Bright Is Her Sight_An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure

by Judith Berens

  Mara didn’t like tricking Izzie. It wasn’t her first choice, but it was one that would keep her safe, keep the dark magic off her trail, and keep her in a safe environment. She rubbed her hands on her face and looked up and down the hall, making sure that everyone else was in class. She headed toward her office, stopping for a moment to get two stragglers back to their appointed places. When she got to her door, she looked around before closing and locking it. She stood with her back against it, shaking her head.

  What was happening could easily turn into a huge deal. It could jeopardize Izzie, her parents, and the entire school. She scanned the bookshelf, her eyes falling on the old magic wooden box that she had stored Izzie and her parents’ memories in. She bit her lip and walked over to the shelf, pulling down the box and setting it firmly on the desk. She could feel the pulsing energy just from touching the box and was kind of afraid to open it. If things had gotten tainted—if there had been contamination—it could mean losing those memories forever.

  Mara closed her eyes and pulled energy into her chest, whispering the proper enchantment. She put her hands over the box, palms down, and swayed. Bright light from Mara’s hands illuminated the desk and the room around it. The energy slithered out, sliding around the box like a snake and disappearing into the tiny keyhole on the front. She listened to the clicking and grinding of the box until finally the lid popped open, revealing the three glowing orbs.

  She looked down at the orbs and took a seat in her chair, pulling it close to the desk. She squinted into the swirling white light, and as her eyes adjusted, she noticed black spots on the surfaces of the orbs. They sank down into the memory balls and popped back up onto the surface like koi in a pond. She tilted her head, never having seen anything like it before. The spell was supposed to be protected, and with the orbs stationary and secure in that box, it made no sense that someone had cursed them.

  She didn’t know how to fix the problem. The spells she knew might destroy the whole memory, not just the dark magic. She couldn’t remember a time in her long history of magic that anything like that had been discussed. She shut the box’s lid and waved her hands over it, re-establishing the protective spell. Mara carefully set the box back on the shelf and walked over to her window, staring out at the snow. She replayed the scene from that night in her head again and again, going over every step she could remember.

  She had done the thing perfectly. She hadn’t done anything differently than during the times it had been successful. Sure, she had been in a rush, but she had slowed down to cast the spell, especially for Izzie. She had wanted to make sure she got it right. There was a reason Izzie’s parents had come to her, and it wasn’t just because she was the headmistress of Izzie’s future school. Mara had experience with elves like Izzie since her granddaughter Leira was one of them.

  Jasper elves were few and far between on Earth or Oriceran. They were so strong that their magic had been known to completely overwhelm them, even engulf them. That was what had happened to so many of them. They were feared by the magical community—not because of darkness, but because they were pure light. They were some of the most powerful beings in existence, and when it came to pure magic, pure light could be just as dangerous as pure dark. The light and the dark attracted each other, and the light always tried to extinguish the dark, even if it meant taking the host’s life.

  There were people out there who wanted Izzie. Who craved the ability to control someone that powerful, someone young enough to be easily twisted and molded. Izzie was that magical being. Mara didn’t know what she had to do, but she knew that it had to happen soon. The Jasper Elf in the girl was searching for answers, and it wouldn’t stop until the truth had been revealed.

  9

  Miles Cooper stomped through the leaves and broken limbs of the trees, his dark skin changing with every step. Mr. Cooper was a tall, dark-skinned man with an elegant smile and a propensity to be a bit rough in his movements. He was used to living in the woods, either on Earth in sanctuaries, or the Dark Forest, where he had spent many years. At a glance you wouldn’t peg him as a teacher, but his keen eye and tireless patience made him perfect for the job.

  As his muscled arms pushed through a pile of brush, his skin color changed to perfectly match the surrounding area. From behind him, students got the impression he was disappearing and reappearing as if some spell had gone awry. It was mid-February, almost Valentine’s Day, and though the school was busy preparing for spring’s coming the temperatures were still hovering in the mid-forties, too warm for snow but too cold for t-shirts and light jackets.

