Hakeem’s voice catches in his throat, he tries to swallow but can’t. Jackson releases his hand and grabs the wand case. “Here, just hold the wand, see how it feels. I can’t risk my shadows destroying it like they have countless others.” Jackson opens the case, the wand’s dark cedar wood twisted with clear quartz catching the light in the room. Hakeem’s hand shakes as he reaches for the conduit. He grasps it firmly in his hand, fingers curling around the leather of the wand’s base.
The wand flares to life in Hakeem’s hand, the clear quartz filling with a strong silver glow, the air swirling with magic. Hakeem’s glasses fall off as an unseen force whips through his fluff of curls. The grimoire’s cover glows with the same sheen as the wand, a moonlight silver. The secrets of astromancy hidden in its pages responding to the hum of his mana. Jackson’s smile grows wide, the dimples Hakeem can’t help but notice on full display. “I knew it, these belong with you Hakeem.”
Tears roll down Hakeem’s face. Jackson panics, he didn’t mean to cause Hakeem to cry. He hastily picks up the fallen glasses, turning to hand them back to Hakeem. “Shit, sorry, are you okay? I didn’t mean to pressure you. You don’t have to accept the wand and grimoire I was just trying-”
Jackson is cut off as Hakeem wraps his arms around the elf’s shoulders. Face buried into the crook of Jackson’sneck. “I’m okay, it’s just….I never felt this close to my magic. My affinity with astromancy was never put to use, the magic shared with my mother left dormant for so long. Wish magic never felt like this, like a part of me I never knew existed. Thank you for trusting me with these Jackson. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Tears stain Jackson’s shirt, happy tears Hakeem assured. Jackson returns the hug, squeezing gently. He places the glasses back upon Hakeem’s slightly curved nose.
“Everything okay? Did I miss something?” The boys look up to see Eddie, hair still damp from his shower, staring down at them from the second floor. “I felt a shift in the air, figured I’d check in.”
Hakeem wipes his eyes and smiles, cheeks full. Jackson and Eddie’s hearts flutter at the sight. “Yeah, everything is okay, Eddie. Jackson just let me try out the wand.” Hakeem holds the wand up to the light, silver glow still shining through the quartz.
Eddie walks down the stairs over to the couch and leans over the back, arms crossed beneath him. “Woah, it looks even better in your hands, Hakeem.” Eddie offers a glance to Jackson, “Told ya you had good taste, Jackson.” A small smile and wink causes Jackson to look away from them both. He curses his pale skin for showing the redness in his cheeks and pointed ears so easily.
Hakeem’s hand traces the grimoire’s cover, fingers light on the worn leather. “This tome is amazing, but it looks so fragile.” The words escape him in a whisper, just loud enough for Eddie and Jackson to hear. “I wish I could undo the wear and tear.’’
Jackson leans in closer. “Would a wish be able to fix it?’’
Hakeem shakes his head. “My wish magic can’t affect grimoires like this one. It’s old and powerful, stronger than any magic I control.The magic woven through its pages keeps the tome safe from fire, water damage or altering from magic. Time is an unforgiving force, though. My wish magic isn’t as absolute as a true djinn so it cannot repair or create magic items, so even with your mana, Jackson, I couldn’t create a copy of this tome with a wish.”
He sighs deeply, “Unlimited wishes but more rules than I care toremember, essentially cleanups and party tricks. But this tome, it feels like home in the weirdest way, familiar somehow.” Hakeem’s touch lingers on the weathered tome.
Eddie leans in closer, his breath tickling the top of Hakeem’s head, “What about the spell used to fix the beaker?”
Hakeem looks up, his face an inch from Eddie. He pushes past the warmth in his cheeks. “Restora? Hmm. Fixing magic pages is more complicated than tempered glass beakers. There is visible damage but wear and tear is different from a crack. Although, with the right incantation,” Hakeem trails off, fingers tapping the grimoire’s cover, lower lip between his teeth. “Eddie, Jackson, if we cast the spell in tandem it would make it easier.”
