Illicit Magic (17 page)

“Not a dud,” I repeated like a moron. My eyes settled on the book again and I felt myself fix on it with a strange sort of longing as I tuned in to the rise and fall of my lungs. Hell, I wanted the damn thing to move and, at last, it did, wriggling just a few short millimetres to the left.

I looked up at Evan with the most enormous smile on my face and then bewilderment as I realised the natural light had dimmed. I must have focused on the book for much longer than I thought. But I had done it.

“So, not a dud.” Evan smiled at me, an easy smile this time, but not one of a proud teacher. He seemed to be assessing me and I returned his gaze without a quiver. A shudder ran through me and I was the first to turn away even though I would have been quite content to continue appraising him.
On the sly, anyway.

“We’ll start again tomorrow.”

And just like that, Evan was gone, before I even remembered that I still wanted to ask the question of what he was.

~

The week progressed in the same way. I took a lesson with Evan first, my frustration rising as the time passed without event; then a lesson with David which was more enjoyable because I could make little things happen. Following the little orb of light I created from my first spell, there was a protection spell and other little things that were enjoyable to do. Then it was lunch and free time. Once I went back to the beach and walked out my frustration of simply not knowing anything - the council, what I had to learn, my future - they were all enigmas to me. Another time, I snoozed on my bed. A couple of times I unwrapped the headphones of my MP3 player and listened to music as I curled on the window seat, my head leant against the pane.

The evenings were spent in a cycle of the same things; cards in the kitchen after dinner or watching a movie in the living room. Sometimes I let Kitty braid my hair and we talked about girly things that were as far removed from our life of magic as could be.

Some evenings I spent in the library, curled up with Marc talking about books we’d read and our lives. It was pleasant and relaxing and I could feel myself growing attached to both of them in a way that I had never felt attached to anyone before.

Maybe it was because we weren’t part of a ready-made group like Étoile and Seren, or Christy and Clara who kept largely to themselves. Kitty and Marc seemed so open and lively that I enjoyed being around them no end. I still noticed that Kitty and Marc were scrupulously polite around each other and thought that one day I would have to ask what their deal was.

Even David and Jared seemed to have teamed up, somewhat incongruously. Once, during one of our evenings crowded around a film, I snuck glances at Evan like I could figure him out if I got just one more look. Sometimes I felt his eyes on me too but only once or twice did our eyes meet, making me colour under his gaze.

By the end of the second week, I was fed up and my nerves were frayed. I hadn’t teleported even an inch – not even accidentally – and the objects Evan set before me stayed just where they were, despite the minor triumph I’d had on my first day.

So I was grumpy and fed up when it was suggested that afternoon that we go out to a local bar for dinner. If I could have worked out who came up with the original suggestion, I would have gladly hugged them for giving me something fun to look forward too.

Evan had even waved me away that morning, brushing off the thought of a Friday afternoon lesson in favour of reading in the big sitting room, rather than putting up with another fruitless lesson with yours truly, not that he said that in so many words.

By early evening, we had all gravitated towards the living room and I found myself perched on the furthest sofa from the door, half turned away from Evan, with Étoile between us and Kitty crouched on the floor, painting her toenails a bronze shade. My feelings of frustration seemed to be having company. Everyone had the dull expressions of the overworked and underplayed.

Even David, normally so enthusiastic and chilled, was flagging and had snapped at everyone in today’s lesson. He kept rubbing the long scar across his face like it was bothering him and I wondered why he didn’t just ask Étoile to heal him. Clara and Christy were still ignoring him after the lesson in which he had been brusque and short. Marc had been flicking through the DVDs without much interest while Jared undertook some kind of monologue at him that seemed to include a lot of enthusiastic waving of his hands and the occasional nod from Marc.

According to Kitty, who was chattering as she swept the brush over her toes, the bar had a real live band playing that night and served the best steak in town. I wondered if she had ever been there, before my arrival, of course, and guessed she must have; but I didn’t ask as the idea would have laid upon eagerly by our little group of civilization-starved people.

