A Time for Magic

by Jessa Ford

  Chipper as always, Soph answered with a smile. “What can I do for you, Cora dearest?” She moved aside so Cora could enter. “I need to borrow a dress,” Cora pretended to mess with the sleeve of her sweater while she waited for Soph’s response. “Gladly! What’s the occasion? Casual? Formal? Experimental?” “It’s um...the Mid-Season Festival.” Soph stopped dead in her tracks. “You’re going to go? That’s great!” She pulled Cora into her bedroom and flung open the doors to her wardrobe, which was almost bursting at the seams with clothes. “Okay, let’s see what we have to work with…oh, and more importantly with whom will you be attending the Festival?” Soph slyly smiled at her friend and Cora groaned internally. “It’s not like that. Dari asked if Xave and I could go do some work for her there. We have to make a delivery to some of the other librarians. She figured it would be more fun for us young people to go instead. But, I still have to fit the theme.” Cora lied through her teeth, but it seemed to appease her friend for the time being.

  Soph chewed on her bottom lip while she was lost in thought and began to speak, more to herself than to Cora, “No doubt Xave will stick with the dark and handsome thing he has going. Maybe he’ll do a blue instead of his usual maudlin attire. We need something that will match without being too obvious.” “Oh, we’re not going together. We just both have to be there at the same time, but… separately…” Cora spoke up a little too quickly from across the room. “Right,” Soph ignored her friend and pulled out a floor length silver blue dress. It looked like it was made of silk and shimmered even under the warm light of afternoon sun that snuck through the room’s small window.

  “This is the one.” Soph held it up to Cora, “Yes, this is definitely the one.” She dug back into her wardrobe and pulled out a midnight blue cape. “And this completes it.” She stood back as Cora held the two items. “Come back wearing both of those. This is the perfect excuse to let me do something with that hair...” Soph trailed off, lost in thought. Cora sighed and nodded. She didn’t want to admit that a small part of her was hoping to let Soph work her magic. After all, she didn’t expect she had the kind of luck that would allow her to miss Willem and Tiegly during the festival.

  As instructed, Cora slipped into the dress before heading back over to Soph’s room. She had to admit, Soph was an expert in fashion. The sleeveless dress made Cora look like the kind of girl who belonged at the Mid-Season Festival--the kind who gets invited for more than secret time bending training. The dress scooped down in the back and had and a slit that went half way up Cora’s left leg. The material seemed to sway with Cora. When she added the cape, she gasped. She looked like an ice queen. The dark material flowed down to her mid back and hung slightly over her shoulders. She knew Soph would be pleased.

  As expected, Soph nearly squealed with delight when Cora returned. “I knew it! Cora Vaunderly, you are a goddess.” Cora was the speechless one, however. Soph looked she stepped right out of another world. Her cool light blue dress was scandalously tight. No one would notice, however, because she had a skirt made of crystals that adorned her waist and hung over the gown, allowing bits of blue to peek through as she moved. Matching blue elbow-length gloves sat on the table. It complimented Soph’s tan skin and made her look a perfect mixture of delicate and fierce.

  “Let’s do something about this hair,” Soph beckoned Cora to sit and began working. Cora’s hair tumbled past her shoulders and Soph was almost giddy. She pulled and prodded at Cora, curling her tresses and pulling pieces here and there. In the end, Cora had two braids that pulled her hair back on either side of her face. They crossed in the back of her head creating a crown, and the rest of her hair billowed out underneath. “Soph, it’s so pretty,” Cora exclaimed when she saw the finished product. “I know,” Soph smiled. Her own hair was pulled back in a tight bun that had pins sticking out of it with jewels on the end. It almost looked like snowflakes had settled onto her hair. “One last thing,” Soph handed Cora a light pink lip color. “Subtle, but necessary.” She smiled at Cora. Cora gave in and added the color to her lips. “Truly, a goddess,” Soph shook her head as she looked her work over.

