Unbound (Unbound, Book 1) ~Formerly Casting Power~

Chapter 15

"Here I go," I huffed as I plopped into the ragged blue fabric lawn chair that I'd dragged down to the clearing at the beginning of summer.

For a moment I hesitated before pulling out the essentials for what I wanted to do. It was too late to back out now. Candles? Check. Butane lighter? Check. Instructions? Check. Unbound powers? Double-check. Confidence? Not so much, but I was prepared to fake it.

I set up my collapsible table in the center of the clearing and placed the candles and lighter down. I reread the handwritten instructions copied from my mother's very first Book of Shadows, pulling strength from the knowledge that, like me, this was her first solo spell.

I stood in the middle of the clearing and sucked in a deep breath, scared to look around.

The spell I'd tried was supposed to light the wick of my candle. I didn't need the physical use of the lighter, but since energy cannot be created from nothing, its essence would be transferred to complete the spell. A day would come that I wouldn't need to supplement the ignition with a tool mimicking fire. Instead, I would be able to utilize the energy from another source, such as a rock a mile away or something.

Obviously, I hadn't been near that skill set.

Breathing deeply, I exhaled slowly and closed my eyes, remembering how much I wanted to complete the spell. My young mind had assumed that being able to use magic would compensate for the awkward phase I'd been stuck in. Give me confidence or something, which seemed stupid now.

"Incendia!" I yelled, turning and pointing my finger at the candle's wick.

Nothing happened.

I rubbed my palms against the stomach of my flannel shirt and took a deep, calming breath. "Incendia!"

No flames. I breathed in and out repeatedly. No thinking. Just breathing. I could do this; I would do this.

"Incendia! Ignis! Orsa flamma!" I growled when nothing happened, though this time I swore I saw a momentary flicker.

My nose pinched at a new sulfuric smell. It was getting closer. Having had my powers bound for so long, it would take a while for success. I stepped back, drew another deep breath to settle my nerves, and then resumed my position. "Don't give up," I heard my mother's voice say, flowing through my head like a water valve that I couldn't turn off.

"Incendia," I whispered and squinted at the candle. It had no effect. The candle remained untouched, with no sulfuric odor or momentary flicker of flame. Instead of progress, I'd moved back from my goal.

Had I copied the spell the wrong way?

Leaving the candle and lighter for later, I started back the way I'd come, kicking the ground in defeat to raise clouds of dust that exploded into the air wherever I passed. My mother didn't like me skipping meals, though she wouldn't mind if she knew I was trying to use my abilities. Telling her would raise impractical expectations, though, and I couldn't even get a stupid candle to light.

If I was useless, she wouldn't have to bind my abilities.

In my mind, I saw a huge flame engulf the whole candle until it was a puddle of seething wax. That was how I had thought my so-called abilities would have presented. What a disappointment.

Crack.

I stopped midstride and listened.

Snap. Crack. Hiss... Snap!

A roar whooshed into the air and I turned, my jaw dropping.

The entire clearing was ablaze in a fast-moving fire that was crawling towards me as though to say hello. For a moment, I hopped in place with excitement, a grin splitting across my face. Then I realized that if I didn't stop it from spreading, my clearing would be lost to me. It could destroy the surrounding habitat for plants and animals alike, not to mention my home.