“What should I wear?” I asked Kitty quietly. She had tucked away her nail polish in a little bag and grasped my hands to pull me upstairs in a playful way that made me laugh. She was bubbling over with enthusiasm at the idea of going out.

As she pulled me along behind her, I glanced over my shoulder and caught not Marc’s eyes but Evan’s. He had remained on the sofa, his big arm resting on the side, a thumb marking the page of his book. He smiled at me and my heart did that stupid flutter thing. A smile crept onto my face before Kitty swept me away again, bounding up the stairs two at a time, so fast I could barely keep up.

“Jeans,” she pronounced, flicking through the hangers in my closet, a pout forming on her Cupid’s mouth. “And more jeans. And, ooh, t-shirts. Sexy.” The last word came out with a little snort.

“It’s not like I’ve had much time for shopping,” I replied with a shrug. Truth be told, my wardrobe was not exactly exciting to me either. Thanks to my parents, I had a nice stash of cash that had been squirreled away for years accruing interest but I’d had no time to spend any.
Plus
, as I reminded myself,
the money should be spent on something useful and there might come a day when I really needed it.
I wasn’t a particularly frivolous person and had never really indulged myself. I bought serviceable all-weather clothes, not going out stuff.

“Wait here. You can wear something of mine.” Kitty darted out of the room and across the landing to hers. I could hear her footsteps padding none too delicately around her room and then back again. She held up three hangers. There was a slinky, blue jersey with a v-neck, a strappy, green top with a crystal motif and a white Grecian top with one sleeve and a gathered bodice. “Try them on,” Kitty urged and she looked so excited about the idea of dressing me that I could hardly say no.

I slipped out of my shirt so I stood in my jeans and bra and shrugged on the blue, catching sight of the plunging neckline in the mirror and whipping it off, just as fast. “Not me,” I pronounced, shaking my head at the strappy, green top next. I pulled on the white top and Kitty reached forward to arrange the hem.

“You could wear it with your skinny jeans and those cute flats of yours and it will look pretty, but not dressy.” She spun me around so I was in front of the long mirror. Behind me, she tugged my hair out of its ponytail and ran her fingers through it so it fanned over my shoulders in waves. She had trimmed the singed ends for me and it looked healthy again. “We could curl it just a little, so it looks natural, you know. Or maybe put in a couple of plaits, hippy style.” Kitty twisted my hair in her hands so it curled slightly. “I can do your makeup. What do you think?”

“I think where were you when I was a teenager and needed someone to sort me out?” I laughed but I couldn’t take my eyes off myself. I looked tall and strong and the top made me want to stand a little straighter. I had firm breasts and a slim waist and arms that were toned but not frighteningly muscular and hair (a true golden brown) that framed cream skin. I looked pretty, I relished with pride and wondered if I was about to shed a tear.
Get a grip
. It was like I had never seen myself look halfway decent before.

“Well, now,” said Kitty, slipping her arm about my waist and giving me a squeeze. “You would think you’d never put on something pretty before.”

“I haven’t,” I admitted. “I’m a jeans and tee girl. I wore regular, dowdy, boring things to my regular, dowdy, boring jobs. I don’t... I didn’t... go out much.” It surprised me a bit how ready I was to talk about my life in the past tense and I was chagrined to admit just how uninteresting it had been. Maybe that would change. I hoped it would. Everyone deserved a fresh start,
especially when someone was trying to kill them
. I shook the thought from my head. I didn’t want to be reminded of that now.

“Life is one hundred percent different for you,” replied Kitty, her hands on my shoulders as she spoke to my reflection. “Why don’t you let yourself be a few percent different too? Try out something different.”

“Will you take me shopping?” I asked, surprising myself.

“Thought you’d never ask. Tomorrow?” Kitty was clapping her hands together and I laughed.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to get out of lessons. Evan is a task master.”

“We could get him incredibly drunk tonight,” Kitty suggested, “then maybe he’ll just sleep through and forget all about classes.”

I gasped in feigned outrage and went to wriggle out of Kitty’s white top, tying a bathrobe about me instead as I pulled off my jeans and tossed them in the basket. “I can’t believe you would suggest such a thing. Besides,” I shrugged as I knotted the belt. “I do need the lessons.”
And I kind of liked being around Evan
but I didn’t say that out loud.

