by Bob Dattolo
A spurt of confused fear made it out of her before Alicia broke into laughter. Thankfully. Jenny’s tension eased as she laughed too. “Right. Make fun of the blind girl!”
“I’m not gonna make fun of the dragon. She can see, which means she can chase me down. Now, c’mon, chill. Like you said, I know what you’re going through. Nine years of those things. So chill. I either can or can’t heal your eyes. If I can’t, I’m sorry about that. If I can? Then…good. We need more than just me being out of those things. You ready to try this?”
“I am? Do I need to do anything?”
“I don’t think so? Just sit tight for a bit. I’m going to try to build this a little slower so that I’m not straining things. I don’t know how long that’ll take. Maybe five minutes. Maybe an hour. Although I don’t think so.”
Alicia touched my arm, “Do you really think you can do this?”
“I honestly can’t even guess. Like at all. I can do it to myself, yet that doesn’t mean much. I’m hopeful that I can. After all, I got the mortmagi out, so maybe this’ll carry over too?”
“Do you need me to do anything?”
“Not that I know of? Don’t leave, though, I want to ask you some things when we’re done.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I missed history being done the last time you were here. I want to see this if it works.”
“Yeah, you and me both.” I took a deep breath, “Okay, sit tight, Jenny. I’m starting in a moment.”
“Umm, okay?”
God, she smells so nervous. I hope this works. I really do.
Instead of waiting more, I pulled my power and let it flow. I know I can make things more powerful by hiding the light in my hair, yet I don’t want Alicia to pick up that little tidbit, so a bit of power gets siphoned specifically so that my hair lights up. It’s a different approach than usual, which is to allow the active magic to light it. In this case, I’m treating it like it’s a second spell being done at the same time, just with no actual spell. The real spell is in the background and being hidden. I thought I’d try this approach. I have a feeling it’ll get better results than actually letting my hair light up from things.
My focus dove in deep as I concentrated on her. I want her to be able to see. I want her eyes healed. Fully healed. She has eyes, but I want the optic nerve and all of that to be fixed. Restored. I know healing is a stone-cold bitch that doesn’t work for more than just the basics, but I’ve managed some crazy things. Please let this carry over.
Focus, Maddie. Focus. Healing. Eyes restored. Larger boobs.
Skip that. Just eyes restored. Don’t even think that as a joke. I’m sure she’d take massive triple D’s if it came with her eyesight coming back, yet that’s not where I want this headed.
Healed.
That’s also the intention.
I want her eyes to heal now, just without straining anything. And I want the spell to stop when she’s done healing.
Let’s build up the power. Slowly adding more and more to the building blocks that I’m envisioning. I have a feeling my issue last time was trying to cram power in without building it slowly. I also get the impression that spell needed more power to do it. The issue there was the pain from the pressure in her. I was trying to alleviate that by doing it quicker. I’m just thinking they need to suck it up. As hard as that is to say.
For this? Healing. Healing now. Continue until done. And more power.
I lost track of time as I focused and then managed to focus more. Itches came and went. Noises came and went. Jenny moved but didn’t ask me any questions. Alicia started to ask things, then stopped at the last moment.
Finally, I felt like the spell was ready. It feels good. Powerful. Well developed. Let’s see if it works.
It triggered, and a gasp came from Jenny immediately. My wells of power don’t feel strained, which is awesome. I definitely feel like I was doing some serious work, just not like I’m ready to drop and start vomiting blood. Which is a huge plus. Any day that doesn’t happen is a good one, right?
Jenny continued to gasp on the couch, hands pressed into her eyes. I can feel the magic working on her, I just can’t tell if it’s actually doing anything. For long minutes, she’d make pained sounds as she rocked on the couch, hands pressed into her eyes. Long enough that I began to think that something was wrong, or it wasn’t working.
Then the spell stopped.
Oookay? What does that mea…
She stopped rocking.
Confusion and excitement came from her in waves as she pulled her hands away and blinked again and again. I was so close to talking when she looked up and saw me. “It…it worked!”
Okay, that’s a lot of screaming. Someone should shut her up.
Oh, wait, it’s me.
Never mind then. Carry on.
I did. So did she. And Alicia. And the others in the house. I’m not shocked to have everyone come running with the noise. It started a general party atmosphere as she told everyone again and again what she was seeing.
To me, she looks normal. Absolutely normal. Well, other than the scars. Hers aren’t quite as bad as mine are, but they’re definitely there. No idea if I can heal that. I’m thinking not, though.
Alicia managed to get them to let me go about an hour later and we moved to the swing on the front porch. We were pretty honest with them that we can’t guarantee that I can do another person. Once we explained the strain on my magic, they understood. Somewhat.
We settled onto the swing and she patted my leg before sitting back, “That was freaking amazing!”
“Thanks!”
“You have no idea…I’ve seen so many people like them and what the world does to them. I’ve wanted to be able to help them for so long! To have someone be able to do that to even one of them? It’s…wow.”
“I’m glad I could help. Now we have to figure out what the cops are going to do about this.”
