Essence of Magic (Ruby Morgan Book 1)

by LJ Rivers

  “By the way,” Brendan said, making a welcome change of topic, “Nick got you an interview at the cinema next week. You more or less already got the job. They simply need to put a face to the name.”

  He was so close his jacket brushed against mine, and the smell of his aftershave tickled my nose. It wasn’t too strong, but just the right amount, and it smelled so good I almost put my head on his shoulder to inhale the scent.

  “Thank you, B. That means the world to me.”

  “No worries. Glad to help out.” He fished his phone out. “Time you gave me your number, I should think. I’ll take you to the interview, so you don’t get lost on the way and miss it.”

  I nearly jumped on him, again restraining myself, and instead, we exchanged numbers. At least he didn’t hate me. Maybe it had all been in my head? I still wasn’t sure about how he actually felt about Magicals, but we could cross that bridge if we ever got there. He had said he thought the government could protect us, and even though he was wrong, it might mean that he was inclined to accept Magicals—to accept me. Mum had told me often how my dad had to work to come to terms with her abilities, and how he eventually accepted her for who she was. I didn’t know if I could ever tell anyone about what I was, least of all Brendan. However, Charlie appeared to be cool with my condition. Was it that far-fetched to think that I could share my secret with someone else? With him? After all, I was human as well as Magical.

  We stopped outside Craydon Court while Jen bounced up the stairs. The silence between us was similar to that first time we had walked together like this. It was comforting in a way I had never experienced with anyone before. His gaze fixed on mine and my toes curled in my shoes.

  “So,” he muttered. “Fancy grabbing dinner with me tomorrow?”

  “What? Like a date?” I blurted.

  “Like a date.”

  My chest swelled as I held back my shouts of joy. “Sure.” I cleared my throat and tried my best to act casual.

  “Meet you by the gates at six, then? I’ll take you someplace off campus.”

  I nodded.

  “Until then, Ruby Ruby.”

  “Until then.”

  He leaned in and my lips pursed, then his arms folded around me in a hug before he let go and wandered back towards the lake. I stood frozen to the spot as my body enjoyed the internal somersaults, the scent of him still lingering in the air.

  “Babe.” Charlie stuck her head out of the window. “The pizza is getting cold, and I want to watch Tales of the City.”

  I unglued myself from the spot, waving at her. “Coming.”

  Sprinting up the stairs, I came to a halt as I reached the top. I turned, squinting my eyes at the growing darkness. Something—or someone—moved behind the willow by the lake. It looked like the shadow of a man. Was it—he—watching me? Shivers ran over my skin, and the fire in my veins burned hot. A feeling of eerie familiarity struck me once more before the shadow dissipated into thin air, as though it had never been there to begin with. The fire inside stilled yet again and I shook the shivers off.

  Whatever—or whoever—that was, I had a feeling I would see it again.

  Chapter Thirteen

  My phone rang somewhere in the distance. Forcing one eye half-open, I peeked at the picture of Mum on the screen. I grunted and placed the phone back on the nightstand until it stopped ringing. A few seconds later, it rang again. I rubbed my eyes and reluctantly picked up the phone, snuggling under the duvet.

  “Hi, Mum.”

  “Ruby.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “I’m just being an annoying mum and checking in on you. Feels like we haven’t spoken in ages. How is everything? Are you settling in all right?”

  Where to start? I wanted to tell her about Olivia, about the new power I was struggling with, and the shadow I kept seeing. But I couldn’t. She would worry too much, and my London life would be cut short.

  “Great,” I replied. “My flatmates are really cool. Charlie is an all-round history buff, and Jen studies cultural history and feminism. Then there’s Duncan. He mostly keeps to himself, though he’s very nice. There are two other rooms in our flat, but no one has moved into them yet.”

  I hesitated.

  “There’s also an Irish boy I met. Brendan.”

  I could sense the tone of my voice changing as I said his name. I was swooning bad. It wasn’t until just then I realised how much I had wanted to talk to Mum and all the things I wanted to share with her. It had been too long, and so much had happened already.

