The magical rose petals started to peel back and the glittering, pale blue power of Cernunnos's gift began to spill forth, hungry to be released. No, not yet. You have to stay closed inside the flower until you’re needed! I bit my lip and thought about how I was going to do this without letting it all escape and without giving away its presence. I gritted my teeth and willed the petals to close just a little. Reluctantly, the new power obeyed and the bright blue magic dimmed. I took a deep breath and winced at my pounding head. Ignoring the ache in my temples, I shifted my internal view just enough to catch a glimpse of my own magic. The flame greeted me like an old friend, and to make sure I had the right magic, I made it dance and flicker ever so slightly.
“Got it,” I hissed past the pain.
“Good, now let it grow. Fan the flame until it can’t get any bigger.”
Taking a deep breath, I carefully willed the flame to grow. Slowly, the fire next to my heart grew brighter, bigger. As my own magic flared, the blue rose of Cernunnos began unfurling again. This time it was harder to coax it into submission.
When it seemed like the rose wouldn't obey me any further, I quickly capped my own magic, not allowing it to grow any larger. The rose stopped blooming, and with sheer willpower alone, I forced it to close back up. Sweat beaded on my forehead and my jaw hurt from clenching my teeth so tight. The power in the rose tickled my senses, but I refused to let it go. I could feel more than tell the amount of magic that still wished to be released. Like the heavy weight of a massive lake pressing against an unstable dam. Well, I just had to figure out how to reinforce that dam.
“Okay,” I said, my mouth feeling parched, “I’m at my limit.”
Technically, I felt like I could release loads more of my magic, but I was afraid it I did, the rose would burst into full bloom and join it. I'd just have to make do with what I had control over at the moment.
“Good,” Enorah answered. “Now, all I want you to do for today is practice expanding and drawing in your magic so you get used to the sensation. Hopefully by the end of the week, if you practice every day, you’ll be able to do it without consciously thinking about it.”
I nodded, then drew my magic back down into a tiny flame and opened my eyes. A sharp pain cut across my vision as the rose tried to crack open once again, but the glamour obeyed me more quickly this time when I forced it down. A slight thrill of triumph shot through me. I was certain I could learn to balance both my sources of power with enough practice.
I made a mental note to wander off on my own whenever I could to practice that particular drill in full force. I wanted to be prepared when the Morrigan struck, but I had no idea what letting my magic flare to its full strength might do. Best to do it where no one could see.
For the rest of the morning, Enorah simply taught me some basic spells I could cast using my magic. As I practiced fluctuating my own glamour, she helped me memorize the words and actions that went along with these simple charms. For instance, by speaking the ancient word for 'sleep' and whispering it into someone's ear, or pointing my finger to my own while gathering a small bit of my magic, I could put someone or myself into a deep sleep.
When I arched my eyebrow at her, she merely shrugged. "It might come in handy some day. I've used it many times on myself when I didn't want the children disturbing me after a long night standing guard."
Once I felt like I had a good grasp on the expanding and contrasting exercises for my magic, she showed me how to gather up a small bead of glamour to use in the spells she'd taught me.
For another hour, I worked on drawing away small beads of my magic. It was simple, really, once Enorah explained the concept to me. First, I had to let my magic grow to a large flame, then I would simply pull away a tiny fragment of it, like gathering cotton candy on a paper cone, only instead of making a beehive of spun sugar, I was concentrating the glamour into a tiny pebble of magic. It took me a few tries to get it just right, but after several minutes I was whipping out beads of magic like I'd done it all my life. By the time we headed back for the village, I was glowing with confidence. Enorah couldn't stop telling me how well I'd done and that she was certain by the end of the month, I'd be a force to reckon with.
We made it back home just in time for lunch, and after I finished eating with the others, I sought out a quiet spot just beyond the edge of the village to think. I wanted time to let my thoughts wander, without any distractions.