She frowned, “Yeah, we were talking about that. No idea what it means. She’s still a stricken, at least by name, except now she can change it legally. She didn’t go to the academy and has all of her magic, so I’m not really sure what that means.” Jenny was able to test it and confirmed that she has everything back.
“I guess we’ll find out at some point.”
“Too true. Now, what did you want to talk about?”
Subtle topic change. Instead of answering, I kicked us into motion on the swing and we moved back and forth a bunch before I spoke again. “Can you tell me how to make a charm? The strain on my magic was brutal. I lucked into no fights from it, yet I can’t guarantee that’ll happen if I do it again. I’m shocked I didn’t end up fighting, so I’d bet everything that if I show up smelling hurt again? I’d be done.”
“I agree.” She thought for a minute, “What do you want to do with the charm?”
“I was thinking about a charm that can possibly help alleviate the pain they go through when the spell hits? The buildup of pressure is freaking agony. If I can ease up on that, I can stretch out the power buildup. If I can get a charm that can help with the power buildup, then that would be even better.”
She nodded slowly and helped us keep swinging, “Okay. That’s an interesting approach. The pain part? I’m pretty sure that’s possible. I’ve heard of people doing that, just never seen a spell for it. Do you have one like that?”
“I think I have one in one of my grimoires. I just don’t have much on charm building.” Not quite a lie, although some of it is.
“Okay. For the other part? The power buildup? I’m not sure what’s possible that way. I’ve heard of charms to help with things, but I’m not sure I’ve heard about them being able to add power to things? Like a battery?”
“No idea? I’m just trying to think of a way that I don’t have to provide all of the power myself.”
Silence from her for a bit. “I don’t know if that’s even possible, but let’s skip it. I’m not fantastic at making charms, but I can walk you through the bas
ics.” She patted my leg again, “Class is in session.”
That started her walking through what she knows about building them. I’ve read our schoolbooks about them, they just felt way light on details. She gave me a ton more that I haven’t seen, and it made a hell of a lot more sense coming from her than reading it in the books. So much freaking more.
I don’t know that I can do what I want to do, but I think I might be able to make a charm. Something new to test. We talked for most of two hours before I had to head back for lunch. She let everyone know that I’d be working on some things to hopefully make helping more of them possible. She had primed the pump with me not being able to risk the strain, so it didn’t cause anyone to go find the nearest razor and end it. Thankfully.
Yes, that was a real concern for the two of us.
No, I’m not joking.
When I arrived, the caf was decently busy for the weekend. First year, lunch was usually almost all of us at one time or another. It was really rare for any of us to head into town. Now that we’re second year, way more of us are heading in. It’s very funny to me to see the difference in the kids. I noticed it last year when the third-year kids came to our area for the challenges. We were like troops in boot camp being visited by the grizzled vets. We’re not quite that bad, but we’re heading there. We look more mature, which is just freaky to me. We’re only one year older than they are, yet the pressure of going through a full year already has altered us to the point that it stands out. It still throws me that this garbage is authorized by the powers that be, so to speak. Makes me wonder what’s going to happen if I can get a charm to help me with the spell and I can then go around and heal those that have mortmagi. Why am I thinking they’re going to pass a law or something that accounts for it? Maybe forces them to have their power drained? Something like that.
Given what I’m seeing, if their options were to have them removed and have their power drained? They’d line up in droves. That’s part of the pain, but the rest is real pain and agony, and that’s a whole different thing.
No one came to sit with me when I put everything down. Angelica is at a table by herself and I gave her a hidden greeting that she returned. Parece and Samantha are at another table, food all gone, and I did the same to them. My new allies aren’t there that I’m seeing. That means that I’m gonna sit here alone and people watch.
After all, why not? If no one wants to talk, then I’m fine watching. Maybe I can make it awkward for people to add some fun into things.
I made it a few bites into things before Kaylee arrived. I smelled the injury first and didn’t know who it was. When I caught her, it was apparent that someone beat the hell out of her again. Not quite as badly as before, yet it’s still pretty bad. She wasn’t with anyone, which isn’t a surprise. Out of everyone that I see here in school, she’s probably just as alone as I am. Although there aren’t any rumors about her, so there’s that.
I’m tempted to call her over, then let it go as she gets some food, using her free arm to cradle her stomach. I’m thinking someone punched her for a while and her muscles are hurt. She’s kinda hunched a little, so it had to be something like that.
Why in the world do people keep going after her? She doesn’t do anything. Unless that’s it? I haven’t seen anyone else getting their asses kicked so far this year. Just her. Makes me wonder if her stuff is being shredded like it had been last year. Like someone tried to do to me this year. Twice.
I can’t even ask. She’s made it pretty clear that she doesn’t want anything to do with me. Probably because she keeps getting caught up in my shit. I can’t help but think that I’m the cause. That people are still going after her because she was a trigger for me last year. I’m thinking no one got the memo that she wants nothing to do with me.
Don’t I love feeling special and loved? Wow, my overwhelming number of friends is just backbreaking to drag around with me. Why, I can spend time with a different friend every day of the month.
As long as they’re invisible.
