No. I’m sorry. I think we saw her at almost the same moment. She turned away when I looked at her.
“It was a woman?”
I’d bet on it. She had long black hair and didn’t move like a man.
The tears slipped out, despite my best efforts to stop them. Jade crept over next to me and sat at my ankles. I started to sob even more when she put her tiny paw on my foot.
A flash of hot anger swept through me. Though I appreciated Jade’s solidarity, I felt scared and lost. I wanted a human to help me, someone powerful, but I had no one.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I just don’t know what to do.”
Jade gave my foot a little pat with her paw which almost made me laugh. She was trying to be sweet, but the gesture was something no cat would ever do.
You’ve got to keep strengthening your magic. Think of it like cardio training or weightlifting. It takes time and practice to build endurance. When you get inside that door, I have a feeling this whole matter will clear up on its own.
I nodded, taking a cleansing breath to stop the flow of tears. I bent down to Jade’s level and gave her a quick, soft pat on the back.
“Thanks, Jade. I’m glad you’re with me.”
She gave my leg a playful swat. No mushy stuff. Get to work.
I laughed, feeling the knot of tension in my chest ease a little. As I settled myself in front of the spell book again, I thought about the barrier. It acted like some sort of super strong force field. What could disable a force field? Trying to break it or dissolve it hadn’t worked very well.
The spell seemed to work by creating equal but opposite pressure on either side of the door. I wondered what could ease that pressure. My thoughts turned to the weather, about how one cold front could completely disrupt a pattern. What if an expanding barrier could disrupt this barrier?
The thought took hold as I scanned the book for such a spell. I found one possibility in the defensive spells book that involved the creation of a shield that could grow inward or outward according to your needs. In the basic spells book, under the Elemental Spells chapter, I found an incantation for increasing air pressure in one spot.
“Jade, what do you think of these?”
She leapt up onto the counter where I showed her the two spells. After asking me to put the two books side by side, she looked first at one, then the other for what felt like forever.
I think the shield spell probably has more promise because it has specific expansion properties built into it. The air spell would require a lot more concentration.
“Good point. I’m still going to learn them both, but I think you’re right.”
Having a plan took the edge off the frustration I felt. I worked on the spells for the rest of the day until I could cast the shield with hardly a second thought. Making it expand and contract was a little more complicated, but by the time we closed up shop for the day, I had gotten it down.
When we got home, I wanted to rush down to the basement and try the spell, but Jade headed for the kitchen. I couldn’t begrudge her being hungry, as she depended on me for meals, but I still chafed at the delay.
“I’m tired. Is mac and cheese okay?”
Jade gave a delighted meow as she hunkered down by her food bowl. I laughed as I filled a saucepan with water.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
When we finished the meal, a sudden wave of exhaustion swept over me. I couldn’t understand why I felt so tired, until I remembered that I’d been working spells all day. The practice must have slowly worn me down without my realizing it.
I really wanted to try the spell, but what if I pushed myself too hard? The last thing I needed was to pass out in the basement with only a cat for help.
I batted around the idea of going to bed now and getting up early to practice the spell. The shop opened at nine, so if I got out of bed at six, I’d have a decent amount of time.
After a hot shower, it felt nice to sink into my cool sheets. I dropped off to sleep almost immediately but woke a few hours later, my witch senses tingling. Something wasn’t right.
The invisible barrier I’d put around the house shuddered slightly, as if it had been hit with a wrecking ball.
Jade streaked into my room, her hair standing on end.
You felt that?
“Yes.”
Using every last ounce of my willpower, I got up and threw a robe on over my pajamas. Snatching up my wand from beneath my pillow, I hurried towards the door.
“Come on, Jade. Let’s catch this idiot.”
She stuck close to me as we hurried down the stairs. Another shuddering boom reverberated against the magical barrier. I sensed a part of it crumbling.
“Hold on a second.”
Jade halted, and I closed my eyes. Bringing up the familiar picture of the barrier in my mind, I saw that a magical hole had been punched just over the cellar doors.
“Damn it! How many times am I going to have to fix this thing?”
My anger overcame my fear as I charged down the basement steps. I stopped in my tracks halfway down. The basement had been shrouded in a heavy, debilitating darkness.
“Hey! Whoever you are, I’m going to flay you alive as soon as I find you!”
The darkness didn’t seem to prevent sound from carrying, judging by the running footsteps I heard. Gripping the banister, I hobbled down the stairs, trying to feel my way.
