“There’s still magic in the ground; it’s not dead.” Liza stepped forward so her tanned, bare toes dug into the scorched earth. “If you took your shoes off, you’d feel it, too.”
I slipped off the strapped sandals I’d been wearing beneath my dress and followed her onto the deadened earth, feeling a little snap beneath my feet as the brittle grasses and forest debris crumbled beneath my toes. Then…nothing.
Liza reached out and took hold of my hand. When she closed her eyes, I followed suit.
“Do you feel that?” she asked. “It’s still alive.”
I bent down and, with my free hand, touched the soil. I sensed it then; Liza was right. I detected the magic, faint like a weak heartbeat, but still the slightest buzz of energy. Enough to think there was a chance of restoring it.
“You’re right.” I opened my eyes and looked at Liza. “How did you get to be so smart?”
“Nothing to do with being smart.” Liza perched on a fallen log. “This is my home. I just pay attention.”
“Well, thank you for showing me all of this. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Can I walk you home?”
“No. Do you need me to walk you home?”
I smiled. “I think I’m okay. But if you have any other ideas, Liza, you be sure to come visit me at the castle.”
“Okay.” Then she was gone like a gazelle loping through the darkness.
