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EMILY
Ifelt so stupid. Everything changed so quickly; one minute we were talking about Morgan coming here and the next, the atmosphere shifted. Griffin went quiet and I could practically feel the heat radiate off of him, it was intoxicating. When I realized that he was going to kiss me, I was surprised that I wanted him to kiss me. I’d imagined it enough times when alone at night—not that I would ever admit that to anyone, especially since everything with Cassian was up in the air. Why are feelings so confusing!
The door opened. “Leave me alone, asshole,” I said without looking up.
“I see both of you are in a good mood then.” Morgan stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. “Whatever it is, get over it. We have work to do.”
“Sorry. I’m ready.” I straightened and pushed the irritation aside. “Tell me what to do.”
Morgan sighed. “Well, we can’t do the spells in here. If something goes wrong, you’ll lose all of your stuff. Let’s work in the dining room.” She spun on her heels and left the room.
Yay! I get to see Griffin’s asshole face all night… I groaned and followed Morgan to the table where she unpacked several jars and an old book. Griffin had his eyes closed, head leaned against the couch with his headphones on. At least he wouldn’t be making snide comments all evening.
“Sit. As I said the other day, you can practice other spells that don’t rely on your affinity. The spells are passed down in covens with one of these.” Morgan pointed at the old book, tattered and browning. “It’s a grimoire and it holds basic spells and more complex ones, they range from healing, to herb use, curses, and other spells.”
I nodded, it was a lot to take in but learning more about magic made me excited. “I don’t have a grim… book.”
“You can use mine for now. Your mom would have had one.” Morgan sat down on the opposite side of the table. “Light the candle.”
Focus. Control. I took a deep breath and a second later, the candle was lit. Magic rushed through me and pulsed as if waiting patiently for the next instruction. “Luckily there’s only one candle in here.”
Morgan smiled but kept her eyes on the book. “The same rules apply to spells, you need to have control. We’ll start with the basics.”
She shoved the book to me, and as I flipped through the pages, she explained each spell. The book was old, the pages were creased and brown with age. Each page contained instructions for a spell or chant and a drawing.
Morgan explained how to mix the right herbs and helped with pronunciation since most of the spells were in Latin. My head felt like it would explode from everything she explained, and I couldn’t help feeling impatient. I wanted to do something, I wanted to use my magic.
“You’ve helped me with a ward before; they act as a type of shield but much stronger. It takes a lot of energy to sustain it, but when you have werewolf friends, it’s a necessity.” Morgan explained.
“Friend,” I muttered and she grinned before continuing. She probably enjoyed the tension between Griffin and me, she certainly seemed more relaxed..
“Creating a ward is different from spells, you don’t need an incantation. As you get better, it will appear quicker without as much focus. These are healing spells over here and they need herbs to work. Most can be found in nature, but if you need something urgently, I have them or there are stores owned by witches who stock a variety of herbs or ready-made potions.” She carried on, pointing as she explained.
“How do I know which herbs to use?” I asked.
“Use the book, you’ll remember them eventually.” Morgan flipped a few pages. “Okay, defense spells. Shields and force are basic, let’s try using force.” She placed a plastic cup on the table. “Focus on the cup and push it with your mind.”
I pictured the cup moving to the edge of the table but it stayed in place. “Do I say something?”
Morgan shook her head, and I tried again and again. Minutes went by, sweat trickled down my neck, and my head started to hurt. Frustration started to take over.
“Move!” I yelled and slammed my fist on the table. The cup flew into the couch, the windows rattled, and the light swung back and forth.
Morgan sighed and Griffin opened one eye. “I would appreciate it if you don’t wreck my apartment.” He grunted and leaned his head back again.
“Control and patience, Emily,” Morgan said.
“Sorry, I got frustrated,” I mumbled.
She stood and walked to the window, grabbing a potted plant and placed it in front of me. “Maybe you can try something a little more gentle. Focus on the plant and make it grow. Say Cresco.”
I cleared my throat and put my hand on the soil and whispered the word. Surprisingly, the bare branches fluttered and green leaves pushed through the dead stems. They grew, and in seconds little pink flowers dotted every leaf. It kept growing until the branches hung with fresh flowers and leaves.
“Good.”
It felt like my eyes were going to pop out. My cheeks hurt from smiling, and pride filled my chest. “It’s so pretty!”
“It can come in handy, even in a fight. It might not be as strong as it would be with an earth affinity, but if you need to trip someone with vines or tie them up, it's useful,” Morgan said, flipping through more pages.
