I felt it hit my shield, but it dissipated before it could get through.
Tracy’s face broke out in a wide grin. “You did it! That’s really good for a first try.”
I smiled. It felt good to get it right for a change.
“Now, let it go.”
I released my magic and watched as the shield dissolved into small shiny particles that faded as they fell toward the floor.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” She ran her hands over her thighs. “We’re going to practice a few more times now, then your goal after that is to try to make it invisible. You don’t want an enemy to know you’re using a shield before they attack — and most importantly, you don’t want them to know exactly where you’re not shielded.”
That made a lot of sense. I didn’t want to get caught off-guard like that. “Can I create one that covers me completely?”
“It’s possible, but takes a lot of energy and concentration. Let’s just stick with the basics for now.”
I nodded. I was getting ahead of myself. Again.
“And don’t worry that it’s visible right now. You need to perfect it first. It’s better to have a strong shield that magic can’t pass through than an invisible one.” She smiled. “Let’s get started.”
Tracy made me create shields for the next couple of hours and by the time we’d finished, they were almost invisible and I was completely exhausted.
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As I lay on my bed later that night with the quartz crystal on my chest to boost my energy levels, my phone rang.
Alina.
I swiped to answer. “Hey.”
“Guess what?”
My mind was blanking on what it could be. “What?”
“I got the house I was telling you about! I get the keys in about two weeks.”
“Wow, that’s great. It didn’t take long to get approved. I can’t wait.”
Soon we would be able to see each other almost every day like we used to. Tears stung my eyes. I hadn’t realized how much I missed her.
“It’s an older house with a big kitchen that’s been modernized and there’s two bedrooms. And a huge, old-style fireplace.”
I giggled. “I couldn’t imagine you chopping firewood.”
“I could do it. It’s not that hard.”
“Not at first, but try doing it for an hour and see how you feel.”
“Sounds like you’re talking from experience.”
“I am. One of the houses we lived in before Katoomba only had a fireplace and no air con. It was chop wood or freeze in winter. And Mum would get me to do it because she had to work. Believe me, it’s not fun.”
“Maybe we could just buy the wood.”
“We?”
“Yes. Me and my new housemate, once she’s ready to move in — and before you get your knickers in a twist, I know you’re not ready. It’s all good. But… you’re eighteen — you’re an adult now and don’t need your mummy anymore.”
I opened my mouth to protest, then I closed it. Deep down, I knew it was true. I didn’t need to cling to my mother like a little kid. But, I wasn’t ready to let go just yet. I’d been ripped away from Mum with no choice in the matter.
“I’ll have to commute for a while, just till I find a new job over there.”
“I’m not sure how many jobs there are out here in the sticks.”
“You found one pretty quickly.”
“Yeah... I guess I did.”
I couldn’t tell her that one of the main reasons was so Ruby could teach me how to use my magic.
I wished I could tell Alina everything. I felt almost like I was betraying her by keeping this big secret about myself. But I’d get myself into a buttload of trouble if I did.
“I’m sending the link to the rental online so you can look at the photos.”
I tapped the link she sent. “Whoa, this place has an actual picket fence? No way.”
“I know, right?”
We talked about the place while I looked at the pics and it almost felt like old times. At that moment, it hit me again how much I’d missed her. She was like a sister to me. That reminded me of what Kassie had told me about her and Justina.
I told Alina about the Halloween party and she was all in.
“We better get some costumes. What do you want to wear?”
“I haven’t really thought about it. Witches are one of the easiest, aren’t they?” I didn’t think I wanted to dress up as a fairy. That would just be weird.
“Maybe. Proper zombie makeup is a hassle and costs too much. I’ll have to think about what I wanna be.”
We came up with some good suggestions for different costumes, but couldn’t decide.
While we were talking I kept debating whether to tell Alina that I could see ghosts. That would be one less secret. One that wasn’t magic-related. So I figured I wouldn’t be breaking any rules. I’d told everyone else here and it bothered me that I hadn’t told my best friend.
I decided to just go for it while we were talking about ghost costumes.
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you, but I’m not sure how to say it... I can see ghosts.”
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAJLzjFSz7
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Author's Note: Is it a good idea for Maddie to tell Alina? What do you think Alina’s reaction will be?
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