The Book of Spells (Private 0.50)

Suddenly all the girls were on their feet and gathering around Eliza.

“You should get some fresh air, Eliza,” Catherine said, laying her books aside, obviously catching on to Eliza’s plan. “Everyone step back and give her some room to breathe.”

“Yes, I think I’ll just go back to Crenshaw House and lie down,” Eliza said as Catherine pretended to help her to the door. “The walk might do me some good.”

“You shouldn’t go alone,” Theresa said, dipping down to retrieve her leather carryall. “I’ll come with you.”

Eliza’s heart skipped a panicked beat and she looked at Catherine. “I’ll go with her,” Catherine blurted right away. “You have your votes to tend to.”

“Thank you, Catherine,” Eliza said, sounding as weak as she could. Before Theresa could reply, Catherine and Eliza had started up the winding staircase toward the empty pastor’s office up above.

“Let’s talk about this moving painting spell,” Clarissa said down below. “Do the subjects come to life as three-dimensional beings or two-dimensional pictures?”

Eliza and Catherine closed the door behind them at the top of the stairs and laughed. The windows of the chaplain’s office rattled in the strong wind that had been blowing all evening.

“Thank you!” Eliza said, drawing her friend into a hug.

“I’ll hide up here for a few minutes, then come back saying I’ve delivered you to the front door of Crenshaw,” Catherine replied, her eyes bright.

Eliza gave her friend one last hug before she went. “Thank you, Catherine, truly. I couldn’t be doing this without you.”

“You’re welcome,” Catherine replied. “Now go! I’ll see you back at our room, and you can tell me all about it.”

As she raced through the chapel and out into the moonlit night, Eliza knew that of all the blessings she had in her life, Catherine White was one of the greatest.

Irredeemable

It wasn’t until Eliza had crossed into the woods just south of the chapel that she realized she had no idea where she was going. A rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, and Eliza looked up anxiously at the sky. How far into the woods would Harrison be waiting? Would he be directly to the south, or somewhat east or west of the chapel entrance? Would she make it to him before the storm broke? She paused a few feet along one of the dirt paths that crisscrossed the woods and took a breath. The trees and bushes were being tossed by the wind, rustling and crackling, making it difficult to focus. Her heart rate was already accelerated with the anticipation of seeing Harrison. She had to calm down. She had to think.

What would Catherine do?

The answer came to her in an instant. Scry. But could she do it on her own? Another rumble of thunder sounded so close, it made Eliza flinch. The truth was, she didn’t have much choice. Alone she was.

Closing her eyes and ignoring the sliver of fear that ran down her spine, Eliza concentrated on a mental picture of Harrison. She didn’t have the pebbles or the water, the crystal or the glove, but she had an intense desire within her, and she hoped that would be enough. At the last moment, she decided to change the words slightly, hoping the specificity might help.

“Spirits from the other side, let your wisdom be my guide, take me to the place where Harrison hides.”

Suddenly raindrops started to drop all around her, drizzling onto her shoulders and back. Eliza felt the dizziness that seemed to accompany more complicated spell-casting, and she leaned a hand against the nearest tree until it passed. She tilted her face toward the sky, letting the raindrops cool her and bring her back to herself. Once she felt steady again, Eliza opened her eyes, unsure of what to expect. A sudden wind hit her from behind, tossing her hair in front of her face and tripping her forward.

Eliza gripped the tree and hesitated. Was this just more wind brought by the storm, or was this something else? She closed her eyes and concentrated. The wind whipped at her from behind, so ha

rd she could barely keep her grasp on the tree bark. When she looked around again, she saw that the underbrush was being flattened in the opposite direction. That was the wind from the storm. This wind, the wind at her back, was something else entirely. This wind was leading her to Harrison.

Biting her lip in excitement, Eliza followed the breeze. Soon she came to a fork in the path, and suddenly the wind shifted. Her hair blew across her face to the right, tickling her cheekbones and making her giggle. The rain, meanwhile, grew harder and more persistent, pounding on the leaves and branches above. Luckily the branches and leaves protected Eliza from the worst of the deluge. As she took the designated pathway, she was still relatively dry. Only a few drops here and there were visible on her dress.

Eliza walked a few paces and came to a large boulder, tall, white, and wide. When she came around the side of the boulder, she found Harrison Knox seated on a long, flat outcropping of the rock. He scrambled to his feet, and immediately the wind died down.

Eliza’s heart pounded. Magic was becoming rather useful in her life.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d come,” Harrison said. “Especially in this weather.”

He stepped forward and took her hand. He was dressed in a suit of brown tweed, a green-and-blue tie loosely knotted around his throat. The color combination somehow made him appear boyish—innocent. His blond hair was slightly wet from the rain, making it appear darker than usual.

“Of course I came.” The smile on her face was so broad, it ached.

“Eliza . . . I can’t stop thinking about you,” Harrison said earnestly.

The pitter-patter of the rain on the leaves above abated slightly, but another rumble of thunder sounded.