Eddie recoils, head lowered to his chest. “Hakeem, my magic won’t be of any help. You and Jackson are perfect matches, sure, but isn’t a 50% match needed for tandem casting to even work?”
Eddie feels a hand on his arm, Hakeem looking up at him with glossy eyes, that disarmingly kind smile on full display. “Jackson trusted in his instincts so let me trust in mine, please? I won’t force you but I hope you’ll consider it.”
Eddie looks to Hakeem and then to Jackson, who has turned back to look at him. Something sparks in Eddie’s chest, feeling dangerously like…. hope? What did he hope would come of this? He remembers a lesson he learned from Hakeem while he and Jackson trained.You can’t hold your magic back by assuming you’ll fail.Eddie rolls his shoulder’s back and dries off his hair with the towel around his neck. “I’m up for it if you’re in, Jackson.”
Jackson’s mouth turns up in a smirk, “Why the hell not?”
Hakeem has Eddie sit in the middle of the couch, Hakeem on the left and Jackson to the right. Eddie’s magic, however little he had, is tied closely to the fae source; it would need to be the base of the spell to repair the grimoire’s pages. “Eddie, your hand goes on the bottom, fae magic as the base for the organic material. Mine goes on top of yours, I’ll guide the spell’s construction. Jackson your hand on mine channeling the mana topower the spell. If the mana match is high enough between us and Eddie, the spell should work, the mana combining. Is that okay?” Eddie and Jackson nod towards Hakeem, they trust him when it comes to magic.
Hands atop one another, the boys focus their intent on the grimoire, following Hakeem’s instructions. The boys trace their hand in a circle over the grimoire, once as a blue circle forms. Twice, a circle of silver forms next. Thrice, a green circle forms on top of the other two. As Hakeem speaks the incantation, the circles braid together, the mana match high enough for this to work.
Eddie’s spare hand subconsciously finds Hakeem’s that rests on his lap, giving it a light squeeze. Jackson leans into Eddie, thighs brushing together, neither of them moving away. The boys hold their breath as their magic intertwines.
“Stitch and sew, mend the break. Let time’s ravages be brushed away. Restora Temporal”
The incantation is longer, crafting a more complexspell, powered by all three of the boys mana working together. Their eyes widen as the wear on the leather and pages fade away, turning back time. Eddie and Hakeem flop back, the complex spell draining them, their held breath escaping them in a huff.
“It looks as good as it did eighty years ago. It’s not new but it looks a lot less fragile,” exclaims Jackson as he admires the repaired tome.
Eddie pulls Hakeem and Jackson into a hug by their shoulders, a hearty cackle erupting from deep in his stomach. “You guys, we fucking did it!”
Hakeem joins in the laughter, tears pricking at the edge of his eyes. “It looks so good! Eddie, your magic worked with ours so well. I knew you would be a good match. And Jackson! Your mana control was so precise! You’re both so amazing.”
Jackson smiles softly as he corrects him, “I do believe you mean we are amazing, you led us through the process. All those years studying really paid off.”
Hakeem is released from Eddie’s hold, and picks up the newly restored grimoire. It still looks a tad worm but much less fragile. He flips throughthe grimoire, pages slightly crinkly as he traces his finger through the text. The spells within make no sense to Eddie and Jackson, but to Hakeem they hold secrets of a world he never had the chance to experience before.
“Thank you, both of you. I will never forget this. Jackson, I promise to take good care of this for as long as you trust me with it.” Hakeem stands and pulls them both into another hug, a “thank you” whispered into their ears before he takes the wand and grimoire to be stored safely in his room.
Eddie puts his arms up on the couch, one draping behind Jackson. “That was really kind of you, entrusting him with your friends’ treasures like that. What made you choose him for it? It was a good choice but I am curious about what goes on in your mind.”
