A Time for Magic

by Jessa Ford

  Dear Cora,

  I’m sorry I haven’t responded to your letters. A lot of things have happened lately. Truthfully, I have something I’d like to tell you, but I don’t think a letter is the best way. Would you meet me in a week’s time for tea? There’s a small shop, The Cozy Corner, midway between our schools near the School of Knowledge. It’s a short trolley ride for us both. 2:00. Say yes?

  Willem

  Cora was thwarted the letter was so short. She’d waited in earnest all this time for a measly few lines. At the same time, she got butterflies in her stomach each time she read the letter over. Willem wanted to tell her something in person. Before he never had trouble sharing his feelings about things, in a letter or otherwise, so could this be something bigger? Looking at the date on the letter Cora gasped. It was dated six days past. He wanted to meet her the next day. Cora raced across the hall and knocked on Soph’s door.

  When she walked inside she gasped. On Soph’s table nearly 10 roses lay in various degrees of decomposition. It was Telgrian tradition that a young man gives a flower to a girl he fancied. If she fancied him back and wanted to court him, she would pin it in her hair when she was seen with him. Soph blushed, her tan features turning slightly dark when she saw Cora gaping at them. “I haven’t pinned any of them,” she explained, “but it’s kind of fun to see if someone likes you enough to give you one.” She winked at Cora. “I’ve never got one,” Cora said, looking down at the letter in the hands. She thought back to the Valley Blossom Willem put behind her ear. It wasn’t the same thing, but she imagined it felt just as special. “It’s kind of an outdated tradition anyway.” Soph brushed it off and started picking through the flowers, tossing the oldest ones in the trash. “What brings you over here so bright and early, anyway?”

  Cora held out the letter for Soph to read. The latter almost squealed with delight upon seeing the invitation. “This is it, Cora!” She threw her arms around her friend in celebration. “Maybe he’s going to give you a rose. No, better, he’s going to ask you to court him!” “Do you think so?” “What else could it be?” Soph disappeared into her bedroom and came out minutes later with a heap of clothes. “We have a lot of work to do before tomorrow. You’re skipping the library today,” she eyed Cora’s plain outfit.

  Cora wore a dark pants and a plain shirt with black boots. Her hair was haphazardly pulled back in a bun, with any number of pieces threatening to escape at any moment. She had smudges of ink on her hands from hours of note taking the night before. “Willem has known me all my life. He knows what I look like.” “Yes, but this is different. It’s a special occasion. Let’s make it memorable.” Soph pulled out dress after dress. She held each up to Cora, tilting her head and pursing her lips as she considered each option. Cora sat silently on Soph’s bed as her friend measured and mumbled to herself. A rogue smile appeared on her lips as she considered what the follow day may hold.

  That night instead of worrying about meeting Willem the next day, Cora lost herself in her reading. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for exactly, but she knew it may help her to have knowledge of all the magical gifts. Perhaps it was the one area she’d really missed during her first Reading. Her mind drifted back to the conversation she had in her History of Gifts class and she poured through her piles of books for a specific title.

  Cora had never taken much stock in the stories about Nikol Delmarno. After all, it happened two years before she was born. Though no one knew for certain what happened to him, it was clear by now he was not returning. Eldri Arafo disappeared not long after and hadn’t been seen since. Details were hazy surrounding how she defeated him, filled in with tales of heroism and lore over the years. Cora didn’t doubt the woman’s ability, but she couldn’t help but wonder how one person could become so powerful. More, how Nikol was even able to tamper with magical gifts to begin with.

  According to the stories and first-hand accounts, he or his followers were able to steal an individual’s magic. It sounded like fiction. Cora was intrigued and wanted to find more information to read between the lines and figure out what was really missing. If she was being honest, she was mainly curious to see if it could possibly have anything to do with the conversation she overhead outside Dari’s office. It had been the only other mention of magical gifts Cora could recall. Eventually, Cora gave up her search and turned out her lights. She’d find what she needed in the morning.

