Mine to Spell (Mine #2) (19 page)

He shakes his head, but those lips of his turn up in a smile. “That’s not the point. The point is the space.”

“The space that isn’t big enough to work in. We’ve established that.”

“
But we’re going to change that.”

“
What?” His statement finally pulls my focus away from his mouth. “Change it? How can we do that?”

“
Focus on the room, like I said. The air, the space, the things.”

Sounds strange to me, especially with all this stuff. Still not sure I understand the concept, but I suppose I can try. I get a feel for how it is, not a cursory glance like before, but a deeper, searching gaze. Finding the pictures hanging on the walls, the thick layer of dust coating everything but the floor, the air heavy with dust. “I think I’ve got it.”

“Good. Now take your magic and push it through the space, telling it to get wider and higher.”

I pull my magic together and attempt to shove it out, but nothing happens. “This spell doesn’t seem to be working.”

“You’re trying too hard,” he says. “How did you learn spells before, without help?”

Tried everything I could think of, many of which feel too silly to try in front of him. “When possible, I’d watch warlocks casting spell. Once I had managed a few rare moments alone, I’d play with it. It usually takes at least a few months for me to get anything, unless it’s really simplistic.”

“Months? Why didn’t you give up?”

“
It was one of the few good things in my life. A rare thing I actually wanted.”

“
You really are amazing.” Before I can stammer an appropriate response, he asks, “What’s the easiest spell for you to do?”

“
Smoothing out my hair so it’s not a tangled, flyaway mess.”

His gaze darts to my hair. “It’s not a mess at all, it’s always slicked back in Chardonian fashion. You must be really good at it. Or maybe it’s not as bad as you think?”

I splash my magic out across my hair, pulling the slicked back spell off my locks. To further my point, I pull the pins from my hair and let it tumble down my back, past my waist. Even without a mirror, I can see some of the curly locks are scattering everywhere. Despite this he smiles.

“
So it isn’t well suited to Chardonian ways.” He leans closer. “I like it.”

Warmth shines through me. He likes it? No one ever liked it when I was young. But then, maybe it doesn't always have to be to our society's standards. Serena’s hair looks good even when it’s done in Envadi-style, better than the usual Chardonian style even. Perhaps the comments about my frizz had more to do with punishments than what it actually looks like?

“You are really good at it too. Perfect.”

I blush. “Thank you, but how does that help right now?”

“We can use it to discover how you learn spells when not stressed. Think about what it feels like to cast it. You don’t have to tell me, but I want you to remember and feel it. What did you do when you first figured it out? What do you do to cast it now?”

That first time I finally figured how to cast the spell was amazing. It always is. I think on it, how I closed my eyes and felt the air become thicker and used it to keep my hair in place. The feel of the magic streaming from me, responding to my desire. Once I figured it out, it was so simple. No other spells have ever come so easily.

“Got it.”

“
Good. Now take that same feeling, that push of magic, and apply it to this spell. Feel the room around you, the things in it, and then expand everything.”

Somehow, the repetition is easier to do when I was alone. When there's no one around to see me fail. I try again anyway. It feels as if something starts to give, like my magic is pushing on the air outside me, but then I lose it. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem to be working.”

“Maybe close your eyes. Visualize it in your mind.”

“
I’ll try.” And I do but feel a little foolish, considering the circumstances. Like I’m playing a game with one of my youngest sisters instead of learning magic from a warlock. But he’s not only a good warlock but nice to look at. Really nice. So I try anyway. Besides, I must figure this out, whether or not I feel silly in the process. Too much is depending on it.

Picturing the room, the things in it, and the space and walls expanding around them. The air stretching is the easy part. Getting it to actually change, much harder. I grab hold of my magic, taking it straight from my core, and attempt to let it fill the expanding space. There have been no results with that so far, so I go further by shoving it with everything I can muster.

A yelp echoes through the room.

My eyes snap open. Lukas is hovering in the air high above my head, near a ceiling that is far, far above me. I gasp, snuffing my magic. He gives another yelp as he starts to fall to the floor. A gasp escapes me with a squeak. How do I save him? This wasn’t part of the lesson. He’s going to crash!

I jump forward hoping I can at least break his fall, and brace myself for pain. Before he smashes into the ground, a blue spell zips from his hand and quickly surrounds him. His rapid decedent halts with a jerk.

With a giant exhale, I slouch. If he hadn’t stopped himself, that would have really hurt. Slowly, he floats to the ground, and the blue light disappears back into his hands.

“Did you forget to picture me in the room?” he asks.

For once, I don’t look away as a blush heats my cheeks. He could have been seriously injured; the least I can do is look him in the eyes. But I’m not admitting why I neglected such an important detail. Picturing him in the room was too distracting. “Sorry.”

He laughs. “It’s fine, just surprising. You really pack a lot of magic.”

Seeing him at ease makes me laugh, too. “Maybe you should have placed more emphasis on how important it was to picture you in the room as well.”

He puts both hands on his chest. “You’ve got me there. In my defense, I didn’t expect you to cast the spell so forcefully. Especially when you started off having trouble with it. Most warlocks I know can’t go from not being able to do a spell at all, to surpassing expectations with it.

“
This is a great sign,” he continues. “You’re a natural. It should be easier to prepare you for the tournament.”

This time I do turn away as I blush, which allows me to explore what I accomplished. The room is ten times the size it was before. Everything in it, the pictures, trophies, jewels, all the items are the same size as they were previously and about the same place as before, only more space stretches between them now. The ceiling soars overhead, making it almost feel as if we’re standing outside.

