Natural Dual-Mage (Page 28)

But as my gaze moved over the lines of instructions, the environment in the garage changed. The ghost of a wind fought the stagnant, still air. A floral whiff drifted past my nose, replaced by the lingering scent of paper from books mixed with grease left over from when a car had been stored in the space. Leaves brushed against the roof or rain gutters outside, longing to come in and be a part of this. Even the very words of the spell seemed to beg for more natural elements to play with.

Emery stilled with the jug held out, waiting for me to read the first line.

“This potion was meant to be performed outside.” I looked down at the cauldron. “We need to move. To the trees.”

He just looked at me, the jug still held out. I shook my head at him, suddenly frustrated beyond a rational amount. “And you need to get your head in the game. You’re slipping back into how you used to do magic. That’s not the right way. It won’t bring out the true essence of this spell.”

A line formed between his brow and he tilted his head, surveying me. The glimmer of boyish excitement seeped away, and a part of me felt really crappy because of it. But the part that was in control didn’t back down. I pointed at the cauldron, and the stack of containers next to it, before grabbing the binder and fitting it under my arm. “Come on. This spell seems simple, but if you look below the surface, and do it right, it is actually quite complex. I can feel it. It can also go badly wrong. I intend to do it right, and we need to move so we don’t get steamrolled by the effects.”

19

The great thing about vampires was they were very strong, and could move a cast iron cauldron filled with water with minimal strain and no spillage. The great thing about Darius and Reagan was they took my spell work as it came, and never batted an eye at my crazy demands.

Callie, Dizzy, and my mother, on the other hand…

“I have personally done this spell, and it doesn’t need to be executed in the freezing cold rain,” Callie said an hour after I’d initiated the move, tromping behind me through the trees to a little clearing down the way. Vampires had been called in to set up a tight perimeter so we wouldn’t be disrupted by any enemies deciding tonight was a good night to attack. It was a necessary precaution after the bar battle earlier that day.

Our timing wasn’t great.

“The garage would’ve been fine. I know a dual-mage pair with half the power of Dizzy and me, and they did it in their living room without a problem.” Callie hurried to my side, pulling the hood of a black raincoat over her head. Her bright yellow velvet sweat-suit pants peeked out the bottom. “You’ll catch pneumonia out here.”

“It’ll be okay.” I pulled up the hood of my own raincoat, squinting up at the dark sky. Drops shimmered in the battery-powered lamp I held, sparkling as they fell. “A moon would’ve been helpful.”

“Did you tell her, hon?” Dizzy called out as we neared the new cauldron site. A party tent sprawled across the top, held up on metal poles and draping down a little on the sides. If the wind kicked up any more, raindrops would be blown in through the sides, drenching our bottom halves.

Emery waited by the cauldron, still toting the orange juice jug, though he’d taken his raincoat off. Despite his long-sleeved shirt, he didn’t seem to feel the chill. He was probably too busy wondering how he got himself into this mess—or how he could best get himself out of it.

“Sorry,” I said as I ducked under the tent and took my place at his side. “It’s just—”

“Because you really could just stay indoors,” Dizzy said as Callie trudged into the tent after me. “That’s what Callie and I did. And look, it worked.”

“I’m not about to start questioning you now,” Emery whispered, and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Penelope Bristol, dancing in the rain is one thing, but you’ve dragged us all out here for something the Bankses say isn’t necessary.” My mother stalked up with her shotgun. She was ready for a battle.

“Mother, Darius’s people will take care of guard duty,” I said. “You can stay in the house.”

“I most certainly will not. With my daughter standing out here in the rain, unprotected from anyone wandering in? No. Someone needs to oversee security.” She stalked off into the trees.

“Let her help in her own way,” Emery said quietly, touching my arm.

“Well…we’d better put up a ward, hon.” Dizzy sighed. “Kids these days just have to be different. We were the same, I suppose, we just did it with circles and demons.”

