My Kind of Magic | ONC2025

Chapter 12 - The well

Wompy took flight while the cold steel eye of the gun held my full attention. There was no misunderstanding—the weapon pointed straight at my head and didn't waver in the fist of Gilbert Paragent. His smile was as pleasant as ever, his suit immaculate, and not a hair out of place on his head. The only concession to the wetlands was a pair of green wellies clashing with his slacks.

I heard the double splash as Brian and Penelope appeared next to me, but didn't dare to shift my attention to them.

"Marissa Rowan. Seems Rosalyn guessed right that you have access to the secret well. Congratulations, Penelope."

Penny splashed to the shore of the pond, her clothes ruined after this second passage of the portal. However, she stopped next to Paragent with a sweet smile. "Thanks, it wasn't easy."

The bitch. Her reaction to my father calling her cousin had won her my trust. But it seemed the newfound family bonds weren't strong enough to matter to her.

Paragent nodded and gestured for me to come out of the water, too. With my soaked clothes and freezing feet, I didn't mind following this instruction. Side by side with Brian, I reached the shore. A quick glance at my companion showed me a blank face, but his green eyes seemed to glow with an internal fire.

His gun hand steady as a rock, Paragent scrutinised him. "The gardener. I should have known something was amiss with you."

"He's harmless."

I had been so absorbed with Paragent that I had overlooked Rosalyn Elderberry sitting on the log where we had waited for the dancers to appear not so long ago. Her dark coat made her hard to spot, and a black witch hat covered her silver-streaked hair. She stood up and walked around Brian.

"The boy has no magical gifts himself—I bet he is just infatuated with the precious Mariana-Alyssa."

Brian's cheeks glowed red, but he kept silent. Good—this might help him out of this situation unscathed.

Paragent wasn't ready to take a risk, though. "I don't care. I don't want witnesses, especially not a sweetheart craving revenge."

So much for my hopes. Despite the gun dampening my optimism, I knew it was time to get active. With my freed magic, I had at least an option, right? Without closing my eyes, I tried to concentrate on my powers.

The ivy grew fast. Within seconds, the vines reached Paragent's gun arm, pulling it down. Ready to run, I jumped aside but got stopped by an icy gust of wind that froze my wet clothes solid in an instant. I felt my body heat drain away in the sudden chill, unable to move in an armour of ice. A dry cackle of a laugh told me all I had to know. As a powerful air witch, Rosalyn Elderberry had the skill to stop me.
With everyone distracted by my useless struggle, Brian took a chance and ran for the forest. Out of the corner of an eye, I could see him fade into the trees. As relieved as I was, I couldn't waste time worrying about him. I had to save myself first.

Water is your heritage. You can command it.

I couldn't see Wompy, but his voice was clear in my mind—and he was right. Ice was just water, and water was my father's element. As soon as I thought of the guardian, warmth returned to my body, the ice melted, and my clothes dried, steaming in the air.

"Thanks, Wompy," I whispered as I broke free of Rosalyn's spell and turned towards the witch, calling in more ivy support.

But I was too late. Paragent had freed himself, setting his ivy bonds ablaze. The heat of the fire flickering around him didn't seem to hurt him, but the leaves shrivelled and turned to ashes.

I had never mastered the basics of fire and air magic, and while my desperate call for water manifested as a fine spray from the pond, it only saved a few vines. Blackened and brittle, my opponent cast them off.