  ✽✽✽

  Xave Zellows stretched as he turned on the lights in the library. He rarely opened the library, but Dari was adamant about needing to attend a meeting, so he took her place in the morning. The library was always comforting for him. Though he was used to hiding in the shadows, he found he was even more unnoticed in the library and he could relax a little; not that he was very good at relaxing. After unlocking the doors, Xave set out to turn on the lights (or lamps in many cases) on the second and third floors. In his years at Starbury, he had learned not many students visited the library on weekends, save for the regulars; but he opened each floor anyway. As expected, when he returned to the first floor he saw the student he had guessed would show up.

  The first-year student he collided with in the magical section walked through the front doors in a rush. She was almost always alone, aside from another tall girl, and always seemed busier than most of the other students. As instructed, he left a note of her arrival in Dari’s log under the counter. Xave flipped through the log and skimmed the notes Dari wrote about the girl. She had read a considerable number of books and Dari subtly tested her here and there. It did stand out that she had an intriguing amount of subconscious awareness of the space around her. Dari was always knocking over this and that in hopes Cora would pick them up, and she never missed a beat. Still, Xave told himself, it didn’t mean anything, not really.

  In the time since Xave arrived at Starbury, Dari had taken notice in a small number of students who showed the possibility of possessing magic. Each one proved her wrong in the end. They were all on edge lately, so perhaps Dari's judgment was clouded. Xave considered whether Dari was grasping at straws with the new student, but he couldn’t deny she was different. The problem they faced was the opportunity to truly test her.

  Many people who had magic showed signs of it during childhood. Magic manifested in many ways: Light Wielders often found they could create heat or spark, Wind Wielders had an effect on weather, and Thought Seekers began to learn much too much information if they touched someone. Time Benders were tricky, as their magic was rarer and often displayed numerous signs. Regardless, magic was amplified once someone was open to the idea of using it. It was unusual, if not impossible, that someone would reach Cora’s age without a hint of magic being detected.

  ✽✽✽

  Cora hid in the back of the second floor of the library. Few students joined her over the course of the morning. Only the librarian’s assistant glanced her way when he walked the second floor, and Cora took the opportunity to scowl at him. He still rubbed her the wrong way. To be fair, her outburst when they first met had been slightly unnecessary. Still, something about him got under her skin. He’d looked at her as if he wanted to laugh at her. Then again, the way Dari spoke of him made it seem like he was invaluable to her. Cora always wondered how that could be, since a library didn’t really require such dedicated workers. From what she could tell, Xave either worked part time or spent the majority of his work outside of the library. Either way, Cora actively ignored his presence when he was in the library.

  After hours passed, Cora was deep into her notes when Soph’s voice echoed over the silence of her corner in the library. “Cora Vaunderly, are you mad?” Her friend bounded over and grabbed Cora’s arm to pull her to stand. Cora tried to gather all the books that tumbled out of her lap. “What are you doing, Soph?” “It’s noon, Cora. I wasn’t kidding when I said we have a lot of work to do before your social engagement this afternoon,” Soph emphasized the last part of her statement and pointed in the direction of the exit.
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  Truth be told, Cora was so wrapped up in her investigating she barely noticed how much time had passed. She quickly gathered her materials in her bag and followed her friend toward the exit. When she neared the first floor she almost ran into a tall figure grabbing books from a nearby shelf. Xave. “Err, sorry, my bad,” she mumbled as she carefully stepped around him and cursed herself for not being more attentive. “I would suggest walking at a normal pace, as this is a library,” he snapped. She rolled her eyes when his back was turned and followed Soph out the door.

  When they arrived back at the student living quarters Soph ushered Cora into her room. She had an array of outfits selected and Cora shook her head, “I don't know. I think I should just use something that's more me." She left Soph’s room and arrived a few minutes later. To her surprise, Soph nodded approvingly, “Okay, I can work with that.” Cora had changed into a light blue dress. The sleeves were long, but the dress was belted which accentuated Cora’s waist. Instead of her usual boots, Cora opted for brown boots and cream tights. “You’re going to have to trust me on the rest of this,” Soph led Cora to a chair and turned her to face a mirror.

