Bewitched

Chapter 6

"This is my newest and dearest friend, Ilana," Maggie tells me excitedly gesturing to the woman by her side. 

Maggie's friend is staring very intently at the floor and clenching her jaw so tightly i'm scared she'll break a tooth. I don't know what i did to make her look so upset, i just hope it'll be easily rectified. I can't bear having people upset with me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Have you only recently arrived? Because that's the only reason I can think of why we haven't met before." I hold out my hand in greeting.

She finally looks up at me and smiles, a slow soft smile that makes my chest ache. She quickly shakes my hand and even after she removed her hand from mine i can still feel the impression of her fingers grazing my scar. I swallow hard.

"She's only arrived a couple of days ago and even if she hadn't you barely leave your library enough to notice," Maggie answers laughing. But I can still hear the bitterness in her voice.

"I'll try and make more of an effort to leave the library. I can't have my oldest and dearest friend upset at me."

"Good," She smiles at me and I can see she's forgiven me.

In the background i can hear the charmed instruments begin playing slower, more romantic music.

"Oh, I love this song," Maggie gushes." You have to dance with me." She intertwines our hands.

I look over at Ilana worriedly, scared that me abandoning her to go with Maggie will make her be upset with us.

"Go," she says smiling at us indulgently,"Have fun!"

Maggie quickly drags by off while I follow in a daze. My heart beating erratically in my chest. My god, her voice. Its the kind of voice I imagine sirens would have. The kind of voice I would drown to hear again.

I twirl Maggie as we dance and she chatters on about the new pastries she's thinking of introducing to the shop. I try to pay attention, she's my friend and I would hate to hurt, but focus is elsewhere. 

Ilana is standing off to the edges of the celebration. Scrutinizing the leaves of some tall tree. Oh what I would give to have her look at me like that. She's probably a herbomancer. I've got quite a few botany books in the library, if I offer her them i might be able to see her smile again. My heart stutters painfully in my chest.

"Those sound delicious," I say to Maggie pretending to have been listening. "I've been thinking, we haven't had the time to doing anything together recently. Why don't we go on a walk through the forest tomorrow and then have lunch at the library? You can bring your friend, Ilana, as well as she's new and probably hasn't seen that much of our beautiful town." I try and mention her friend casually as though she isn't the sole reason for the expedition.

" That sounds wonderful. I have given Ilana a tour already, but I'm sure she would love to see the library. We even spoke earlier at about how impressed we are with it."

"Oh, good. Great." I smile and twirl her again.

***

Maggie and I stumble over to Ilana, exhausted from all our dancing. She's sitting cross-legged at the base of the tree I day her scrutinizing earlier. She has braiding together the stems of some flowers to make a flower crown and wears it at an angle.

"Hope you weren't too bored, while we were gone."

"Oh, hardly. Not with all these plants around. Did you know this tree is the only natural mutation of an apple and oak tree this side of the equator?"

I've never really cared all that much about plants, but I could hear her talk about them for the rest of my life and never grow tired.

" That's very intriguing. I've got a couple books about botany at the library if you're interested in learning more about natural plant mutations." I sound so awkward and nerdy I almost rescind my offer, but then she smiles at me. Her eyes shine with excitement and I regret not having asked her sooner. Every minute of my life I've spent doing anything except making her smile at me now feels like such a waste of time.

"I would love to! I was just talking to Maggie about how much I wanted to go and visit the library!"

"Then its perfect." I smile at her and she yawns so widely I laugh. 

She blushes to the roots and I barely have a moment to appreciate how much I like seeing her blush when she starts babbling.

"Oh god! That was so rude of me! I swear i'm usually much more polite. It's just I'm a herbomancer and I don't usually stay up this late. I did have a energy potion, but we've been here so long it must've worn off. Not that I haven't been enjoying the celebration. The music's amazing and you've been a wonderful host and I'm really happy to have been invited. Its a really great celebration, truly stunning."

"Its fine, don't worry. The celebration is mostly over now anyway, if you wanted to leave. And besides I was hoping we could see each other again tomorrow. I already spoke to Maggie about us three going on a walk through the forest and then having lunch in the library. You could even tell us more interesting facts about the plants in the forest."

" Its such an amazing idea, isn't it?" Maggie asks Ilana and I almost jolt in surprise. I'd been so caught up with Ilana I'd forgotten she was still there.

"It is. I can hardly wait." 

With a small smile from Ilana and a tight hug from Maggie they leave. I stand still smiling for a couple minutes after they leave, before I begin to make my way back home to the library. I whistle a tune and barely stop myself from dancing the whole way back. I don't believe I've ever enjoyed a celebration as much as this one.