“It would be wonderful if that were really the case. I can’t believe I actually did this. Is it bigger on the outside as well?” I ask.

“
No. You could do that by picturing the outside as well, but for our purposes we don’t want to draw extra attention to ourselves.”

I nod. Any indication of something going on in this house that would be an excuse for law officers to investigate would be bad. I’m sure they’d find an excuse to get me out of the tournament, anything to do away with me.

“Where does all of the extra space come from, then?”

“
From what you did to it. You took what was already there, and expanded it, made it bigger.”

I frown. “Then why isn’t it bigger on the outside as well? Shouldn’t it expand everywhere?”

“Only where you tell it to. Magic is a powerful thing. It can create and destroy much.”

If that’s really the case, then… “Can it make something from nothing? Like food? I’ve never been able to make food on my own.”

“Yes, but it’s harder. When there's something present to work with, it’s much easier to stretch it out. Make sense?”

“
I think so.”

“
Good. Shall we start your lesson then?” Lukas asks.

“
I thought we had already started.”

“
That was just a warm up.”

He moves closer to me but stops when he’s about ten paces away and I find myself wishing he was closer. I’m sure I’ll be able to see what he does well enough from here. “This is about how far you’ll be from your opponent in the duels.”

Suddenly the distance seems too close. Much too close.

He casts a bright green spell that leaves a circle on the floor around us. I could lie down and stretch out in it comfortably without hitting the light. “This is the size of the ring. Most warlocks don’t move far from their original spot, but you are allowed anywhere inside the ring. If you step out or get knocked out of it, you lose.”

“Simple enough.”

“
Until someone slams a wind spell at you.”

Why am I getting myself into this? “Point taken.”

“Any thoughts or questions so far?” Lukas asks.

“
Why don’t most warlocks move from the original spot?”

“
Chardonians are a strange bunch. The way they do everything isn’t based off how effective it will be, but how it appears to others. They think by using only their magic, and no physical movement, they look stronger.”

“
Does that mean I can touch the other duelers?”

“
Sort of. If you somehow managed to accidentally bump into your opponent, it’s fine. But using anything other than magic to defeat your opponent is against the rules. So even though you can touch them, they’d probably call foul and say you were trying to defeat them without magic.”

“
No touching them. Understood.”

“
Right. But it’d be good to move around. Do it a lot, since they won’t be used to it. They won’t be expecting it. Just don’t go near them. They are going to do whatever it takes to kick you out of the tournament.”

“
Naturally, move but don’t move too much. Why didn’t I think of that before?” I roll my eyes before growing serious. “Do you think I can survive this?”

He takes my hand. “I’ve never met anyone that has as much raw power as you. The only thing you’re missing is knowledge. We’ll teach you everything we can. You’ll not only live through this, but you will make history.”

I don’t know what warms me more, his words or his hand on mine.

The door opens, and we jump apart. Waverly whistles as she strides in.

“This is nice work.”

At first, I think she’s talking about Lukas holding my hand, but then I realize she’s examining the room. It’s good she didn’t notice. Even if she’s talked about how she feels about Chadwick, how I feel about Lukas is so tumbled, I wouldn’t know what to say.

“It was all Cynthia,” Lukas says.

I rub my hands together, still thinking of how it felt a moment ago encased in his.

“Nice work,” Waverly says again. “To think you’ve been hiding this much power all along.”

“
Thank you.” I glance at the floor as I blush.

“
What else have you been working on?”

Something you interrupted. I banish the thought. This is silly. She didn’t interrupt anything but Lukas helping me feel more confident about doing well in the tournament.

“Going over rules mostly,” Lukas responds. See? Nothing here to worry about interrupting. Except it makes me wonder if he feels what I just felt. If there’s something between us, or if he’s just being nice. Maybe in Chryos, taking a girl by the hand and offering words of encouragement and support are a common practice.

She nods. “I’m going to get dinner going while you two work. Is there anything you’d like?”

“Whatever you make is fine. Thank you,” I say.

“
I’m not picky,” Lukas replies.

“
Pickled pig’s feet it is.”

Gross. Can that possibly even be a thing? I manage to hold back a groan, but Lukas doesn’t.

“What?” she says. “Don’t you like pig’s feet? You should have made a request when I asked.”

He forces a smile, taut and wholly false, but trying. “I’m sure it’ll be great.”

She laughs. “Don’t lie to spare my feelings. I was only teasing.”

Her laughter echoes through the now cavernous room as she leaves. I’m ready to get back to where we were before she interrupted, but it doesn’t come. Instead of the current flowing between us being filled with something new and exciting, there’s only awkwardness.

He scuffs the toe of his shoe on the floor. “Guess we should keep working.”

Picking up his words, I say, “Guess we should.”

Once we return to practicing, the awkwardness lessens, though doesn’t fully leave. It’s easier to absorb his lesson now that we both understand how I learn. Much easier than when I used to attempt to teach myself spells. But still hard. I hope it will be enough.

Chapter Twenty

Waverly and Lukas alternate helping me train, sometimes working together. Each has such a unique perspective that I can’t decide who is better to train with. Lukas teaches attack and defensive spells, while Waverly shows me fun spells similar to the nail changing, in addition to coloring my hair, as a way to better understand my magic, how it works, and to practice using it regularly.