  “Brendan, huh? What’s he like?”

  I turned it over in my head. What was he like? How could I even begin to describe him?

  “He has really pretty eyes. He likes football and fencing, and he’s very protective. Funny, too.”

  My mum went silent for a moment as if she was thinking about what I had just said. Her breathing was heavy on the other end. “He sounds like a good guy,” she finally said.

  “He is.”

  “Promise me you’ll be careful, though? You can’t trust anyone.”

  “You trusted Dad, didn’t you?”

  Mum chortled. “Not at first, no. And with good reason. But he came around, and when he did, I trusted him with my life, and he trusted me the same. You can never be too careful, however. Just make sure you’re certain about the people you decide to put your trust in.”

  “I promise.” I sighed, desperately wanting to change the subject. “So, how are things at the clinic?”

  Mum definitely knew I was making a u-turn with that question. Sweet as always, she let me off the hook. “The usual. A few broken bones and bruises but no major injuries in the last few days.”

  I had been to Mum’s clinic a couple of times. For the most part, however, she had kept me far away from anything resembling a doctor’s office. I never got sick, thanks to my Fae heritage. And the few times I had injured myself to the extent that any normal person would need medical attention, Mum had healed me. She never healed cuts and bruises, however, figuring I needed to experience physical pain to learn to stay clear of heights and dangerous situations. Besides, I had to maintain some kind of normalcy.

  I was thankful for that.

  “I hope you’re not working too hard,” I said.

  “I’ve done a couple of double shifts,” she admitted. “But the house is so quiet without you, plus I like my job.” She paused again and gave an audible sigh. “Ruby. Don’t forget that it’s a long way from Cheshire to London. I won’t be able to heal you if something happens, so please stay out of trouble.”

  “I know, Mrs Overprotective.”

  “I know you know, but a mother has to be clear about these things.”

  “You’re not completely alone in the house, though. How’s Kit?”

  “That little rascal keeps my feet warm at night. He’s clawed through the fabric of our sofa and he loves catching mice, but he is the best at cuddles.”

  Despite Kit clawing his way through our house, I was grateful that my mum had company. It had been a stroke of good fortune that I found him when I did. No one had claimed him either, so I figured he was part of our family by now.

  “Glad to hear it,” I said. “Listen, Mum, I got to go now but I’ll ring you in a few days.”

  “Going to see Brendan, are we?” Her chuckle made me hold the phone away from my ear.

  “As a matter of fact, he’s taking me out for dinner tonight.”

  “You’ll tell me all about it when we speak again?”

  “Cross my heart.”

  “Good. Have fun on your date, darling. I’ll let you go now.”

  We said our goodbyes and a smile spread out on my face as a text message popped up on the screen of my phone.

  Still on for tonight?

  My fingers ran across the screen, typing my response.

  All set, O’Callaghan O’Callaghan.

  Seconds later I got another reply.

  Your knight awaits with your chariot, milady.

  I gig
gled, falling back on my pillow with the phone clutched to my chest. As the euphoria subsided, I got to my feet and dug out my trainers from the heap of shoes and clothes stashed in my wardrobe. Maybe it was time to tidy everything up? I shoved the clothes as far into the wardrobe as I could and shut the door, deciding it could wait. Freshers’ Fair was over, and I was glad I didn’t have to spend another day with Diane and Rahul at the stands. Granted, Diane was nice and all, and I looked forward to working with her at the Whispering Willow, but something still bothered me about her. Rahul was a bit of a sleazeball, and though I kind of enjoyed his quips, it was far from enough to want to hang out with him for a whole day.

  I slipped into my running outfit, put my hair up, and placed my earbuds in my ears and my phone into the phone pocket on my running shorts.

