Threads

Chapter Sixteen: Part 1

            Gabriel checked his watch. “I’ll close up tonight.”

            “You sure?” Alice didn’t protest much; she was tired, and a little stressed out thinking about tomorrow night. She climbed the stairs wearily, slipping into her warm flannel pyjamas and sinking thankfully between the sheets.  Sleep was lying in wait just beyond her eyelids.

            Altair was the first to arrive Saturday night. He came while Alice was eating dinner and knocked on the door of her suite.  She thought it must be Azura, and opened the door still dressed in nothing but her dressing gown.

“Altair!”

            He looked shocked, then he chuckled, “You’ve just been lying about all day?”

            “It’s my day off. Why are you so early?” She tried to shut the door on him, but he managed to wedge the toe of his boot in.

            “Hey, let me in! Don’t be unfriendly. Owch, that’s my foot.”

            Alice relented grumpily, allowing him to come in.  He looked very handsome, dressed in a full suit of black, complete with top hat and cane.

            “It really isn’t proper for you to see me in my dressing gown.”

            “What are you eighty years old? It’s a big fluffy housecoat. It leaves a lot to be desired.”

            Alice blushed deeply. “Quit being a jerk.”

            “That’s my specialty.” He winked.

            “Let me change” Alice darted into her room and called back to him, “Why are you so early?”

            “Figured I would come make sure you didn’t blow up the shop trying to cast a glamour.”

            Alice made a rude face before realizing he couldn’t see it. She re-emerged from the bedroom a minute later in jeans and a sweatshirt, and gave him the same face.

“You heard about that, huh? For your information, I haven’t had any more issues with touching magic.”
            “You haven’t had issues, or you haven’t touched it again?”

            “I’ve…only worked with small glamours, I’m not doing anything else.”

            “Touching it isn’t the problem, darlin’ - the problem is how you use it.”

            Alice shuddered. “I don’t want to see horrible things again.”

            “You won’t,” Altair said matter-of-factly, “Not when you’re calm.”

            “Why do I need to touch it?”

            He shrugged. “Practice?”

            Why was he trying to get her to touch the threads again?  What do you know about it anyways?” she changed the subject. “I thought you were an orphan raised by some street thief.”

            “I was. I have a few leftover childhood memories though, before my parents were killed.”

            “If your mother was a Sorceress and your father, a powerful Wizard wouldn’t you have more magic then you do?”