  “I’m so glad I opted for a sweater and left my heavy coat back at the school,” Izzie told Alison. “He marches like we are on a mission through the jungle. I’m sweating, and it’s in the forties out here.”

  “I’m just glad it’s not frozen. A little exercise is probably good for us.”

  “Yeah, tell that to the boys back there acting like they are about to drop dead.” Izzie giggled.

  Alison smiled, taking deep breaths of the cold air and feeling the earth’s energy on the brink of exploding into a full-on spring in just a month or so. Even the birds sounded chirpier, and she swore she caught the energy of many small creatures, just as she had the fairies at Christmas. Mr. Cooper paused, looking around the clearing ahead before leading the class in there. He stood in the center as they filed in and circled around him.

  Izzie stood between Ethan and Alison, with Henry and Luke on the other side of Ethan and Aya, Emma, Kathleen, and Peter next to Alison. They all glanced at each other, excited to learn a new spell. At least, they hoped that was why they had all trekked into the woods in the middle of the day. Izzie didn’t mind at all—she liked being away from the school—but Kathleen was not enjoying the tromp through leaves, worried about her shoes.

  Mr. Cooper put his arms up to address the class, but stopped, grimacing at the sight of Kathleen throwing her hands around like a wild person at a stray bee. His hands clapped to his side and then jutted out, a stream of light flashing around her and sending the bee away. She opened her eyes and laughed nervously, nodding in thanks.

  “Now, if no one else is being attacked by a bee, shall we continue? Yes? Good.” He rubbed his hands together and put up his arms again as if he was getting into character. “On this glorious winter day, we will be learning one of the most useful—and one of my personal favorite—spells. Cloaking.”

  There was a low murmur across the crowd, but he ignored it and continued, “Cloaking is achieved by bending light around a person or an object. The point is to shield them from view. Now, most magical beings are capable of keeping someone or something cloaked for a short amount of time, but there are those out there who can keep their cloaking up for hours.”

  “I heard of a wizard that kept his up for three days, hiding from the Silver Griffins back in the day,” one of the students shouted.

  “Yes,” Mr. Cooper replied, rubbing his goatee. “That was Harvey Olney. Evil fellow—knew him before he turned dark, though I think his powers were a bit exaggerated. He killed all those people during a heist and ran off into the desert. I’d say being found half-dead with a warped cloaking spell doesn’t really count.”

  Everyone stared at Mr. Cooper. They were interested to know how he’d worked with the guy, but no one dared ask. He was one of the favorites among the students but had a terrible habit of going off-topic in rants. It was one of those things that just never changed. Heaven forbid anyone asked about politics! He would keep you all day, justifying some treaty from three hundred years before.

  He shook his head, remembering why he was there. “All right, so, yes—the cloaking spell. It is one of the most difficult spells you will learn in your first year. Be patient and practice, and by the end of the semester, I promise you will have it down pat. I am going to do the spell first, then I will call you up one at a time to attempt the spell on—”

  He whipped his hand around and magic flowed out, revealing a tall stat
ue of the Dark Forest Gardener, real flowers blooming from the marble statue’s hair.

  “The Oriceran Gardener, one of my favorites. Please try to keep him in one piece.”

  Mr. Cooper took a stance, facing the Gardener, his legs one in front of the other, his hands stretched out in front of him. “There are no special words for this. No enchantments. You just have to focus your energy and picture what you want. Those of you with wands will use those instead of your hands.”

  Mr. Cooper closed his eyes and the tiles on his arms and body began to flip and turn, his appearance changing rapidly. The students could almost feel the magic being pulled from the ground, and a wave of energy washed through the leaves around him. Spirals of light magic circled his arms like snakes, culminating in a bright white glow from his fingertips.

  “Remember to keep your intention. Feel the energy building. You will be using a considerable amount of it for this spell, so be patient and let it collect. Focus on your chest, and push that magic into your hands or wands.”