Forget it. For the next ten minutes, maybe. Going back to one of the things I wanted to check for, no one seems to be injured from my spell in this group. I need to go tour the floors and see if I smell anyone that my spell may have hit. I wonder if I can change it somehow so that it makes them glow in a way that only I can see. That’d be hilarious and awesome at the same time. I don’t know if that’s possible. Maybe I should play with that as a possibility when I have time? I should, even if I never use it. Maybe I can get it to work.
I need to think through our conversation about charms and how they work. How you create them. It seems deceptively simple in its complexity, which makes me think it doesn’t work all that easily. She basically said the same thing, I just keep hoping that since I’m weird? Yeah, that it works easier. Better. I’d looove to get a charm out of this that helps me with them. Maybe I can make others to help with other things.
Except I don’t think I’ve seen any students with a charm. Well, other than Levi. Not that I know how to tell if something is a charm. This table could be one, I don’t know that you can tell that unless it’s being used. Even then? I don’t know that I’ve heard of people being able to do that. I seem to be the only person that can feel when magic is being used, which more than likely means that a charm can’t be picked up by others.
A wafting scent of anger reached me and let me know I haven’t been paying enough attention around me. Eva and Tiffany are at the next table. I can tell that they’ve been with other people, I just can’t tell who they are. They both looked pissed.
My initial response was to say something sarcastic. Maybe a greeting. Maybe something about the weather. Instead, I blink at them slowly before going back to my food.
“Fucking useless stricken.” Eva’s the first to say something, which she’s normally not the one to take that first step.
“I shoulda gone after you. We all smelled it; you were fucking prey.” Obviously, Tiffany this time.
“Was I? Or are the rumors right that I know how to hide my scent?”
Across the way, movement catches me as Kaylee appears to realize that I’m sitting here. How she missed that is beyond me, yet it’s most definitely me she’s staring at. In horror. What the fuck is happening with her that she’s reacting like that to me? What are people saying to her?
And why the hell is she leaving her food behind and barely rushing out of here?
I swear, every day adds more questions to my ever-growing list.
“Don’t you fucking ignore me!” The growl back at the other table gets me to look back.
“Oh, sorry, you’re still talking to me? I thought you were done threatening me.” I got a few smiles, yet no laughter from nearby tables. Maybe because Tiffany’s skin is roiling already? What the fuck? She’s wound tight if that’s the case.
“You think you’re so fucking powerful that you can take on everyone, is that it?” She stood up, pitching her voice loud, “I’ve heard about your plans. We’ve all heard. How you’re gonna clear out the others and drain them. You’re just an evil fuck with no regard for anyone other than yourself. You can’t come in here and threaten everyone! We won’t stand for it! I won’t stand for it!”
That had me standing, finishing one of my hotdogs, “Hey, everyone?” My voice was pitched loud too, “Show of hands, please? Who here have I spoken to directly where it wasn’t you saying something to me first?”
Three hands went up that weren’t from the few people I expected. “Okay, good. For those of you that I’ve talked to directly? Outside of Samantha and Parece, who were dead set against me last year and then Eva and Tiffany here, who have I threatened? Not who has heard a rumor about me wanting to kill everyone. Who here has talked to me where I’ve made any threats against you?”
No hands went up.
I cocked my head at Eva and gestured to the room, “This is your threaten everyone. Have I threatened Levi? I have. Pretty aggressively, too. Mainly because he’s been threa
tening to kill me since my first day last year. No one can believe me because of the rumors going everywhere, so I can’t answer any of them and be trusted. Those rumors have me every which direction. If I try to connect with people, it’s because I’m planning on killing them. If I try to pull away, it’s because I’m planning on killing them. In the trial, it was the same way. I honestly think we could have graduated most of us if we fucking joined together, but no, those rumors said I wanted to collect people and drain them. Yet I risked myself to get half of our class through the last challenge when everyone else was kinda set on kill everyone and wait to be drained of power so we don’t die. Now, this year? I’m getting allies to kill people. Staying away to kill people. Doing everything to kill people. I supposedly have a way to hide my scent. And trick spells that tell if I’m lying. Even though I’ve heard that neither of those are possible. Are they? I don’t have a damn clue. Maybe they are. I can’t even say that I don’t know how to do them, because people won’t believe me because of the rumors. So, the two of you? To answer your question? No, I don’t think I’m powerful enough to take on everyone. I know that I don’t give a shit enough that if I die from something like that, I’m okay with it, but that’s not the same thing.”
“We won’t stand here and do nothing while you come for us!” More roiling. Her hair lit up with power as she started working something or other. Next to her, Eva’s hair lit up as well.
“I can’t win. Like at all. No matter what I do, people will think the worst of me.” I looked across everyone, “What the fuck do I do? Attacking them when they’re plainly planning on attacking me will play into the rumors you’ve all heard. Not attacking will also play into the rumors you’ve heard. Defending myself and not attacking? You can damn well bet you that it plays into the rumors you’ve heard. Even turning and walking away? Yeah, I heard that one too. According to what’s spreading around here, I’m some sort of evil criminal mastermind that has a plan to kill and drain everyone no matter what happens. On top of that, there are the evil rumors. How I’m in league with the devil and all of that. I don’t even know what to say to those.”