I’d opened my mouth to say a ward wasn’t needed, but his words made me change gears. “Huh?”

“Go, Callie, Dizzy.” Reagan stalked through two bushes without rain gear, Darius following close behind. “I’ll watch them. Go join Ms. Bristol.”

“Actually, if you all could clear away.” I waved my hand in an arc. “We’ll set up a concealment spell. We’ll be fine out here.”

“Also a good plan.” Reagan stopped with her hands on her hips. “Right. I’ll just meander, then, will I? Unless you guys are cool with me coming in to watch?”

I shook my head, feeling the wrongness of that suggestion. Usually it wouldn’t matter, but for this…

“Let’s go,” Darius said. “We should do a perimeter check anyway.”

When they were all gone, some of them grumbling as they went, Emery unscrewed the cap of the orange juice. “Are you okay reading out the spell? I didn’t really think about it earlier.”

“It’s probably better,” I replied. “Last time a spell was read, I just took over. I’d hate for that to happen again.”

“And you also turned everyone into zombies. I’d hate for that to happen again, too.”

“I don’t know why you think that’s so funny. It was a really terrible thing.”

“I’ll bet. Zombies are gross.”

Laughter bubbled up through me, easing a little tension. “Okay. Be serious. Time to focus.”

“We are.” He pointed around the cauldron at the swirling wisps and threads of magic—a natural occurrence whenever Emery and I shared space. Electricity rolled over my skin and infused my core. He stepped nearer and his voice softened. “We don’t need to practice at focusing, Turdswallop. We just need to keep our hands off each other. The rest comes naturally.”

I smiled and bumped my shoulder against his. “Okay. Here we go.”

Just as before, the words jumped off the page, colorful and vibrant. This time, though, a real wind kicked up, fluttering the tent. Rain fell heavier, pattering on the overhead tarp. Nature moved and swayed around us, heard through the rustling of the leaves and creak of the branches. A soft song drifted on the wind, curling and turning, playing with my senses and lending a buoyancy to the spell.

“This is new,” I said under my breath, the fates thumping around us, trying to sweep us up and take us away. “And that is new. Maybe I just shouldn’t do potions.”

“You’ll be fine, love. You’re a natural. It’s in your blood.”

“Tell that to the zombies.”

“I can’t. Reagan killed them all. But rest assured, if you turn me into something heinous, I’m sure she’ll help you kill me, too.”

“That isn’t funny.”

“Then why are you laughing?”

I tried to wipe away my smile, but I couldn’t. His mood was infectious, and the moment just felt so right.

“Hold on to your butt.” I took a deep breath and read the first line, emphasizing the word pour, since it was glittering and waving around on the page, and feeling a deep thrum when the directions told me to choose who would stir first. I held out the spoon for Emery.

He set down the empty container of orange juice and took the spoon without a word, about to put it in the liquid. But something felt off, like a thread drifting into the breeze, unraveling the fabric of the spell as it did so. Before I could say anything, he’d stopped and stilled, closing his eyes.

“I’m on autopilot a little bit,” he said, and took a deep breath. “When I did this with my brother, I don’t think either of us was really concentrating. It’s such an easy spell that a natural can do it in his sleep. We certainly didn’t check in with the environment around us. That’s not something mages are ever taught or told to do. But…” He put out one of his hands and his fingers wiggled through the air. Magic rose around him and flirted with his moving digits. “I can feel the difference. When you say the words, I can feel the expectation of the spell. I can feel your utter conviction. It’s another lesson, one among many. It’s why I’m learning right alongside you, Penny. Even the most basic spells can have a profound effect.”

He put the spoon into the liquid, and this time the magic didn’t drift away. It rose, swirling in the air as he moved the spoon. After two times around, he pulled the spoon up just how I said, stepped back, and held it out to me.

I took it without a word, but didn’t immediately cross to the cauldron. Instead, I took my time and leaned my back against his front, relishing in the energy around us and the electricity zinging through me.