Krew gave me a pitied look. “Listen. You need to use a small amount of magic maybe twice more and then you will feel better for likely the rest of the day. What you used earlier was not enough to numb the magic.”
I shook my head, having no idea how we got to this point. “So we are moving branches.”
He gave me a nod. “So we are moving branches. Maybe only two.”
I tipped my head back to look at the sun through the branches. “At least I am not naked this time.”
Owen choked on a laugh. “I see I was missing some information.”
I took a step forward before turning back toward Krew, the magic now getting brighter and crawling up my wrists as if it knew and was ready.
“What?” he asked.
“This might be a silly question, but do you talk to your magic? Or how do you tell it what to do?” My cheeks burned with embarrassment. Talking with magic? How naïve was I?
Owen was the one to shake his head. “Not a silly question at all. It’s all about what you envision in your thoughts, in what you will the magic to do, and being specific in what you want the magic to do once released. So if it helps to think of it as talking to your magic, go right on ahead. Just make sure you envision the magic doing exactly as you want.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Do you want me to help you like last time?” Krew asked gently.
I took in another inhale as I felt the magic’s buzzing increase in intensity. It was hot enough now I felt no need for the coat I was wearing. My back muscles tightened as the feeling spread throughout me. “No. Let me try on my own this time.”
“Okay.”
I took three steps forward, remembering to breathe with every step. Taking one last deep inhale, I stopped and closed my eyes. I imagined two strands of magic the size of a hair. I imagined them cutting through the branch which was dead and softly carrying it to the ground without hurting any of the trees in the area in the process. I imagined it landing as light as a feather. And I imagined it not hurting the tree at all. The branch needed to be gone, but not the whole tree. The tree was going to be okay. It’d once been a huge, healthy green tree, and it could be that way again.
Don’t hurt the tree.That was my last thought before I thought of the phantom touch I had felt earlier and visualized the magic leaving my body to do just that.
I again gasped as the magic left me, opening my eyes. Silver magic was racing along the ground toward the tree. It wound up the bark, circling around as it made its way to the dead branch. Just like I had pictured, the branch was cut off and then turned sideways as my magic wrapped itself around the branch and carried it softly to the ground. The branch landed in eerie silence, not so much as a rustle of snow beneath it.
“Well done,” Krew complimented.
But my magic was not done. The same strands headed back for the tree, circling and circling. Round and round the stump it went.
I looked to Krew confused. What was it doing now? I thought I had specifically envisioned the magic not harming the tree. My heart skipped in horror as I realized it might cut down the entire thing and carry it to the ground also.
It continued circling the bark, and then all at once, it burst outward, multiple strands traveling along every branch and hitting every inch of the tree. It was as if the tree itself was now lightning.
And then with a final burst, the magic was gone, leaving the tree standing.
I gasped and took a step back. The tree was... gods the tree wasgreen.And—and there were leaves. With everything white surrounding it, the tree was the only speck of green in the entire dead forest.
“Whoa,” Owen commented.
I brought a hand to my mouth. I had done this? I had healed this tree?
I shook my head, tears gathering in my eyes. “I’m sorry. I went too far again.”
I looked back to see Krew staring at me in awe. “You fixed the damn tree.”
I was still shaking my head, though I added a shrug. “I don’t know what I just did. I just didn’t want the magic to hurt the tree. I wanted the tree to be able to be healed someday. I—” I took in a deep pull of air as I felt Krew’s hand along my back. “I didn’t know magic could heal the trees?”
“It can’t. Not ours anyway,” Owen offered.
“But mine can?” How was it possible someone who was just coming into their power could do something neither of them could?
Owen strode for the tree, reaching up and running his fingers along a healthy green leaf. “Before you became Enchanted, your will, your blood and tears, were healing the forest. Your magic must have taken on those same properties when you willed the tree to stay alive. Your Iron Will protects you from other’s magic, but it must amplify your own.”
