Daughter of the Dragon

Chapter 26: The Shadow (NEW)

Meika opened her inner eye. The green door was firmly shut, hidden in the darkest recesses of her mind. That was a relief; since that day in the caves, she was always slightly anxious when using magic. Meika turned her witch-sight outward, searching for signs of the dreaming intruding into the waking. Immediately, her vision was filled with bright colors from out of this world; there was no shortage of magical energies around Deepwood Manor. The earth was pregnant with it, the air thick, and every living thing was aglow with power.

This was the magic of all mages, born of the natural world and accessed by being attuned to forest and field, the shifting seasons, the rain and the wind, and everything else that made up the great circle of life. Priests were different. They drew their power from the High Heavens, the home of the gods. And then there were the mad few, witches and warlocks, who opened the doorway to the Abyss and wielded the dark energies of the underworld. Meika shuddered. She had been close, too close, to going there herself. Never again.

Meika took a deep breath, drawing some of the energy inside, then envisioned Darya gently floating through the air to land upon the branch she had fallen from. Then, she spread her arms and started weaving a pattern from the chaotic swirls of magic. A double circle, each made of five strands of energy, marked the outer and inner boundaries of the spell. Inside, she wove sixteen complex glyphs, each connected to its neighbors and the inner and outer edges. As magic went, the levitation spell was pretty simple and quickly cast.

The spell thus formed, Meika released it upon the world, using her mother's rosary as the conduit. She'd never had a proper focus before, but one object to focus her magic through. Ela had her rings, but Meika had never found anything that suited her nature. Instead, she had used whatever was at hand and felt most appropriate for the spell she was casting. Or done without one altogether. Mages didn't need foci—especially not for petty magics—it just made casting easier.

Ela had always said she would find her focus eventually and would know once she found it. Meika had known since the fight with the monstrous lizard in the underground. She'd instinctively grabbed the rosary as she struggled with the beast and was immediately aware of the difference it made. Without the focus, she couldn't have held it for as long as she did. Now, whenever she did magic, the rosary was the capstone to her spells, and they were more potent for it.

Darya rose slowly into the air, staying clear of the tree until she was level with Meika, then swinging forward to come face to face with Meika.

"Try not to fall down this time," Meika said.

"If you put me down, I'll try not to," Darya replied, eyes wide, not in fear, but wonder.

"Do you enjoy floating through the air?"

"What a stupid question! I love it. I wish I could go higher. Fly above the tree crowns and go fast and far."

"I'm afraid my levitation spell isn't quite up to the task," Meika replied, mentally lowering Darya.

The blonde girl winced visibly when the broken leg touched wood, leaning on Meika for support. "I wish I had wings," Draya said, voice all dreamy.

"Sit down before you fall," Meika commanded and gently helped Darya sit with the oak trunk supporting her back.

"I know why Ela misses her wings."

Meika shook her head. "You don't have any. Just don't fall again, all right?"

"I won't."

"Good," Meika said, kissed Darya on the cheek, and quickly climbed down. The rough and knobbly bark of the great oak made for plentiful handholds. There was no point casting another spell when she could do what she wanted without magic.