“Good,” my grandpa encouraged. “Now, wrap your magic around either end of the bond, and pull.”
Mentally, I curled my magic around the string, and I yanked in either direction. The bond fought against me, as if I were stretching a rubber band. I pulled harder…
Snap!
The magical tether broke, and the thread withered from my view. My breath hitched as all my magic came rushing back into me.
“I did it!” I cried. “It wasn’t that hard, either.”
“You are a strong Elf, Charlie. Now that you understand the process, I’m certain you’ll learn to break any bond you please. Observe your work.” My grandfather pulled the plants apart and slid the pot toward me. He’d removed the succulent portion, and only the leafy part remained.
“It’s okay now,” I told the plant.
I infused my Earth magic through the pot, and the leaves became strong and healthy once more. I ran my fingers over the ends of the leaves, and the dry, crusted parts had vanished. I noticed the soil was dry, so I carried the plant over to the fountain to give it a drink.
Water droplets rolled off the dirt. The soil couldn’t hold the water the plant needed. Carefully, I uprooted the plant and dumped the dirt out. I combined my Earth magic with illusion powers to conjure the damp soil the plant craved. I replanted it and watered it, until it seemed perfectly at ease in its new environment.
I returned to the table and realized my grandfather was still holding the succulent. I formed a pot of sand with my illusion magic. “Put him in here.”
I pulled a bit of sand aside, and my grandfather placed the plant in the hole. Now both plants were potted and thriving.
“What should we do with them?” I asked.
“You can keep them, if you’d like,” my grandfather offered. “I’m sure your little Sprigs would appreciate the variety.”
He really would like it. The rest of the afternoon, my grandfather brought me more suklune plants that were overgrown, and I practiced breaking their bonds and regrowing the separated plants in different pots. By the time evening rolled around, I figured I was getting the hang of it. It was a simple process to break a bond… which bothered me, because something so powerful and sacred shouldn’t be so fragile.
But I supposed that was one of the things that made a magical connection so special. One mistake, even something you didn’t intend, could upset the balance and ruin things. I knew how strong a bond between two life forces could be, but I had a newfound respect for them after learning how easily they could break.
When the air had developed a slight chill from the setting sun, I felt Oberi approach. She perched on my shoulder and said,Ava’s awake. I think she needs you.
It felt good to be needed. I stroked her feathers and fed her a blackberry I picked off a branch. “You’re a good girl, Oberi.”
Why are you being so nice? she asked suspiciously, though she gobbled up the blackberry and nudged me for more.
“Just… trying to appreciate what I have.”
I said goodnight to my grandfather, and we returned to our quarters. I placed the succulent in the window where it would get plenty of sunlight, then gave the leafy plant a home in the corner of the room. Sprigs was excited about the new plants, and I heard him singing to them softly in a squeaky tone.
When I entered the bedroom, I found Ava at the vanity.
“Ow,” Ava complained as the brush caught in her hair, making a ripping sound. “Dammit. My hair’s all messed up. I slept on it wrong.”
“Here, let me help,” I offered. I took the brush from her hands, while Oberi flew over to sit on her armrest.
“How did things go with your grandpa?” Ava questioned before I had a chance to ask how she’d slept.
I worked a tangle out of her hair. “Good. He taught me about bond breaking.”
“Oh?” she asked curiously.
“Yeah. It’s an Elvish thing only the strongest can do.”
“I’m sure you pulled it off no problem—ow!” Ava cried as the brush snagged.
“Sorry, pidge.” I ran the brush through her hair again, slower this time.
“Don’t be sorry. Do it again.”
