, he was doing everything in his power—no pun intended—to fix what his company had inadvertently unleashed. It was a lot of pressure on one man and part of me wondered how he was handling it all.
Professor Jules lifted her hand, and a ball of fire appeared in her hand. We all watched the fire twist and roll over her palm like a golf ball instead of flame.
“Magic is neither good, nor bad; it simply is.”
It simply is.
That sounded so easy, but it would take time to accept that perspective.
Professor Jules moved to the front of her desk and clenched her hand, the fire vanishing without a trace.
“Let’s get our fingers magically dipped, as you all would say.
” She clapped with joy and walked down the aisle of lab tables, her eyes darting to each of our faces.
“Close your eyes and place your hand on top of the table palm side up. Yes, that’s it.
” I did as instructed and bit my bottom lip as the awareness of Rylan’s body heat brushed against me.
Thankfully Professor Jules’s voice distracted me from the man mere inches from my side.
“Now I want you to think of a time in your life where you were happy. It doesn’t have to be a big memory. Even that first sip of that strange brown liquid that makes you joyous in the morning is enough for this lesson.”
I’m pretty she meant sure coffee, which I did enjoy, but instead I chose to think about Piper’s smile. Whenever I felt like the world was too much to handle, Piper would bounce in with that big smile, and instantly I’d relax.
“Now whatever you feel from your magic in your body, I want you to focus on that feeling but move it to your palm. Guide the tingles, or crackles, or icy feelings forward,” Professor Jules spoke softly.
“Once that feeling feels grounded in your palm, open your eyes.” “Holy shit.” Someone cursed, but I remained focused on feeling the sensations.
The tingles started in my chest, and I imagined pushing them toward my hand as if I was putting lotion on my skin.
The magic moved in a snakelike manner before coiling in my palm.
I opened my eyes and gasped.
A bouquet of flowers sprouted up from my hand. An orange rose, a purple iris, blue calla lily, a purple aster, a daisy. Were the tingles like vines moving inside me?
I didn’t want to move or look away, but I had to see what the others had in their palms. Nearly everyone had a form of nature in their hand. Icicles, mini thunderstorms, a water puddle, a tiny oak, and more that I couldn’t quite make out.
Rylan, along with a few others, hadn’t created anything yet, and the professor was quick to soothe any anxieties to those who didn’t conjure light. “Do not worry, my young learners. Magic is still inside you. Sometimes it takes a little coaxing and connection to come out.”
“Nice,” Rylan whispered, and I shifted to see a smoky glass ball in the middle of his palm with sand falling between his fingers onto the table.
His power was like glass? Interesting.
The tingles in my hand intensified, and I drew my gaze back to my own magical display, watching as the flowers grew another inch.
His head turned my way, eyes on the magic in my hands.
He smiled and stared into me with awe. That look stole my breath, and I knew Piper had competition for best smile in my memories now.
My head never moved so fast as it did to turn away from Rylan and that thought.
The magic in my palms pulsed, and I willed that new friend in me to stop being so embarrassing.
“Yes, that’s it.” Professor Jules beamed as she walked between the aisles, helping the ones who hadn’t been able to get it on the first try. Maybe they needed to see others do it first. I could imagine if their first time using magic had been traumatic, they’d have difficulty trusting it again.
Without warning, the flowers popped. Shredded petals and stems fell to the table in a sad-looking pile.
“Magic reacts to our emotions. It responds faster than your mind can send the signals to do so. .” I felt the Professor’s stare and knew I was the example for how quickly magic changes.
I’d been thinking of others’ fears, not exactly feeling it myself, but the sensations were on my mind.
Okay, so that would be easy to remember. Our thoughts equal reality.
“We’re going to continue working on connecting to your essence of magic. The more comfortable you are with feeling it, the easier it will respond to you.”
I closed my eyes and thought of the first snowfall of winter each year. White rose petals appeared in my palm. Winning the Little Miss and Mom Gingerbread House award with Piper… Honeysuckle, like the vine growing on my apartment balcony appeared. Rylan’s smile….
My eyelids shot open, and I glared at Rylan, like the man himself had somehow made me think of him. But he was focusing on his assignment, green smoke rolling around in his glass ball. Great. So, it was all me and me alone.
An intercom positioned near the door rang around the room, and I assumed that meant class was over.
“Very good, students! Your first class is complete. Make sure to practice, and we’ll continue our lesson tomorrow morning!
” Professor Jules whirled her hands at us in goodbye.
It looked odd coming from her, like the act of waving was foreign.
Perhaps in Nathuria, they did something else as a farewell gesture.
The broad body beside mine stood as I did. “You must have some good memories. Your flowers were beautiful.”
Rylan stretched his arms above his head. Naturally, his green shirt rose an inch higher, and I noticed the sliver of his tanned, muscular abdomen. Ugh. Why does he have to be so good looking and distracting?
Before I could respond to his comment, a short blonde woman in a tight blue dress stepped up to our table. She stopped and posed like a seasoned pageant winner back home. And by her overly practiced big smile, I felt like my assumptions would ring true.
“Mr. McKenzie, my name is Delanie Templeton. Miss Kentucky. When I saw you in our class, I knew I had to introduce myself to the man who made all this possible. We are just so lucky to have you looking out for us.” She leaned closer, her perfectly manicured hand pressing against Rylan’s chest.
He stepped back, and Miss Kentucky brushed it off with a tilt of her head.
“Hello,” Rylan said politely as I grabbed my bag.
I had a feeling she wasn’t one of the nice ones that really did want world peace.
“See you later, Star,” Rylan said to me, ignoring our table guest as he quickly left the room.
Without him watching, she sneered in my direction, then stormed off with a huff.
Great.
With a few words from a man, I didn’t want to be attracted to, I gained an enemy.