  Cora laughed and hugged her friend. “Soph, thank you. I’d better get going if I’m going to meet Xave.” She looked at the clock which was nearly 6:00 and added, “Who are you going to the Mid-Season Festival with anyway?” Soph smiled mischievously. “Two people, actually. A boy from our History of Gifts class asked me, so he’s picking me up for the first half. Then, I’m meeting one of the second-year students for the last part of the festival.” Cora just shook her head, “Why did I even ask?” Soph grinned and gave her friend a quick hug. “By the way, Xave is going to be blown away tonight,” she whispered, and then winked and pushed Cora out the door before she could respond.

  ✽✽✽

  Cora debated taking the trolley, for fear time bending would mess up Soph’s work on her hair, but thought better of it. Almost instantaneously, she appeared at Xave’s door and knocked. For the first time, he did not answer the door within seconds. She tapped her foot impatiently and then gave up and turned around to watch people pass by on the street below her as she leaned on the brick wall of his small home. After some time passed, the door opened and Xave stepped out.

  Cora was taken aback by what she saw. Xave wore a dark grey, charcoal-colored suit with a silver shirt. His tie, a light blue, almost matched the hue of Cora’s dress. His black hair which usually looked in desperate need of a brushing, was styled and tamed. It made him look older, but still cast in a mysterious shadow as always. Cora supposed he would not be the worst person to have on her arm if she ran into Willem and Tiegly. Plenty of the girls at Starbury seemed to fawn over him. She quickly pushed those thoughts out of her head and took a deep breath. She just needed to get through the next few hours as quickly as possible and then she could go home.

  “Shall we?” Xave held out his arm and Cora took it hesitantly. “We’re taking the trolley this time,” he walked them in the direction of the stop. “I have a feeling you’ll want to conserve your energy for using your magic at the festival.” Cora walked next to him in silence. They jumped on the trolley and found two seats near the front. Many other young couples rode as well. The closer they got to the center of Telgria, the more crowded the trolley became, forcing them to sit uncomfortably close. Cora’s shoulder was turned slightly in front of Xave’s so she didn’t have to squeeze next to the cold window. Cora thought she caught Xave looking at her from the corner of her eye, but then reminded herself he was always observing everything, and she was bound to be in his line of vision. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her before.

  Xave watched Cora as the trolley bumped along, going through possible tests for her in his mind. Truth be told, he was pleasantly surprised by her appearance. While she’d never outright defied him, he could tell how badly she did not want to go to the Mid-Season Festival. He half expected her to show up in her usual attire so they would not be permitted to attend. Instead, she looked nothing like the reckless, bookish girl he usually spent his evenings with. A small voice in the back of his mind told him it was okay to think she was pretty. It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought it before while she hid away in the library to read and let her auburn hair curl around her face. When the light reflected off her hair it was like catching glimpses of a fire. They had more important issues to worry about, so Xave kept his focus on the task at hand.

  When they reached their stop, Cora and Xave awkwardly exited the trolley and walked toward the main city park. Cora stopped to take in everything she saw as they neared the festival. Truthfully, she had always wanted to see the Mid-Season Festival. Her parents were never too caught up in social ventures, so she’d never had a chance to go before. A giant white tent enclosed the top of the park. Ice sculptures taller than Xave adorned all of the four entrances, and stars that looked like icicles hung from the tent’s ceiling. Ribbons of silver, white, blue, and teal were strung throughout the bushes and trees that lined the pathways. A la
rge frozen fountain of ice was in the center and different offerings of food and drink spread out from the fountain. Soft music was heard both in and out of the park. This was clearly the place to be, as people filled the park from all sides, and children chased each other around the sculptures.

  Each person who entered looked more elegant than the last. It didn’t escape Cora that a few girls pointed and nodded at her dress. She silently thanked Soph again. She would have been lost without her help. Cora took a deep breath as they stood in front of the entrance. When they stepped into the park, Xave took Cora’s hand and pulled her aside. “I almost forgot,” he said and removed a silver rose out of his jacket that was clearly meant for Cora.

