A Touch of Magic

Chapter 20 - All's Fair

"Crap doorstop by the way." Zara held the box lightly between two fingers. There was no humour in her voice. Though my back was towards the door, I knew she'd moved to sit down on the bed. "Before you ask, I arrived with Robbie and we chatted for a bit downstairs. What's going on?"

My heart was beating so loudly I couldn't hear my own thoughts to make up a decent enough lie. And I couldn't move, surrounded by guilt, anxiety and wretchedness.

"Minta, if it helps, I know you're into witchy stuff. I guessed after you saved the boy from hypothermia. You're somehow making things happen."

My poker face had never been great, but... I swung round. "How do you know?"

Her eyes were glazed and if I pushed my feelings away hard enough, I could feel Zara's own sorrow and dejection. "You gave yourself away by getting over the spiral thing too quickly. You stopped mentioning runes, and yet you'd really believed in them. Then those shoes you gave me turned into old summer sandals."

"Oh." My eyebrows rose and fell. "That is a give-away. Are you angry?"

She sighed and looked at the ceiling as if trying to decide there and then. "Yes... No. Not now. I was for a bit, then I realised you were probably trying to get to grips with something and needed time by yourself to cope. It's a big deal right?"

I nodded, my eyes now brimming with tears. "It's a big deal."

"So are you some kind of witch? I don't need to know to be your friend. But if you want to tell me, I'll believe you."

The choice was mine: to live in fear or to share my life?

Another epiphanic moment: I didn't have to do it Gladys' way and have the same qualms. This could work. No; this would work. And if we ever stopped being friends? Well, we wouldn't. But I had to use my own judgement and take chances otherwise what was the point of any of it?

"Gladys Jones, who lives in Jasmine Cottage, calls us Cumendre. I've not really got the hang of what it means except I've got an urge to cause massive upheaval in peoples lives."

Zara raised her eyebrows knowingly. "I always thought there was something strange about your great aunt. So she did leave you something more than that huge cat that keeps hanging about."

I laughed as she threw the squashed doorstop at my head. "Yes, she did."

Her face became serious once more. "Talk me through it." Zara pointed to the floor. "I want to know what all that's for and how it works. I want to know what you were doing and why you visit Gladys Jones." She looked at her watch. "You've got about thirty minutes before your mum gets back, so let's go for it."

I grinned at Zara, and then looked at the crystal ball still in my hands. "Ok. Hold this for me, will you. Ætberan." I gently sent the ball through the air towards Zara, who, more than a little shocked, stretched out her arms to receive it. And for the first time in her life, Zara believed in the unbelievable.

*

Zara was still leaning on the lamppost kissing Pete. I'd naively thought she was just behind me as I walked up the concrete path to the solicitor's office door. "Come on Zar, I'll chicken out if I don't do this now."

"Coming, coming."

"What are you doing anyway?" Pete, pulled Zara's skirt to bring her back, but she gave him a warning glance and strode on.

"Don't ask, and make sure you're not late for dinner. Six o-clock, Pete, not half-past."

Pete laughed as he sauntered off.