  The air was crisp and the leaves were a mix of bright oranges and reds as I ran alongside the lake, Pink singing in my ears. It didn’t take long before my pulse increased and I basked in the feeling of my heart pumping faster. It wasn’t too early in the day but not a lot of people were up and about yet. They were probably all sleeping off a hangover from the supposed theme party at the Old Willow the night before—one the girls and I had easily skipped to binge-watch Tales of the City and stuff our faces with pizza and crisps.

  I didn’t have a lot of close friends back in Cheshire, if you didn’t count Mrs Wellington, having pretty much scared off anyone I had ever been friends with. Even though I never revealed my powers to them, at least not so much that there wouldn’t be any doubt, they could always tell I was different somehow. And that had scared them. The friendships I was building with Charlie and Jen, however, felt real. Charlie already knew about what I was, and she didn’t care. Perhaps Jen would be okay with it too?

  I skidded to a halt and pulled my earbuds out as an invisible force enveloped me, pulling my gaze to the other side of the lake. There it was again. Dark shimmers of what looked like silver tendrils and black smoke split the air, and a figure emerged. This time, the shape was undeniably a man, though his face was hidden in shadows. I had seen this before. Why couldn’t I remember it, though?

  I staggered back as a memory resurfaced in my mind. I couldn’t have been more than three, and I had wandered off to the pond behind our house. The sense of water filling my lungs and the icy shivers of cold that pulled me under came back to me as if I was reliving the moment when I almost drowned. A drift of darkness clouded the water above me, and someone pulled me back out. The tendrils of black and silver snaked out around my body, held me as the water escaped my lungs. My head rested in the shadows.

  That had been real?

  As I stared at the mirage by the riverbed, it became clear that the memory was in fact very real. Whatever that thing—he—was, he had once saved my life. And as I thought back, more memories flooded to the forefront of my mind. The shadow had visited me more than once, watching over me, guiding me. I had thought he was an imaginary friend and at some point I had pushed him out of my mind entirely. Yet here he was. But why? What—or who—was he?

  The shadows surrounding him slinked out over the surface of the lake, stretching long until they reached the other side where I stood. One single tendril rose up in front of me and I took a step back. The shadow-like form froze in the air, waiting for my move. Should I run? Why, though? I should be scared, yet whatever this was it had once saved my life. It wouldn’t hurt me, I was pretty sure of that. I moved closer and the tendril brushed my hair aside, then folded around my cheek.

  Loud voices pierced through my trance and the shadows recoiled, racing back from where they had come. The figure turned its back on me. The air before him rippled and he took a step forward as the shimmers of silver and black wrapped around him, then dissipated into the ripples before everything vanished as if it had never been there to begin with.

  “Ru,” Charlie called, jogging in my direction, with Jen casually striding next to her. “Done with your run yet?”

  “Uhm,” I croaked, gathering my senses. They hadn’t seen what I had? “Well, not really.”

  “Sure you are.” Jen wiggled her eyebrows. “We’re doing a photoshoot, and you, my friend, will be the star of that shoot.”

  “What?”

  “Just play along,” Charlie said, grinning. “It’s all good fun.”

  I wasn’t interested in having my sweaty morning face immortalised on Jen’s Insta account.

  “Can I change first please?”

  “Nope. That would ruin it. I need you looking exactly like this. Strong and confident, independent woman.”

  “With a morning face and sweat on my brow,” I grumbled.

  “That too.”

  Charlie bumped my shoulder. “If it makes you feel any better, she’s going to take pictures of me and Helen smooching later.”

  “Don’t you mean Emma?” I shot back.

  “Emma, Helen, John. What does it matter really?” She laughed and took my arm. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

  I blew out my cheeks and rolled my eyes at Jen. “Where do you want me?”

  She tapped a finger to her lips, her gaze shifting around the lake.

  “There.” She pointed. “Underneath the white willow.”

  Reluctantly, I followed them to the willow and allowed Jen to direct me into all kinds of poses. I only put my foot down when she asked that I splash water over myself.

  “This isn’t Sports Illustrated,” I remarked, which made Jen change her mind.

