“She did not have that one,” Oscar bellowed, throwing me under the bus.
Loki watched us both, clearly wondering when it was his turn to play catch.
Scowling, I glanced at my dwindling supply of chess pieces. Once those were gone, I’d have to trek back down to the basement and grab another box of odds and ends to lob at the wall. All in the name of magical advancement.
Oscar spun his finger in the air. “Again. Repetition is the key that unlocks knowledge, and knowledge is the key that unlocks your mind.” He tapped a ghostly finger against his temple.
“What?” I groaned and rolled my eyes toward the cracked ceiling. My ghost guide was a certified self-help guru. Next, he’d have me drinking kombucha and becoming one with the spell.
Selecting a pawn from the basket, I shook it between my palms like I planned to roll a pair of dice. I blew on my hands before throwing the chess piece against the wall. It smacked the plaster and landed on top of the pile.
Snake eyes.
“You’re not doing it right,” Oscar said, gesturing toward the book. “You need to enunciate more. Really lean into the vowels.”
“I don’t think it’s my pronunciation,” I grumbled, grabbing another pawn. Only two pieces left. I needed to make these count.
This was the first test I hadn’t aced in what felt like forever. If this were ancient history, biology, or even physics, then no problem. But—wait.Maybe there was a way to figure this out. My mind analyzed the problem. Each previous throw proved I had no control over the object before it hit the wall, which likely meant there was a disconnect between the distance of the object to the center of my power. Objects closest to me would be easiest to control.
Timing was everything.
Closing my eyes, I breathed deeply, channeling energy into my hands. This time when the pawn left my hand, I immediately spoke the incantation, feeling a rush of power as the object connected with my magic. End over end, the pawn sailed through the air, and then it landed flush against the wall, held in place by a current of magic.
I did it!
“Did you see that?” I fist-pumped the air, still keeping the pawn elevated.
“Good show, my dear. You figured it out. I didn’t want to spoil the answer.” Oscar clapped and nodded as if he’d performed the task.
My lips flattened in disbelief. “You said it was because of my vowels!”
He sputtered and bent to examine the spell book, grumbling to Loki about this spell being too easy.
“Nice one, Graves.” I spun toward the sound of Caden’s voice and spotted him leaning in the doorway. He had sawdust on his T-shirt and a light dusting in his hair, making the dark locks appear lighter. His gray eyes gleamed with something that made the breath catch in the back of my throat.
“Pretty good, huh? Am I forgiven for breaking the window, or are you going to make me pay for it?”
“Last time I checked, you were out of a job.”
“Only until my hunter’s check comes in. Besides, I seem to recall getting fired from my last job and it being all someone else’s fault. I’m too gracious to name names, but let’s just say the window should be a freebie.”
Caden cocked his head and held up a half-filled plastic water bottle. “That’s not how I see it. But I’ll let you off the hook if you can do the spell in reverse.”
Ah, step two. A moving target.
I nodded, nerves bubbling to the surface. He’d pretty much called my bluff, but there was no way I planned on backing down now. I just had to incorporate what I’d learned and wait for the exact right moment. Easier to do when you were the one throwing; less so when the object was coming at you.
“Ready?” Caden stepped into the room and positioned himself about eight feet in front of me.
“Yeah, but take a few more steps back and don’t throw it like you’re a star baseball pitcher. I’ll duck and let it take out the rest of the window.”
He chuckled and obeyed my command. Raising the water bottle, he said, “I’ll be nice and give you a count of three. One . . . two . . .”
The bottle left his hand, flying straight at me.What happened to three?I forced myself to remain still for longer than anyone would have. My body tensed for impact.
Stay focused . . .
Now!