  Cora didn’t know what to say and just stared at him, wide-eyed. “We don’t want anyone to know why we’re really here, remember?” he whispered to her. For a split-second Cora thought she felt disappointment creeping in and she shrugged it off as quickly as it came. “Right, good thinking.” She looked at the rose in his hand. “What exactly am I supposed to do with that? I’ve...no one ever gave me one before.” Cora shifted her glance to her feet, suddenly embarrassed by her lack of life experience. “I believe you pin it in your hair. I’ve never given anyone one either, so I’m not an expert in this myself. It’s a uniquely Telgrian tradition.” Xave stepped toward her and gently secured the rose in one of her braids on the side of her hair. He was close enough she could see that he’d shaved for the occasion. He still smelled faintly of mint.

  Xave offered Cora a lopsided smile and shrugged as he stood back to look at the rose in her hair. Confident it would stay in place, he took her hand and lead them toward the center of the park. Cora permitted herself to admit it was nice, even if it wasn’t real. For the first bit of the evening, Xave and Cora enjoyed the festivities at the festival. They explored every area of the park, commenting on the various food, drink, and guests they saw. Both vehemently agreed dancing was a poor idea; neither Cora nor Xave wanted to draw attention with their lack of skill in that area. Cora saw Soph who gave her a thumbs up and pointed at Xave behind his back. Cora just rolled her eyes and waved her friend away with a smile. She almost forgot why they were really in attendance for a bit, lost in the decadence of the evening.

  Eventually Xave ushered them to a table to sit. “Let’s see if you’re able to move a few items around without being noticed,” he began. Cora practiced moving food, drinks, and even a few people’s personal items back and forth until Xave deemed her skill acceptable. “Good,” he mused as she returned to their table, “I think as long as you have control of a location you won’t run into any trouble. You’ve repeatedly proved you can slow time for a reasonable distance, and your attention to detail is certainly an asset.” Cora didn’t like the playful look in his eyes. He pulled another item out of his pocket and Cora almost laughed.

  “Is that a smoke bomb? What are you, twelve? I thought your library pranks were bad enough.” She had imagined something more serious when he insisted they attend the festival. Xave smirked, “Hopefully you can catch me—and it—before it goes off.” He lit the short wick and was gone. Cora immediately ceased laughing; she was going to kill him. She slowed time and focused on everything around her. The reflection of light from the wick would still be visible even if she slowed its movement. Thankfully, she noticed Xave out of the corner of her eye leaning against a tree, his eyes turned toward one of the drink tables in front of the fountain. The reflection of a light shone off a glass, and Cora hoped she made the right choice.

  She released the space around her and moved in a whirlwind toward the drink table. Before anyone noticed her arrival, she dropped the small bomb into a glass of liquid and disappeared to where Xave stood. He clapped slowly. “Okay, what’s next?” Cora began, but he shook his head. “I have a few more.” Cora groaned, which only made Xave smile and admit, “Part of me was hoping you would fail. I kind of wanted to see the look on everyone’s face when their fancy party was interrupted.” Cora suppressed a smile. She enjoyed that he was as uncomfortable as she felt. Before she could respond, however, he was off again and Cora tuned out the world around her, listening to her instincts. After three more attempts, she finally found the last smoke bomb and diffused the wick with a sigh. This time, Xave was nowhere in sight and she slowly walked back toward the center of the festival, certain he would find her when it was necessary.

  FOURTEEN

  Cora walked slowly throughout the park. While it should be colder, she noticed many of the park’s lamps were radiating heat. Light wielding, she mused, as she moved to stand near one. Since learning of her own magic, Cora was drawn to all types of magic. She wanted to know everything there was about them. She worried there weren’t enough books in the empire to quell her thirst for knowledge. She reminded herself to ask Dari when she saw her next. After warming, she resolved to find Xave so they could leave. She’d completed her tests, after all, and there was no reason to stay any longer than necessary.

  Cora let her guard down. To her horror, she turned the corner and came face to face with Tiegly Montmon, adorned in a snow-white dress draped in silver ruffles around the skirt. Matching crystal jewels adorned her wrists and ears. Not two seconds later, Willem showed up with drinks for the two of them and Cora’s stomach dropped. Tiegly almost leered as she realized it was Cora who blocked her path. It was too late for Cora to freeze time and disappear; she’d been recognized by both of them.