  “True. Not really my style. Good call, Red.”

  We spent nearly an hour taking pictures before returning to our flat. Only then did I tell them about my date with Brendan.

  “Cool bananas,” Charlie squealed. “I knew something was going on between you.”

  Jen crossed her arms, looking me up and down. “Well then, time to find the perfect outfit.”

  She went into my room and straight for my wardrobe. A pile of clothes tumbled out to land on top of her. Charlie and I burst out laughing, smothering the small inkling of shame I felt about my messy wardrobe.

  Jen gracefully shook the clothes away and began rummaging through my items.

  “No. No.” She held a green top in the air. “Definitely not.”

  “I don’t have a lot of fancy clothes,” I muttered. “But this is Brendan. Not sure I need anything but jeans and a band shirt.”

  Jen plopped onto my bed, crossing her legs. “Where did he say you were going.”

  “He didn’t.”

  “He must have said something?” Charlie prompted.

  “Well, he did text me.” I paused. It sounded silly to say it aloud. “It said Your chariot awaits, milady.”

  “Wicked,” Charlie exclaimed. “It has to be something special.”

  “It’s just a joke between us. It doesn’t mean I need to wear a princess gown.”

  Jen tilted her head at me. “No, but it isn’t the time for jeans either. I’ll get you something from my collection again.” She walked out of my room, and Charlie sat where Jen had been moments earlier.

  “You like him?” she asked.

  “I think I do.”

  “Then let Jen have her way. She’ll make you look irresistible. I promise.”

  I sat next to her.

  “It’s just that I haven’t been on a lot of dates. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a couple of boyfriends but—” I wasn’t quite sure how to say the things that were gnawing at me, though Charlie’s wide eyes were surprisingly reassuring, and she already knew more about me than anyone else besides my mum.

  “Every time I’ve got close to someone, my magic gets in the way. I’m not normal, and things tend to happen around me that makes it nearly impossible to form a connection before people storm off in the opposite direction.”

  “What things?”

  “I—my mum has this gift which allows her to see into people’s minds when she touches them. I have it too, though not as strong, and I can’t control when it happens. I only get bits and pieces. I�
��ve had some issues separating what people say out loud and what’s in their heads. Whenever I’ve got—” I blushed. “Intimate with someone, I tend to say things that should have been kept in the confines of their minds.”

  Charlie pushed herself further back on the bed.

  “I can see how that can get creepy.” She slapped herself on her head and took my hand. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that no one likes their thoughts to become public knowledge. Our thoughts are supposed to be the only thing in the world that we know for sure are our own.”

  A spark of something lit up in my mind as Charlie’s thoughts mingled with my own. A hint of sadness and a tinge of horror flowed through me as an image of Charlie manifested in my thoughts—or rather her thoughts. A man stood over her, broken glass strewn all over the floor. Her cheek burned with pain. The thought about hitting the man back, hurting him with one of the glass shards, flitted through the memory. Charlie was scared and angry all at once, but she was so small, maybe only nine or ten.

  I had seen too much, and I retracted my hand, the memory disappearing as soon as the connection was broken. My lips formed a thin line as I tried to think of what to say to her. I didn’t want her to know what I had seen. It might hurt her feelings to know that she had shared such a painful memory.

  Charlie raised her shoulders, a tear brimming in her eye.

  “It’s all right. I wanted you to see that. Wasn’t sure if you would, but I’m guessing by the look on your face that you did.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “You shared your dirty laundry with me. I figured it was only fair that I show you mine.”

  “Who was that man?”

  Her eyes fell. “My dad.”

  “Oh, Char. I’m so sorry.” I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a hug.

  “It’s fine. He doesn’t drink as much anymore,” Charlie murmured. Then, with a burst of tiny laughter into my neck, she said, “I used to say he collected empty bottles. Sounds way better than alcoholic, right?”

  Footsteps moved down the hall outside before Jen strolled back into my room. She glanced at us but ignored the obvious display of sisterly bonding.