The Spellbound State of the Universe

Chapter 7

By day four in Paris, Sheera was settling into the first stage of training she'd been assigned to by Madam Quillfern. The mandatory program was written on a scroll, each training task laid out in Madam Quillfern's fine cursive; it was posted on the bulletin board that hung in Sheera and Orisa's room.

As morning creeped in through the window, the first rays of sun illuminated the scroll and her daily agenda:

-Morning meditation

-Café on a terrace

-Outdoor fitness

-Eat something heavenly

-2 hours of strolling

-Evening meditation

It seemed more like a vacation itinerary than a recipe for learning magical powers en route to saving the world, but Sheera was too overwhelmed to question the details of this strange new world.

The harsh ring of Sheera's analog alarm clock proved to be superfluous, as she was already wide awake and staring up at the ceiling. It was seven a.m. , and time to check off the first item on the list. She looked over at Orisa but she was already gone, off to some important assignment no doubt.

By half past seven, Sheera was up on the building's rooftop and private terrace, preparing for her meditation, or rather...admiring the stunning views in every direction. The Eiffel Tower was clearly visible on the other side of the river, and when she turned around she saw Sacré Coeur, the mesmerizing white-domed basilica on top of a hill. In between all of that were stunning old cathedrals, include the iconic rectangular shape of Notre Dame. If that weren't enough, the streets formed a cozy maze of apartment buildings constructed in the distinctive Haussmann style, recognizable by their uniform facades, wrought-iron balconies and weathered grey rooftops.

As her eyes poured in these sights for a third morning in a row, it seemed impossible to transition to eliminating thoughts through silent meditation. Maybe that was part of the test, to form an absence in her mind when it was brimming with inspiration. Whatever the reason, she never had more thoughts than she did while she was trying to meditate. Like now. And now. And still now. She shook her head and sighed.

The day before, she'd alerted Madam Quillfern to her failure in the art of meditation. Far from being shunned, Madam Quillfern had calmly explained that the cycling of thoughts was normal as a form of release, and that for most people, it often took years to fully achieve a silent mind. The only tricky thing was that Sheera didn't have the luxury of years to learn this craft, and maybe not even the luxury of weeks.

The foggy deadline for the dark days ahead was another thought that consumed her when she wasn't supposed to be thinking. She opened one eye and peeked at the wind-up clock resting beside her to see if she was nearly done. She scoffed. "How have I only done ten minutes?"

"Whatever you're doing, you're not doing a very great job at it."

Sheera followed the sound of Luke's voice to the glass terrace door where he stood smirking. His muscular crossed arms hinted at the ability to crush melons, and far from it making her blush she blatantly stared. She was young and hot-blooded, after all.

"You weren't supposed to get here until I finished..."

Since Madam Quillfern was insistent on passing on knowledge to the Kindreds so she wouldn't be the only source, Luke had been assigned to monitor her first week of training. He would also help her work through the spells when she was ready, but the way things were going that outcome seemed bleak.

He leaned over her and reset the alarm clock.

"There are no shortcuts here," he said casually. "Meet me downstairs when you're done."