Just a Little Bit of Magick • ONC 2020 • ✓

Secret Doors and Emotions Are a Pain

The feeling of Magick being used nearby was an unwelcome one to my slightly nauseous stomach.

The pull tugged me more in the direction of the Hotel, right into the foyer, a dusty room with an expanse of horribly chosen carpet. Which clashed with the curtains.

I shuffled across it, following the pull. Right until it stopped in front of William and two impeccably dressed men.

Probably some of his posh friends.

William seemed relieved to see me, 'Alina! I'd like to introduce you to a couple of old friends, James Scott-Green and Robert Taylor'

I held out my hand, 'Alina Ascania. Pleasure to meet you.'

So you can be civil if you want.

Shut up.

Shut doesn't-

Shhhh.

The men shook my hand, one, Robert I think, taking the time to kiss it.

As if that was supposed to impress me.

I didn't stay to listen to their mindless chatter for long, pushing past them with some excuse. James whistled as I walked away, 'She's a beauty William. Where do you pick them up?'

I glanced back, sending a wink at my uncomfortable friend, sandwiched in between his insufferable friends.

»--«

Up in my room I sat at the window, Faé stone removed from it's holder and in a bowl before me. In the right hand was a dagger, a present from Mother dearest; in the left, a potion of herbs and water.

Not for the spell, for me. They're very good pain killers.

Using the tip of the dagger, I traced a faint line across my palm. Blood bloomed over the scars from many previous spells. Twisting my wrist, I winced as the blood dripped onto the faded crystal.

'Aquae vitae vivifica hic lapis apud appositi.'

The stone glowed, red getting absorbed into the light. I dripped more onto it, squeezing my hand tighter.

'Vivifica his appositi industria fluxus corrigere.'

The stone glowed again, its colour reappearing as the red disappeared.

I repeated the ritual until the crystal shone with it's original emerald colour.

Then I downed the pain-killer potion and sank onto the bed, barely mustering the energy to wrap a cloth around my bleeding palm.

»--«

William woke me when it was dinner time, splashing some alcohol over my wound and bandaging it up again.

Pain certainly wakes you up fast. The sad thing is that I was too weak to use my newly reinstated magick to heal it.

I slotted my faé stone back into my ring, sliding it onto my finger.

William dragged me downstairs and out into the street, hailing a taxi for some random place in central London. 

We didn't even get any food.

After several diversions around collapsed buildings, we reached our destination, an unassuming little wool shop with  only a couple of customers in it. William had told me nothing about what we were doing here.

To my annoyance.

Entering the shop, William marched straight up to the cash register and the woman behind it.