Despite my determination, and so far, success, at hiding my new wealth of magic, I was still terrified that somehow I'd let it slip that an antlered being of power had placed a god's share of glamour into my hands. Yes, it was only my first day of practice and so far Cernunnos's gift had obeyed me when it tried to flare, but I had also only been able to expand my own magic to half its potential before I couldn't control that other source of power any longer.
Picking up a stick and pushing away a few of the leaves plastered to the ground, I opened up a small space on the damp earth and started drawing random images. After a few moments I paused, glancing around the open meadow I had settled in. I wondered if this would be far enough away to practice taming Cernunnos's magic. Regardless of my fear and trepidation, I was pretty certain that I could whip it into shape if I just worked with it; practiced that simple exercise Enorah had taught me over and over again until I could open my magic up entirely without affecting the pale blue rose that sat next to it.
You'll have your chance, I promised it.
As if the foreign well of power heard me, the rose pulsed once, a brilliant, electric blue, then settled back into being a young, dormant bud.
Breathing a mental sigh of relief, I continued doodling and another worry invaded my mind. I had no idea how I was going to keep this secret once Cade returned. Surely he'd notice I was hiding something and despite what he'd told me about the practice of shil-sciar, I couldn't risk the truth slipping out that way.
"Something troubling you?"
I yelped at the sound of Enorah's voice, snapping the stick I'd been using to draw. She smiled and dropped down from behind the giant beech tree I'd been using as a backrest.
"So, spill. You can talk to me, I'm the only friend you've got right now in this strange and wonderful world of ours."
Enorah arched her eyebrows in anticipation and I allowed myself a little smile. I couldn't tell her what was really bothering me, so I went with what she probably already assumed.
"I'm worried about Cade, well, and all of us. I can't hide here forever and it's only a matter of time before the Morrigan figures out how to get beyond the magic that protects the Weald."
Enorah crossed her arms and leaned back against the tree. She nodded and sighed.
"True, but Cade is very capable. He's been dealing with her his whole life you know. If anyone can evade the Morrigan it's my brother."
"I know, but I still worry."
We remained silent for a while, listening to the fires from the village crackle, the scent of their smoke spicing the pleasant summer air. Animals, some familiar to me, some not, scurried in the branches above and the underbrush below, evading predators or searching out food. The brilliant colors of the forest seemed more vibrant here than they ever were at home, and I wondered if it was a result of the living magic that thrived all around us. I so wanted to forget about all my worries and drink it all in, but then a new thought occurred to me. Enorah had taught me a few handy spells this morning, could there be a charm that might help me hide the secret of my new magic?
Clearing my throat, I glanced over at Cade's sister. With her arms still crossed, she had her face tilted towards the sky. I imagined she was doing what I wished to do: taking in the beauty of the forest in all its glory.
"Enorah," I said tentatively.
She made a sound of acknowledgement.
I took a deep breath. Okay, here goes . . .
"Is it possible to use my glamour to, um, hide information I don't want anyone else to know?"
She lowered her head and
trained her sharp eyes on me. I pursed my lips and reached for a new stick, hoping to seem only slightly interested in an answer.
"Why do you ask?" she said after some time.
I shrugged. "Just in case. There are some things I want to keep to myself for now and I'm afraid I'll accidentally let them slip before I'm ready to share them."
"No one can force you to share your secrets Meghan. Well, perhaps the Morrigan could if she got a hold of you and used her dark magic."
Ignoring her use of the word secret and instead latching onto the Morrigan's name, I nodded vigorously. I had only really been thinking about keeping the knowledge of my new magic from Cade, but if his mother found out . . . ? I shuddered. That would be beyond disastrous.
"Yes, that's exactly it. I'm safe for now, but as soon as I leave the Weald there's a good chance the Morrigan could corner me. I'd like to be prepared."
"There's a way," Enorah said slowly, quietly. "It isn't known to many, and I learned it a long time ago, when I lived a different life."
I arched a brow, but she held up a hand.
