“It’s going to take more focus since I am much bigger and heavier than a single leaf, but I trust you to keep your focus and your control.”
Calli stood very still. Malcolm concentrated, repeating the spell, but this time he wound it more around her body. He realized then what his first mistake had been, to think of lifting an object by weight, when it should be seen as the spell covering the entire surface of an object or person. Malcolm grinned as she slowly rose a few feet off the ground. He was doing it. Really doing it. Intentional magic, not misfires or chaos.
“This is really me right?” He could feel his magic working, knew that he’d cast the spell, but it was almost too hard to believe after all these years.
“Yep, it’s all you.” Calli replied with a beaming smile that hit right behind the knees.
He levitated her slowly into his arms. She lifted her head to look up at him and he forgot for a moment what he was doing and just held her, his focus rapt on her full lips and how much he wanted to kiss her.
Calli was the real magic, and he never wanted to let her go. He couldn’t forget that every touch, every kiss, every moment he got closer… they risked getting witch-locked. While they’d both agreed they’d be willing to see where this thing between them went, he didn’t want to rush it, for both of their sakes. They deserved the right to take a step back, to think. Regretfully, he stepped back and let go of her, even though his body felt like the loss of contact was a betrayal.
She flashed him a little look of regret that echoed in his own chest.
“Sorry, I got carried away,” he murmured.
“Me too.” A beautiful blush stained her cheeks as she cleared her throat. “Let’s try a real challenge. Can you lift all of the leaves in this meadow?”
That was trickier. He tried each leaf on its own, but that soon became like juggling with more and more pins being thrown at him.
“Don’t try to pick them up individually. Focus on just one, then imagine it getting bigger, spreading out under all of them like a big blanket. Remember, the overall space is what matters, not the individual objects.”
This time they rose up in the air together in a single sheet. Then he let go, letting them rain down on him and Calli in a storm of gold and red. Hades ran through the falling leaves, barking in excitement. Persephone trotted after him, bouncing unsteadily on her tiny legs. He couldn’t believe how easily this was coming to him. For the first time in decades, he was excited about magic.
He caught Calli by the hand and spun her around in celebration. “I can’t believe it!” Her honey brown eyes met his, and he caught his breath as he saw an entire universe in the depths of her gaze.
“Show me everything,” he said.
“Everything?” The word escaped her lips breathlessly, and Malcolm felt that same excitement in himself.
“Everything.”
Malcolm’s heart was light enough to fly without any magic. He ignored the warning in his head about witch-locking and tugged Calli against him. She laughed as she caught herself against his chest. Malcolm sank his fingers into the dark locks of her hair and held her still as he lowered his head to hers. She let out a breathless sigh as their lips met.
My sweet, little, hedge witch.
Her mouth opened beneath his, letting him show her just what he wanted to do to her body, while he made love to her mouth with his. Every time he kissed her, every cell in his body hummed to life. That kiss could have gone on forever, if Hades hadn’t barreled into the back of his legs, knocking him and Calli over into a pile of leaves.
Laughing, they wrestled and tossed leaves at each other until they both collapsed onto their backs beside one another. He reached over and grasped her hand, pulling it to his lips and kissing her fingers before he rested their joined hands against his chest. The soft little breath she let out, a sigh of contentment echoed so deeply in his own body and soul that he felt like he was standing before a vast mountain range, in awe of something he could barely comprehend.
It was a marvel to think that he’d gone from a man who never wanted to tie himself emotionally to anyone to not being able to get enough of one woman… this woman.
They spent the next two hours practicing various simple spells before he decided he wanted to try a time spell. After saving that boy today, he wanted to know if he could do it again if the need ever arose.
“It might be too much too soon.”
“I can’t hurt anything by trying, can I?”
“Don’t be so sure. Remember how you felt after the last time? Spells that strong that take a lot out of you. You’ve only just started jogging again, don’t try to run a marathon.”
Malcolm nodded. “I get it, but the thing is, I’m still not convinced I even did it the first time. Or, if I did, maybe it was an accident I’ll never be able to repeat. I have to know if I’m capable of it.”
“Fine, but let’s try something simple.” She picked up a handful of leaves. “I’ll toss these in the air. See if you can stop them. But don’t confuse this with levitation.” She bit her bottom lip for a moment, deep in thought. “Problem is, I’ve never done a time spell, so you’re on your own figuring out how to tap into that.”
“Okay, let’s try.” He took a ready stance and lifted one hand up as she tossed the leaves. He wove a spell frantically, and the leaves stopped. For a split second he’d thought he’d done it, only to notice they were spinning slowly in place. It was only a levitation spell.
“Maybe it’s not a weaving spell, but some kind of silent incantation?” Calli suggested. “What were you thinking just before you saved the boy?”
He remembered his heart pounding, the panic that he wouldn’t be able to do anything, the metallic taste in his mouth as sheer fear overrode everything, taking control of his entire body. He explained that to Calli.
