“I think you did, Matheson,” Noro said slowly. “That was unlike anything I’ve seen before. In any case, it was more of a result than you had when trying the other elements.”
I felt jittery, like I’d been shocked. What I felt before was real. Ididhave some extraordinary power.
“You did it!” Colton said, smiling brightly as he gave me a hug. “I knew you could, little fish.”
I blushed from happiness and the warmth of his praise. Wrapping my arms around him, I said, “Thank you, Colton. Without you and your crazy book knowledge, I would’ve been stuck thinking I was useless at magic forever.”
I glanced over at Eric, who was still staring in shock. Out of everyone he seemed the most stunned. I figured as someone who was so serious and borderline cynical, it would be difficult for him to comprehend what he’d just witnessed.
“Are you okay, Eric?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said, blinking slowly. “You all saw that too, right? I’m not losing my mind?”
Ramsay laughed. “I’ve never seen Eric so shaken up. Hey, Mathe, do it again.”
“I mean, I can try,” I said, hoping desperately it wasn’t just a fluke.
“Yes,” Noro agreed. “Try to replicate it.”
“I want to see this,” Eric murmured.
Eric approached me curiously as I held out my hands and shut my eyes. I was aware of him slipping his fingers into mine, intertwining them as I focused my energy. The feeling of his skin against mine, our palms touching, kindled the sparks of affection in my chest. A warm, soothing feeling of love washed over me like cleansing water.
With no item to focus on, I channeled the attention on Eric instead, becoming aware of every inch of his skin against mine. How I could smell the faint scent of strawberries around him and feel his pulse thrumming on me.
Suddenly I heard Ramsay mutter, “What the hell…?”
“Oh,” said Colton.
Eric and Noro were decidedly silent, but I noticed Eric had stiffened, and his pulse began to race. Confused by the sudden change, I stopped focusing my energy and opened my eyes.
“What?” I asked.
Eric stared down at his forearm where his injury was.
Or rather, where his injuryshouldhave been.
I blinked, then glanced to his other arm, wondering if I’d mixed up the two. But neither of his arms had a wound any longer. Everyone present was staring at Eric’s skin like they had witnessed the change.
“Um,” I said, starting to freak out a little. “What just happened?”
“Matheson,” Eric murmured, meeting my gaze. “You made my injury disappear.”
“No, I didn’t,” I said immediately. “It was already healing. I didn’t--”
Ramsay started laughing. “Mathe, you didn’t see it, but we did! You shut your eyes and went all glowy again, and then it started seeping over to Eric and then it--it justclosedup his wound, like that!”
I stared with my mouth agape, then narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “Are you guys pulling some kind of prank on me?”
“No,” Colton said. He put his hand on my arm to soothe me. “We all saw it. You used clear magic to heal Eric.”
Eric and I exchanged a deep glance. There was awe and confusion in his eyes, alongside affection and wonder. He stared at me as if I’d just saved his life when all I’d done--apparently--was speed up an already healing wound.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” I said with a nervous chuckle.
“Oh, shut up, Mathe,” Ramsay said. “Don’t try to be modest, ‘cause now’s not the time. You used freakin’magic!”
“He’s right,” Eric said.