"Please, don't ask." She smiled a sad smile. "In fact, it's this very trick I'm going to teach you that keeps those memories away from prying minds."
My curiosity ached to know what her dark secret was, but I could tell from the sudden change in her demeanor that her past was a book best left unopened. Besides, Enorah was my friend and a good friend didn't pry.
"Oh," I said instead, "I'd never press you Enorah if you didn't want to tell me-"
Again, she held up a hand and shook her head, cutting me off. "I know Meghan, don't fret. Now," she inhaled and pushed away from the moss-encrusted tree trunk, "the convenient thing about this spell is that you only have to use it once for every secret you want to keep, and then it takes care of everything else for you."
I gave her an incredulous look.
Enorah merely smirked and said, "Imagine a spider, with a hundred legs instead of eight."
I wrinkled my nose at her. I had nothing against spiders, but they weren't my favorite things in the world. And to imagine one with a hundred legs? Eww. But if that's what I had to do, then so be it.
"Now, this spider lives in your subconscious, sort of like your magic, and it spins a web in the corner of your mind. Once it's established, you give it the knowledge you want to keep hidden from all prying minds and it will wrap it up like an insect and place it in the center of the web. Any words or other thoughts that come to you about the secret you keep will be snatched up by the spider's legs and added to the web. Only you can look at them, no one else can, no matter how powerful they are."
Wow. I simply gaped at Enorah. That was a convenient trick.
"Where on earth did you learn how to do that?" I breathed.
She shook her head. "Can't tell you that, and you mustn't let anyone know I taught you. Very few Faelorehn know how to cast this particular spell and it's not something I should be teaching others."
"Oh Enorah, I'm sorry," I reached out to her, feeling guilty that I'd put her in such a position. But I wasn't sorry I'd be learning this rare bit of magic. I needed it.
Enorah grabbed my hand, her eyes shining. "You are my friend, Meghan. And you are dear to my brother. Of course I don't regret teaching you. Now," she cleared her throat and smiled, "are you sure you're up to this? You did spend half the day practicing with your magic. Do you want to wait a day or two?"
"No," I said automatically.
At her slight look of surprise I smiled sheepishly. "I feel perfectly fine, honest."
"Okay then. Here's how you create your very own spider . . ."
I stood up straighter, all my attention on my tutor.
"First, you have to separate out a small granule of your magic, about the size of a marble, just like we practiced today. With me so far?"
I nodded and closed my eyes. Since it was so fresh in my mind, creating the marble-sized sphere of glowing blue was a cinch. And even better, Cernunnos's rose remained tightly furled.
"Next, repeat these words after me: Caerah nost, foreth setten aevoreh feain."
I opened my eyes, almost losing control over my tiny ball of magic. "Huh?" I said. "What does that mean?"
"It basically means: Hold fast the secret I wish to keep. Simple enough words, but since they are spoken in the language of the ancients, they hold more power than others."
"Is that the same language I hear you and Cade and the Dagda speak sometimes?"
Enorah shook her head, her eyes somber. "No, that's a different language."
I opened my mouth to ask more, but Enorah interrupted me.
"Do you need me to repeat them?"
"Please," I answered.
She said the phrase several more times and when I was sure I had it, I closed my eyes again and found that little sphere of magic waiting for my instructions.
"Caerah nost, foreth setten aevoreh feain."
My accent wasn't as smooth as Enorah's, and I'm pretty sure I mispronounced a few of the words, but the blue sphere of my magic burst forth like a supernova. I squeaked and fell to the ground, my rear end making contact with a damp pile of leaves. I blinked away the shock and when I focused inwardly, I saw a tiny blue spider, busy making a web in the corner of my mind. She was pale turquoise, just like my magic, but had a lovely red and black pattern on her back. She was actually kind of cute.
"It worked!" I breathed.
"Good," Enorah said, standing somewhere above me. "Now, take whatever information you want to remain hidden, and hand it over to the spider. Just picture it and say it in your mind. When the spider grabs it and takes it to the web, you're all done."