  “Why Willem, isn’t this your old friend?” Tiegly lazily hung onto his arm and she looked up at him batting her eyes. Her signature pink lip color looked cheaper than Cora remembered. “Hi, Cora,” Willem appeared to force a smile, but it was obvious he too wanted to be anywhere else in that moment. “How brave of you to show up here and, oh, look,” Tiegly pointed to Cora’s hair, “did you get yourself a rose?” The vile girl held a hand over her mouth and began to laugh as Willem looked visibly uncomfortable while they waited for Cora to respond.

  Cora cursed Xave and his stupid ideas in her head. They couldn’t have just snuck in. He had to make a spectacle of it, and worse--he gave her the rose and she accepted it. Not wanting to look like the sad case she suddenly realized she was, Cora forced herself to smile. “Of course not,” she waved her hand as if Tiegly’s accusation was silly, “my date is around here somewhere.” “Is he? Or did you just say that because you didn’t want to look pathetic?” Tiegly stepped forward so that she was inches from Cora, just out of Willem’s earshot, “Or if I’m remembering correctly, maybe I’m here with the person you wished was your date?” She laughed in Cora’s face and Willem opened his mouth to intervene, but stopped short. Cora willed herself to appear unaffected by Tiegly’s cruel words.

  Despite learning she had magical blood, despite learning she was a Time Bender, and despite knowing in her heart she wasn’t less-than anymore, Cora couldn’t help but feel tears begin to well in her eyes. If she was being honest, it wasn’t about Willem. She came to realize in the weeks following their last encounter that she didn’t really have those kinds of feelings for him. She would always care for him; he had been her dearest friend for her entire life. It was just that in that moment only three people in the world knew the truth about Cora, and she wasn’t sure it was enough to shake those nagging feelings once and for all. As far as everyone else was concerned, Cora was still not good enough. She was Unreadable; someone who would only drag others down if they attached their names to hers.

  ✽✽✽

  Xave searched for Cora in the crowd as he watched a group of children try to steal small cakes off of a table. He froze time for just an instant and inched the cakes closer to the edge. When he released time, he saw the children celebrate their victory and he smiled. He and Cora had finished much quicker than he anticipated. Even though Cora had angered him in the forest, he was pleased with her overall progress. She was able to not only able to freeze time, but she also displayed such control she even stopped the flame on the smoke bombs. Her raw ability to tap into her gi
ft was what made him so nervous about her inability to control her outbursts. She was exactly the kind of person Nikol Delmarno would want to get his hands on, and one small mistake could put a target on her back. Xave sighed and saw a flash of auburn hair out of the corner of his eye.

  He stood a at a distance and watched the interaction between Cora and the couple standing in front of her. Though he couldn’t hear what was being said, he knew Cora well enough to read her body language. She was as tense as he had ever seen her. So, this is why she didn’t want to come. He ran his hand through his hair as he observed a tall blonde girl almost sneer at Cora while the boy on her arm stood by like a statue. Whatever was being said, Xave guessed Cora had heard enough. While she may be argumentative and stubborn, Xave also witnessed how Cora was thoughtful, determined, and strong. He doubted she deserved to be on the receiving end of whatever was occurring.

  If he allowed himself to be honest for a moment, he felt protective of Cora for more reasons than the constant threat of impending danger because of their magical gifts. Xave was finding more and more that despite her aversion to him, Cora fit quite well into the meticulously-crafted life he had designed for himself. He was so used to keeping people out, it didn’t dawn on him how easy it was to let her in in the past few weeks. Watching this scene unfold in front of him elicited an anger in him he hadn’t felt in some time.

  In an instant, Xave was at Cora’s side, his arm around her waist, pulling her closer than necessary. Cora could have cheered; his timing was perfect. “There you are,” Xave’s deep voice was at her ear, though everyone could easily hear him, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He felt Cora relax and immediately registered the expression of the pair in front of him. The mousy-faced girl stood with her mouth open, looking Xave up and down. The boy said nothing, but Xave could see him tense up when Xave pulled Cora close to him. Good, he thought, as Cora leaned into him, giving the impression they were quite familiar with each other.