  “Now,” Soph dug in a bag full of make-up and hair products, “can I assume I am not allowed to touch your hair?” “Correct,” Cora smiled. She wanted to look as much like her normal self as possible. “In that case, we’re going to play up some of your features. For example, you have great lips, Cora. You should add some color now and then to draw attention to them. Your eyes, too. A little color will bring out the golden hues in your brown eyes.” All this information went in one ear and out the other. Cora simply could not force herself to feign interest in it, but she allowed her friend to take control and do what needed to be done.

  When she finished, Soph handed Cora the mirror and Cora gasped. Her eyes really did shine. Soph had added a golden color to her eyelids that made her big brown eyes stand out. Her lips, too, had a rosy pink color that commanded attention in a subtle way. On her cheeks, Soph added some color that was only noticeable from a very close distance. Cora couldn’t stop looking at herself. “I can’t believe you made me look like this,” she gawked. Soph merely shrugged. “I just worked with what was already there.” Cora hugged her friend and took a deep breath, “Okay, wish me luck.” “Like you’ll need it looking like that!” Cora laughed and headed out the door. She made her way to Starbury Academy’s front gates and walked the few blocks to the trolley stop. It was the first time she’d left the school since her arrival, she realized as the gate squeaked to a close behind her.

  SEVEN

  Cora stepped off the trolley and squinted in the sunlight. She read the address again and headed left down the brick road toward her destination. Despite having seen Willem countless times, she couldn’t help but feel nervous as she opened the door and walked inside the small eatery. Willem was sitting at a table near the back, and stood to wave when he saw her walk in. Cora immediately noticed his skin had bronzed after so many days in the sun. His blonde hair was swept back in a mess as usual, and his freckles stood out more from so much time outdoors.

  Cora smiled and hurried to the table. Her nerves instantly died down. “You look...different,” Willem mused as Cora sat across from him. Cora thought about the lip color and hoped she hadn’t smudged something on the way. She laughed nervously, “A friend I met at school is helping me with all the girl stuff.” She waved her hand, as if she found it silly. “It looks nice. I ordered us some teas,” Willem’s wide smile was just as familiar as it had always been. Cora felt her cheeks warm and hoped her feelings weren’t written on her face.

  They fell right back into a familiar rhythm, and began to chat idly about the past two months. Cora wanted to know every detail about the School of Building. “I just can’t imagine how exciting it must be to actually learn something,” she looked longingly at her friend. “It’s been fascinating to see all that goes on to keep the city running. I had no idea the amount of planning that goes into every detail.” Willem glanced at Cora and quickly added, “I’m sure you’ll be transferred after your next Reading.” “I suppose…” Cora remembered what Soph told her about being bold and changed the subject. “So, in your letter you mentioned--I mean you said you wanted to tell me something?” She drummed her fingers nervously against her leg as she waited.

  Willem suddenly looked just as nervous and Cora knew him well enough to guess he was choosing his words wisely. “I did say that…I do feel like I should tell you about this,” he paused and looked Cora in the eye, which made her feel like the room around them froze. “I started courting someone.” The room whipped back into motion. Cora was stunned. This was not at all the news she was expecting. She suddenly felt very foolish about how any excitement she felt toward seeing Willem. She tried to respond without displaying her own feelings. “That’s great news. Is it someone you met at school then?” Willem grew more uncomfortable by the second. “In a way.” “Well, I can’t wait to meet her at break,” Cora prayed he couldn’t see past the cool exterior she desperately tried to portray. “That’s the thing, Cor, you already know her. She went to school with us. You remember Tiegly?”