I nodded, closing my eyes again and forgetting about the soggy earth soaking into my pants. I found the spider again, busy with her web, and told her about the secret magic Cernunnos had given to me and how I needed her to hide it and any other thoughts I had about it. The spider reached out with her multiple legs, long, delicate strands of pure, raw magic, and grabbed up all the thoughts about my extra source of power. She gathered them together, like those little word magnets used to write poetry on a refrigerator, and spun her beautiful silk around them, securing them in her web. I smiled again and sighed.
"All finished?" Enorah asked as she gave me a hand up.
"Yes," I said with relief.
"One more thing to know. You can destroy the spell any time you wish. Just simply find the spider and its web in your mind and speak the word duantis. It means 'done'. Also, if you let your glamour run down, like if you visit the mortal world and stay there for a long time, your spell with die off on its own."
I nodded, committing the word to memory with the others I'd learned.
Feeling a hundred times better now that I'd found a way to keep my secret safe, I headed back to the village with Enorah. We planned on going out tomorrow once again to practice with my glamour, but I had the whole afternoon free.
"So, is there anything else you'd like to know about our daily life here?"
Enorah's bright tone of voice was a pleasant change from her earlier, somber mood, so I took advantage of the situation and said, "Actually, I'd like to know how you clean your laundry."
Laughing, Enorah swung an arm around my shoulder and led me towards the creek.
"Unfortunately, we have to do it the old fashioned way. However," she added, a glint in her eye, "I can show you another trick with your glamour that might help get the job done faster."
-Eleven-
Arrival
I kept a tally of the days Cade was gone. Yes, it was silly and pathetic and practically drove me crazy, but I couldn’t help it. Besides, it helped me keep track of my progress with my magic as well. Every morning, Enorah and I would hike to that hilltop meadow, far enough away from the village that if my magic got a little out of control, it wouldn't damage anyone or anything. We would spend hours there, going over what I'd learned the day before and then Enorah would teach me something new. I always warmed up with the same expand
and contrast drill from that first day, and as the days progressed, I became better and better at pushing my magic further without Cernunnos's glamour butting in. A few times it tried to join my own glamour, but I always managed to force it into submission. And anytime I thought about it, that little magical spider living in the corner of my mind would work furiously to keep it secret.
On the tenth day of my stay in the Weald, Enorah taught me how to create a shield of magic. By releasing small amounts of glamour, and sending it out in wide, flexible sheets instead of rolling it up into pebbles, I was able to construct a force field over myself.
“Think of it as one of those fountains that looks like a sphere of water,” Enorah said.
I wrinkled my nose and pictured water flowing in a continuous stream, a thin film of liquid pouring around a central geyser. Like everything new I tried with my magic, creating the shield was tricky at first, but gradually I became better at it. By the end of our lesson I had the hang of it, and when Enorah threw a stick at me, it bounced off of my invisible shield and clattered into the shrubs growing under the great beech trees surrounding us.
“Good!” she barked. “Now for invisibility . . .”
Invisibility was easily my favorite. Enorah coached me through the process of coating myself in magic. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths through my nose.
“It’s just like the fountain, but this time the water pressure isn’t nearly as great. You want it to feel like a steady stream of water flowing over every contour of a stone statue.”
At first, my magic burst forth and I merely created another shield. My heart skipped a beat when this happened, because the rose tried to burst open once again.
No you don’t, I growled inwardly, you stay just as you are until I need you.
An image of Cade, standing against the Cumorrig with the beast’s long claws stabbing into his abdomen came to mind. The sharp lick of pain that sliced my heart managed to force the wild magic back where it belonged and only the hairline cracks along the petals’ edges showed pale blue. I hated drawing on those memories, but sometimes they were necessary to get Cernunnos's magic to obey. Every time it fought to be released, I got the impression that it was used to being free and didn't like its confinement.
Luathara - Book Three of the Otherworld Trilogy Page 14