Page 22 of The Hocus Pocus Handbook

Adventure? Is that what we’re having?

Finally, Thea wins. I can’t resist any longer.

I smile.

11

A Spell for Swapping and Sunshine

There will come a time when you’re journeying, my gem. I’ll do what I can to ease your path. This charm can sweeten the weather, and I’ll share my secret to staving off the rain, at least until you get where you’re going. Now, we shouldn’t meddle overmuch in such business. If there was no rain, the trees and flowers couldn’t grow and the brooks would dry up. Not only that, but the rain makes us treasure those sunny days.

That said, sometimes we do need to coax an hour or two more. My only caveat is, if you enjoy the sun now, there will be rain later. The universe tries to stay in balance. You’re not changing the totals, my jewel. Rather, you’re borrowing future sunshine. That means it’ll rain when it was supposed to be sunny at some point. But since timing matters, mayhap that rain won’t inconvenience you, if you’ve gotten where you were going. It might trouble others, so do consider that before you give the weather a tweak.

This working is best performed in the light. You’ll need:

A significant amount of sunstone, honey calcite, and tigereye

Broom, saffron, and alder

A golden censer

Arrange the stones in a protective circle, alternating types. Take care not to place two pieces of the same type next to each other. This spell is deceptively simple, and so much falls upon your clarity of mind and the focus of your will. From within the protective circle, add the herbs to the golden censer. Use your magic to incinerate them to smoke, and then focus your will. Concentrate on the smoke carrying your wishes far and wide, until it becomes…more. A manifestation of your will. This is not quite a summoning, but near enough that the protective circle is a wise precaution. You can use different stones for different charms, but these are attuned to the sun.

Keep your mind fixed on fair winds and bright skies. Once you’re certain that the smoke shadow is bound to your directive and will go forth to stave off rain and whisper sweetly to the wind on your behalf, only then carefully unseal the circle. You can do this by moving a stone or stepping outside the boundary. The smoke should wing away and keep the clouds at bay for the time you’ve specified.

This charm is stronger when cast on someone else’s behalf. The last time I used this spell, it was your name day, and you were so disappointed that we wouldn’t be picnicking to celebrate that I moved the clouds for you. Do you remember how it stormed that night? All things in due time.

Thea

While the riddling was fun, we do have a schedule to keep.

This will probably embarrass Kerboros, who seems to think he’s saved the day by defusing the tension. His smile is…unexpected, sunshine breaking through a bank of darkest clouds. He’s so proud of himself that I shouldn’t burst his bubble.

But this gruagach, Timuir, is a family friend, and while he looks moderately terrifying, if people would stop screaming when they see him, they’d discover that he’s quite a nice person.

“It’s been lovely riddling, Uncle Tim! How have you been?”

Kerboros shoots me an unreadable look, but within the span of a few heartbeats, he relaxes his battle readiness and keeps his own counsel. Though I don’t expect him to comment, I’m minorly disappointed that he’s so self-contained. I do feed on excess anger, but he keeps his fury so well leashed that usually I would need to touch him to gain any sustenance. And I’ve promised not to do that again without his consent.

“You know,” Uncle Tim says with an eloquent head tilt. He probably doesn’t want to say more in front of Winter’s hound.

I nod, understanding the words unspoken.

“Where are you going with that?” I gesture to the tree trunk at our feet. It does resemble a club, and anyone might reasonably expect a gruagach to use it for smashing.

“Building a dam for Macha. She can be so picky about the type of wood.”

“Oh, we’re on the way to see her as well. Do you want some company?”

“Normally, I’d say yes, but…” Uncle Tim shoots an apologetic look at me.

Yeah, Kerboros is making me unpopular in the wildlands.

“Don’t let me keep you, then. Take care of yourself, and mind your bad knee!”

I get a wave of acknowledgment as Uncle Tim strides off, his footfalls shaking the immediate area. We haven’t found the pookas yet, so even if he had been willing to travel with us, we couldn’t have kept up. A gruagach takes five steps for every one of mine.

Once my honorary uncle leaves my line of sight, I turn toward my companion, but before I can speak, he does.