  The energy grew and grew, the air around him bulging with it. “When you have reached the point of expulsion, push the energy out.”

  A bright stream of light exploded from the tips of his fingers, sending a wind toward the students. They watched in amazement as that light circled wildly around the statue, not touching it just yet. Mr. Cooper moved both arms to the right side, and the energy moved with it.

  “Now you want to paint your magic around the statue like you are creating a work of art.”

  He swirled the magic around the statue like a blanket, flicking his wrists up and down, focusing on the bottom and top. A flap of energy moved over the statue, covering every inch of the stone.

  “Now you want to envision the object gone. Not just invisible, but gone. Trust me, you won’t transport it to another world, but the magic has to make you believe the object isn’t there.”

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly lowering his hands. The magic still whipped around the statue, but from the ground up, the entire thing slowly began to fade away. The students’ mouths fell open and Mr. Cooper smiled, putting his hands on his hips and nodding in delight.

  “Ethan, come over here and tell me if the statue is gone or still there.”

  Ethan raised an eyebrow and slowly walked over to where the statue had been. He reached out, his hands finding the solid figure. He could feel the warmth of the energy flowing around it, and looked back with a smirk and nod.

  “It’s still there.”

  “Yes!” the teacher shouted and everyone clapped loudly. “But this is a good lesson: you may be cloaked, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be found. You are cloaking to be invisible, and to remain that way you want to get out of the main thoroughfare. Not that you should be sneaking around like that, but you know, just in case.”

  Ethan went back to the line, impressed. “That would have been a good one to know all those nights on the street.”

  Izzie chuckled and whispered the play by play into Alison’s ear. Alison nodded, wondering if her mother had known that spell, and if not, if it would have kept her safer. She shook the thought from her mind, remembering what was done was done. Her mother had been a powerful Drow, but even that hadn’t saved her.

  “All right, we are going to go one at a time. We won’t have time for everyone, but this lesson will continue for some time. Ethan, since you were brave enough to come and test out my magical skills, why don’t you come up here and give it a go? You are part witch, part elf, correct?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded, stumbling forward as Henry pushed him toward the teacher.

  “Very good. Use whichever side of your magic you wish.” Mr. Cooper swiped his hand, clearing his spell from the statue and bringing it back into view. He stood back a few paces and watched carefully as Ethan got into position. The boy started chuckling as his friends made comments to distract him.

  He stared at the statue with one eye open and his tongue sticking out of his mouth, then used his elven magic to pull energy from the ground. It surged upward, symbols appearing across his arms and neck. Mr. Cooper squinted to read them, but he wasn’t quick enough, and a little rusty on his Oriceran.

  “Intention, Ethan. Take it slowly. No need to rush.”

  “I got this, Mr. Cooper. I can feel the surge in my chest.”

  “I wouldn’t...” Mr. Cooper reached toward him, but it was too late, Ethan had already released a huge surge of magic.

  He tried to control it, flinging his hands around wildly, but he wasn’t patient enough. The magic nicked the edge of a stone dreadlock and spiraled out, twisting around one of the other students’ arms. Ethan dropped his hands as the boy backed up into the center, shaking his arm to get the light to fall off.

  “It’s stuck on me like glue,” the boy yelled.

  He looked down at his arm, and his eyes grew larger when it started to disappear. Ethan stepped forward, but Mr. Cooper put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head. He stomped over to the boy and squinted at the invisible space, slowly poking his hand forward. It met the boy’s arm and Mr. Cooper sighed, thankful he wasn’t facing an amputation.

  “He’s fine, just invisible. Howard, take him to medical. They will fix that right away.”

  One of the boys nodded, then ran forward and led the kid away from the group. Ethan wrinkled his nose and looked at Mr. Cooper.

  “I suppose I need practice.”

  “That you do.” He chuckled. “Let this be a lesson. Magic requires patience, concentration, and no wild bursts of energy. You have to control it, and stay calm and focused. This could have been worse, but thankfully, Ethan knew when he was beaten.”

