“Pushy is good.” Ellie held her hands out in a welcoming gesture. “Welcome to my prison cell.”
“Looks just like mine,” Maggie said lightly.
It wasn’t really Ellie’s room, but it wasn’t not hers either.
“You wanted to say something about Dan?” Ellie prompted.
“Several somethings,” Maggie replied. “He seems like an okay guy and all, but when he touched you, the chains got a lot heavier. I don’t know, maybe no one else noticed, what with the trying not to die thing—”
“Do you think I really could’ve killed—?”
“I do. Definitely. I felt that weird boost when he touched me in the healing magic classes, too, and the poor guy—”
“Got happy?” Ellie interjected. “Gossip is that he wasn’t the only one.”
“Truth. Me and the doctor. Honestly, if she hadn’t kicked everyone out…”
“Daaaaamn.”
“Yes, but you’re already strong,andhe boosted that.” Maggie folded her arms over her chest. “That’s why I’m here. I want an alliance. Even better? We both want out. This whole thing is weird and freaky, and I just want a friend who isn’t going to try to convince me that staying here and polishing cauldrons is the future I want, you know?”
Ellie grinned. “One who is on your side so if I start choking people again, you’re safe?”
“Yeah. Something like that wouldn’t suck either.” Maggie opened the balcony door. “Wanna practice? Make us a ladder or fireman’s pole or…” She gestured. “Magic it up, Ellie. Let’s take that walk.”
Ellie paused.Could I?She tried to think about what she’d done before, how she’d managed.What if Maggie is right, and the real magic was that scrawny guy? Dan?
“Only one way to find out if I really can, right?” Ellie glanced at the woman who boldly declared that she was there to form an alliance. In a world where everyone had an agenda, it was pretty cool to have anyone be transparent.
She weighed the maybes. Fire pole seemed problematic. What if it wasn’t anchored? They’d grab it and tumble. Ladder could work. Steps?
Ellie met Maggie’s gaze. “If I do anything dangerous, knock me out. I really didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
“Entire group had to go to the infirmary. You’re the real deal, Ellie,abona fidefucking witch.” Maggie shook her head. “And my goal is to hide in your shadow. I need to show them that I am a failure at this, so I can get siphoned and go home.”
Ellie saw a twig on the ground and thought of the snake she’d made in the woods. She visualized that bit of wood growing. It was an odd feeling, because she had the definite sensation of tugging and shaping the wood with invisible hands.
I need more steps, though.
She could make a solid wooden staircase if she had enough wood. She pictured stacking each step one after the other until it stretched from the railing of the balcony to the ground. When she opened her eyes and looked, there was a plain wooden staircase.
“Let me go first, so I don’t drop you or something,” Ellie suggested.
“Side by side,” Maggie countered. She linked her arm with Ellie’s, and they stepped forward onto the first step.
Ellie didn’t feel any surge when Maggie touched her arm, so it wasn’t like some trick where contact with her made the illusion stronger. Still, she concentrated. If there were two of them walking on this, she wanted the steps to be steady.
She imagined the steps growing roots, as if they were actually shaped trees, living things that belonged here. She pictured roots sinking into the soil and the long branches curving outward into a playground of sorts for adults. There were swings and a set of rings. A couple branches straightened into uneven bars. The steps twisted and circled so the tree was more of a spiral staircase than plain steps.
And over it all, she imagined leaves. Blossoms. Fragrant blossoms and apples, simultaneously.
“Look,” Maggie said.
Ellie opened her eyes again as Maggie stepped in front of her and hurried to the bottom. She looked up at Ellie, who stared at the fruit and concentrated—eyes open this time—on the apples that were ripening and hanging from the branches.
“Holy…” Maggie reached up and grabbed an apple that had justgrown and ripened. She rolled it in her hand as she looked at Ellie and then back at the apple. “That was amazing, Ellie.”
Ellie held her hand out, and Maggie tossed the apple to her.