Kitty cocked an eyebrow. “We could just mention it’s Saturday tomorrow and we all deserve the time off.” She turned to fiddle with something on my dresser and added after a moment, “He is rather nice to look at.”

I rolled my eyes. She could be so sly. “It’s not that. Well, it is that a bit. He is good looking. Very.” I was in danger of getting sidetracked and shrugged off the thought. “Most of all, I like what he’s teaching me. I’ve never had anyone teach me before. I’ve never been able to control anything; I still can’t make myself do what I want to do, but I’ve noticed that I haven’t caused accidents, so I am more focused. If I’m cross, I don’t accidentally hurt someone. You have no idea what a relief that is.”

“I can guess. It’s not been easy for any of us, but most have had family around to teach us from birth the right way to use our gifts. Well, not that my family was great, but at least they had something of a clue and they did get me help when I needed it.”

“Do you really see it as a gift?”

“If by ‘it’ you mean the various things we can do, the telepathy, the telekinesis, the zapping and everything else, then yes, it is an absolute gift and even when it’s been tough, I wouldn’t be who I am without it, without this world of ours.”

“You’re happy?” I didn’t know if I was asking a question or making a statement.

“Just like any other regular girl.” Kitty gathered up the rejected tops and took the white one from me to hang on a hanger on my closet handle. “I have to go get changed too. Remember skinny jeans, cream flats. Totally cute. I’ll come back and do your hair in twenty, ‘kay?”

“Thank you, Kitty.”

“My pleasure.”

I calculated that I would have enough time to shower and wash my hair in those few minutes if I hurried, and I hurry I did, scrubbing and sluicing water and shampoo through my hair until I felt squeaky clean. I towelled off and rubbed cream into my skin from the little flowered bottle that had been left in the basket by the sink. I put on new underwear and a bra without straps, seeing as the one-shouldered look would be difficult to pull off with a regular bra, and slipped on the skinny jeans Kitty had pointed out, then shimmied on her white top. The flats were at the bottom of the closet and I slipped them on as I looked at myself again in the mirror and indulged myself with a twirl.

Who would have thought that not only was the lonely girl from London actually getting ready for a night out, but that she looked pretty damn good too?
I smiled and the mirror me smiled back.

Kitty knocked before slipping inside. She was wielding a hot hair wand and a square metal box with a handle, which she set on my dresser and popped open to reveal tubes and pots and square trays of colour. Apparently makeup was serious business for Kitty.

“I’ll dry your hair first.” Kitty directed me to sit on the chair, which she put in front of the mirror and stood behind me with the hairdryer as she brushed and steamed my hair dry. When it was straight, she teased soft waves into it that fell around my face in an oh-so-casual way. I would have to ask her how to do stuff like that. She fiddled in her case. “You’re lucky you have great skin so we’ll just put a little shadow and a slick of mascara, the barest lip gloss, just a touch of extra colour on your cheeks. Nothing too much, just a little extra.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Oh, pah. You know I like doing this stuff.” Kitty waved my thanks away as she closed my eyes with her finger and swept on the shadow in neat strokes, directing me to look up so she could brush on the mascara. She deposited the wand back in the tube and laid it carefully in its place before plucking out a soft tube of pale pink gloss. “I’ll just squeeze a little on your lips then you need to rub it around, okay?” She mimicked mashing her lips together and I copied her to move the gloss around.

“Actually, I wanted to do hair and makeup, maybe do some styling, as a job but this magic stuff took priority.” She didn’t seem too upset about her strange change of a career, if I could call it that.

Kitty stood back to admire her handiwork. She grinned. “Well, it’s not like the canvas was a bad one to start with but you do look pretty good to me. You’re going to knock someone’s socks off tonight.”

“I don’t think I could knock anyone’s socks off,” I replied, wondering if she meant Marc, whom I’d surprised myself by not thinking about all day. He had spent the last couple of days with his phone almost glued to his ear but never shared what he was doing. He seemed cagey when I’d asked.