Songbird

Chapter Eleven - Magic

"Elsie?" Wren poked her head into her sister's room.

The older girl frowned, regarding her in the mirror. "What is it? I'm leaving."

She was making some final adjustments to her hair, gathered into a loose bun fastened with a bejeweled comb. A flower-shaped pin adorned the side of her head, holding a thick braid in place, and her eyes were outlined in kohl.

"What's the occasion?" Wren asked.

"I'm meeting Ollie in town, of course." Elsie spun in front of the mirror. "Did you need something?"

"Oh, not really," Wren said. "You look very pretty."

"Let's hope Ollie thinks so," her sister said. "Or says so, for once. Sometimes a girl just wants to hear that she's beautiful."

Wren shrugged. "I don't know...don't you hear it all the time? Does it really mean anything anymore?"

Elsie shook her head. "I don't get you, Wren. Anyway, I'm going."

"Good-bye, then..."

Her sister swept out of the room, and Wren hoped that their talk the other day hadn't been a fluke. Just when she thought they had bonded a little...

Returning to her own room, she decided to practice her magic before Julia arrived for her lesson. She wanted to try what Kal had told her. The book was on the table, as ever, but she paced the room for some time before finally choosing her guitar. Taking a breath, she focused inward as Julia had taught her, feeling the rush of magic within before she plucked a series of ascending notes on the guitar. Had the book shifted ever so slightly? She couldn't tell. She kept playing, improvising on arpeggios, but the book remained motionless. Still, she didn't give up, playing louder and strumming chords instead of individual notes, until her frustration peaked and a string snapped as she played the next chord, adding her voice as well.

"Rise!"

The book launched off the table and bashed into the ceiling.

Wren shrieked in surprise and delight as it fell back down, immediately trying again, more gently this time.

"Rise."

The book floated toward the ceiling, hovering at eye level, and Wren wiggled in excitement.

"Kal, you're a genius...!" She would have kissed him if he was here.

There was a knock at the door, and Julia entered the room. "Wren? Whatever was the commotion?"

She stumbled back as Wren flung her arms around her tutor.

"I did it, Julia, I finally did it! It's all thanks to Kal—dear Kal!—he told me—"

She dissolved into giggles as Julia regarded her as if she had gone quite mad.

"Look!" She cleared her throat, then strummed the guitar once more. "Rise."

The now-battered book rose off the table again, wobbling briefly in midair before falling back to the table, and Julia embraced her charge.

"Well done, my dear! I knew you could do it. Let's keep practicing, shall we?"

Julia substituted a pillow for the book, lamenting its deteriorated condition, and Wren spent the next few hours raising and lowering it with varying success as she used her voice, music, and thoughts alternatively to control it. After setting it down for one final time, Wren swayed on her feet, and Julia helped her sit on the bed.