Careless Magic book 1

Chapter 39

The gypsy woman still a mystery, the train came to a stop in the humble, but beautiful town of Sibiu. I exited the train, backpack in tow, to an outdoor platform. I breathed in the less polluted air of the countryside and lifted my face to the late afternoon sun, whose warmth I barely felt. I pulled the hood up on my sweatshirt and took in another big breath.

It was during that breath, that I finally felt it; the small hum of magic coming from some distance away. It was almost like a calling; the buzzing electricity beckoned me to find it.

I took another big breath and let the distant call of magic fill me. I may not have known exactly where to go, but at least I had a general direction to follow.

I looked around for cab drivers, but the smaller town wasn't as convenient as the booming Western city of Timisoara. In fact, the town looked nearly deserted. The tourist shops were all closed and the streets empty. I didn't know how far the Citadel was from this small town, but it was too far to walk, the magic could at least assure me of that.

I had no choice for now however, and began to jog in the direction of where I felt like the magic was located. The city was very hilly and I found myself walking up a very steep incline when I finally stumbled upon a cab driver taking a smoke and sitting on the hood of his run down Dacia.

"English?" I asked, not expecting much.

"Da. English," he smiled, and I could see rows of gold teeth behind dirty lips.

"Can you drive me?" I pointed in the direction I wanted to go in.

"Not that way," he shook his head rapidly and then spat on the ground.

"I will pay you," I said clearly and pulled out my stack of Lei again.

"Not enough to go that way," he looked back in the direction with an expression of fear.

"Please," I said plainly and when he shook his head no again, I resorted to begging. "Please, please," I cried out.

"Why do you want to go that way?" he asked with a thick accent.

"I have to save my friend," I begged, helplessly. "Please."

"I will not take you all the way, but I will get you close enough, da?" his expression was full of pity and I was so thankful that I rushed over and hugged the poor man. He spat his cigarette out and choked on the smoke, completely surprised by the affection.

Before he could recover I hopped into the back seat, a near replica of the first taxi I was in. I exhaled, but was unable to relax. Once the driver successfully started the stubborn car, my nerves only grew. I rehearsed again and again the case I intended to make for Lilly, my stomach turning into knots.

The cab drove out of the city and into the winding roads of the mountains. The countryside only became more beautiful; millions of trees in all different fall shades blanketed the horizon. Their loveliness stretched out across the rising hills and as the sun set lower in the sky, their reds and oranges melted into one extraordinary canvas of color.

The center of magic grew stronger and stronger the deeper we found our way into the lush forest; its call became more clarified. At this point I could have given directions to the driver, but he seemed perfectly able to find the way on his own. And as the magic intensified, the poor driver's speed decreased. The pitiable man was clearly terrified of a force I would not have expected him to be aware of.

I watched him become more and more agitated, lighting thin cigarette after thin cigarette, never allowing his mouth to sit idle. I wondered what sparked his anxiety, unsure if he was even conscious of exactly what he was afraid of.