  “Tiegly Montmon?” Cora’s mouth hung open in shock, which was quickly turning to anger. “Yeah, of course you remember her.” Willem rested a hand on the back of his neck nervously. “Of course I remember her? She was always so unpleasant to me!” “She’s not as bad as you think.” Cora scoffed, “Never to you.” Willem sat up straighter and his eyebrows creased, “What do you mean by that?” “Willem, please. You know she always went out of her way to hang all over you and push me out of the way. She wouldn't let any of the other girls be friends with me. You know how she was.” Willem looked remorseful for a split second. “I guess I didn’t think much of it. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

  A small part of Cora felt victorious over that statement. “Then why Tiegly?” It seemed as if it was a relatively new coupling, easily severed once someone talked some sense into him. Willem began slowly, “I suppose I would like to court someone. Plus, my mom was starting to bother me about it, and there really wasn’t anyone else…” Whatever small victory Cora felt was crushed in an instant. “There was no one else?” Willem didn’t answer and the longer the silence lasted, the more Cora felt her heart breaking. It was painfully obvious she was hurt for reasons beyond the girl Willem had chosen.

  Cora wasn’t sure she could bring herself to look at him when he finally broke the silence. “I don’t know, I hadn’t really thought about it before,” he started. “Liar,” Cora nearly whispered. She thought back to every time Willem made her stomach flip, every smile, every joke, every time his hand brushed hers, or when they sat just close enough to raise eyebrows. She thought about the last time Tiegly saw Cora with Willem at the swimming hole and how Tiegly seemed genuinely jealous as Willem ignored her in favor of Cora. She thought of how he’d kissed her cheek in public before he left her at her door. Cora’s hurt fully subsided into rage, and the cup in her hands felt as if it was growing hot with her anger.

  “I think you’re trying to convince yourself so you could avoid feeling guilty when I inevitably found out,” her voice was slightly louder. Willem looked down at his own cup, idly moving the spoon in it. “It doesn’t make me feel better, but it’s not what you think.” “Sure, it isn’t.” Cora placed her napkin on her plate and began to gather her bag to leave. “Cora,” Willem grabbed her hand, urging her to stay. She glared down at him. This was just another disappointment to add to her ever-growing collection of late. She turned to look at Willem and for a moment allowed herself to daydream once more. He did look apologetic; she knew him that well, or at least she thought she had. Cora sat down and placed her bag on her lap in the event she needed to make a quick exit.

  They stared at each other for a few seconds. “You’re right. There was someone else,” Willem didn’t make eye contact with Cora when he made his admission. “How nice for her.” Cora rolled her eyes when he
didn’t offer up any further explanation. He reached out for Cora’s hand again. This time she gave in and let him, even though she knew she'd regret it. “I just didn’t want to hurt you, ever,” Willem looked in Cora’s eyes and she couldn’t understand what he was trying to convey. “Do you want to know what would have been hurtful?” She took her hands from his and kept them folded in her lap, “Letting someone think for years that you might care for them and then ignoring them without warning. Or, choosing the one person, the only person who would make them feel like a complete fool. That would be something that might be hurtful to me.”

  Willem appeared almost stricken, and for a moment Cora thought it was possible he was second guessing anything with Tiegly. “I’ve always cared for you, Cora,” he said more to his hands which were now balled into fists on the table than to the girl seated across from him. “I realize I have no experience with this sort of thing, and maybe our friendship makes it strange, but I’ve never heard of someone showing they care in such a way.” Cora narrowed her eyes. “I wish it were that easy, I really do.” “But...how isn’t it? I’ve been thinking I did something or changed something and then you write after ignoring my letters and invite me to meet you only to tell me this?” Cora’s voice shook on the last few syllables as she struggled to understand why her oldest friend would be so cruel. It wasn’t like him to ignore her, but perhaps it was the influence of his new romantic interest.

  “Cora,” Willem’s voice was shaking too, “it isn’t anything you did or didn’t do, but things did change.” “Changed how? We always talked about how we would likely end up in different schools this year and how exciting it would be to visit each other in new parts of the city and…” As she spoke, a realization hit Cora and almost sucked the wind out of her. Things had changed. Cora didn’t go to study and hone her gifts like the rest of her old classmates. Instead, she went to a cruel purgatory in hopes her gifts would emerge and she could get her life back on track. She spoke again as Willem watched her, hesitant to further explain himself.