  Ethan walked back to his spot in the line and hung his head. Izzie gave him a smile and patted his shoulder to comfort him. Next to him, Henry laughed, not cutting him any slack.

  “Maybe you can disappear your legs for Halloween and be a floating corpse.”

  Ethan faked a laugh and elbowed Henry hard in the ribs. Luke leaned forward and barked loudly, making Ethan jump.

  “At least I can do it, not just watch,” Ethan grumbled.

  Izzie rolled her eyes, putting her hands behind her back and zapping Ethan’s ass with a slight shock. He jumped, grabbing his ass cheek, and narrowed his eyes at Izzie. He rubbed his butt and shook his head, whispering loudly.

  “Just because you like him...”

  Izzie flicked her wrist and zapped him again, and he shut up. Everyone held back laughter and tried to focus on the teacher. He was repairing the chipped dreadlock, keeping his fingers clear of the blooming and wilting flowers. They had a tendency to bite if you got too close.

  “Well, at least we all still have our heads.” Mr. Cooper smiled as he dusted his hands off. “Now, who should go next?”

  He scanned the crowd, but no one made eye contact. No one was sure they could do any better than Ethan. Mr. Cooper stopped at Izzie and grinned, waving at her.

  “Izzie, come on down.”

  Izzie’s shoulders dropped, and she sighed before heading to the center of the clearing. She looked at Mr. Cooper, who gave her an encouraging smile, and then back at her friends.

  “I want you to focus, Izzie,” Mr. Cooper whispered. “The magic is inside of you, and all throughout these woods. Become one with it, bend it, mold it to your will.”

  Izzie nodded and put one foot in front of the other, wringing her hands and letting out a deep breath. She closed her eyes and focused on the light inside her, feeling it begin to move through her immediately. The sounds and small movements on all sides began to fade into the background as if they were a hundred miles away. She pictured the statue, she pictured the light, and she opened her chest to let in the energy.

  Her fingers trembled and vibrated as the magic swirled through her, and she felt that she was doing exactly as she should. Mr. Cooper took a step back, narrowing his eyes. He watched the symbols flipping and swirling across her neck and arms, the light pulsating through her jacket. Th
e glow at the tips of her fingers was so bright that the students had to put their hands up to shield their eyes.

  Izzie could feel that sudden peace inside, a floating sensation that made her feet want to leave the ground. She focused on the statue in her mind and pushed the energy from her chest, down her arms, and out through her fingertips. Just as it released she began to swirl her arms wildly around her, creating a dance of energy and magic. The wind whipped through the clearing, and everyone watched in amazement at the show.

  Within seconds she had the entire statue wrapped and she dropped her hands to her side, using everything in her to release the magic still flowing through her. As it seeped back into the ground, she slowly opened her eyes and watched the last of the stone at the top of the statue’s head disappear. The students were silent as Izzie moved forward with her hand out, attempting to locate the statue. When her fingers grazed the figure, she smiled broadly and nodded excitedly to the other students.

  They all began to cheer. It had worked, and probably even better than the professor’s spell. Alison laughed, clapping happily, watching Izzie’s energy turn from yellow to blues and purples. She was proud of herself, though she wasn’t quite sure how she had done it. It almost felt as if it came naturally, like the magic had taken her over and done the work on its own.

  The bell rang across the fields and down into the woods, shaking Mr. Cooper from his trance. “All right, everyone, more tries tomorrow. And please, no practicing this in the dorms. Only in class.”

  Izzie walked back to the group, talking and laughing about Ethan’s near-miss. Mr. Cooper looked at the hidden statue and found Izzie in the crowd.

  “Izzie, may I have a word?”

  Izzie walked over, hoping she wasn’t in trouble. “Did I do something wrong, sir?”

  “No, no. Quite the opposite, actually. That was a magnificent display of magic, better than I’ve seen from a student of any level in a very long time. You are an elf, correct?”