The Clearing: Origins

Chapter 24

She smiled, her eyes warm and captivating. "Of being what?"

Victor almost choked out the words. "Of being in a committed relationship."

Kristy sat up, ramrod straight. "That means exclusive in your world. It's not done in my realm."

"No one has a girlfriend or boyfriend?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

The genie looked away. "The menfolk decide our fate, remember?"

Victor reached out a gentle hand and turned her face toward his. "That's not your world anymore."

"Why me? I'm nobody important."

Victor had written pages of eloquent speeches and found snips of poetry to explain to the insecure girl how he felt. But Jason had tossed them all away.

"Just speak from your heart," he'd advised. "Chicks like that."

"I adore you, Kristy. You complete me as a want, not a need. Nor am I talking about dependency." Victor gazed down at his trembling fingers. "We could date and really get to know each other like two normal teens before committing. Slow and steady, and only when you're ready. Think about it, no pressure! I won't—"

"I'd love to." Her words were almost a whisper. "Slow and steady."

He reached for a rectangular box he'd hidden under the cushions. He opened it, and nestled in a sea of cotton sat a charms bracelet with two hearts. Victor held the trinket up, letting her read 'Kristy' engraved on one heart and 'Victor' on the other. "Merry Christmas, love."

The glorious eyes grew cloudy. "I love it." Fastening the bracelet on her delicate wrist nearly caused Victor to tear up. "Vic, is a thank you kiss appropriate?"

He chuckled. "You never have to ask permission to give such a wonderful gift."

Slender arms slid around his neck, and her lips found his, solidifying a moment he'd cherish forever.

The holiday season had come and gone before Victor mentioned the changes to his magic. The family and Doctor Mason sat in the living room during high tea when he spilled his guts. With a cucumber sandwich in one hand, he told them of the magic's metamorphosis, everything Princess had explained. 

"I'm still a One Magi," he concluded. "Except I have 'adult' magic now."

"What's different?" asked Jason, nabbing the last slice of pickled salmon on toast. Rosetta snarled at her brother, ready to fight for the morsel until Victor slid her an egg and cress sandwich, which soothed her.

Victor shrugged. "It's more powerful even though I don't feel it anymore. But knowing my track record, it'll somehow help me throw a spanner in the works."

"I agree with the Princess person. The acts committed against you were designed to make you less confident in yourself." Lovedae took a sip of tea. "Damn the magic! Does this make you a bigger target?"

Victor harbored the same thoughts. He didn't want his family targeted again, not after the Arabella incident. "Kristy said I could move into her spare room. I don't want to risk—"

"Totally inappropriate." Lovedae patted his hand. "We're a family, and we're in this together until we can figure away to get rid of that cursed magic." She glanced at Dr. Mason, who sat back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What are you thinking, Lyle?"

The doctor rose from his seat and wandered over to the bookshelf, his finger running over the books until he selected a hefty tome called The History of Ancient Egypt, Exploration of the Distant Past. "Not a direct quote, my dear, but—" He smiled at Lovedae, then carried the book to Victor, placing it on his lap. "Sherlock Holmes once said it's a mistake to theorize before one has all the data. Let us go back to the immediate problem. We need to discover all we can about the one orchestrating the abominations against your family. The journals of Craig and his ancestors are our best resource."

"But, there's hundreds of 'em," cried Rosetta. "We've gone through as many as we can without falling asleep." She looked at Victor with a guilty expression on her face. "Sorry, Vic. I gotta short attention span."

"You barely read one, foam-for-brains." Jason smiled at Victor. "I read two."

"Yeah, he did... by skipping all the words," muttered Rosetta.

Victor poured a dash of milk into his tea. "It's okay, guys." He gazed at the book and frowned. "What would you like me to do with this, sir?" His interest in ancient civilizations was minimal at best.

The doctor sat down again, accepting a cup of tea from Lovedae with a gentle smile. "I'd like you to summarize chapter twenty-four, down to the footnotes written on the bottom of pages 255 to 259."

A disgruntled Victor opened the book, but Dr. Mason shook his head. "Close the book, dear boy."

Victor gave the doctor a sullen look. "How in blazes—"

"Use your talents. See the text and summarize what I've requested."

He frowned, wondering if what the doctor said was possible. Everyone stared at him as if he were an ancient prophet perched on a mountaintop. Victor decided to try. He placed his fingertips on the book and concentrated.

Nothing happened.

Dr. Mason said, "Victor, believe and accept the impossible."

Victor gazed down at the book again and sighed. He admitted he hadn't done any magic since the change due to one simple reason.

Fear.

But fear wasn't a viable option anymore. He couldn't fail them or himself again. Time to start accepting what he'd become and see what he could do. Believe and accept the impossible. Suddenly, Victor's mind opened. How had he not seen it before—the words, the meaning of the desired pages! He began speaking of Raman rule in Egypt lasting from 30 BC to around 641 AD, not counting when the Sasanian Empire briefly controlled the area from—

Victor stopped and looked up. Dr. Mason had a satisfied smirk on his face. Lovedae seemed relieved and troubled all at once, but the Duo were ecstatic. They jumped up and gave each other high fives.

"You know what this means, don't cha?" cried a grinning Jason.

"Yep," chirped Rosetta. "No more reading for book reports! We'll just run 'em through Vic!"

Both whooped and cheered until Lovedae and Victor silenced them, the latter glaring at them. "I wouldn't do that for myself. It's cheating! Read and write your own reports."

"Thank you, Victor," said Lovedae.

The Duo dragged themselves back to their seats, consoling their disappointment with the desserts on the tea tray. But Victor looked at Dr. Mason and his mother, a hopeful expression on his face.

"We now have the means." Dr. Mason rose. "Come, dear boy. We have a collection of journals to review."

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