Threads

Chapter Fifteen- Part 3

            “Or to give yourself more cleavage,” Alice said wryly.

Azura shrugged. “Personally, I would use a good push up bra.”

            “Seems like a silly thing to use magic on for any extended period of time. It’s one thing to experiment and have fun with it, but holding it all the time?”

            “I agree, however, she seems to have no trouble holding the glamour. Perhaps to Tricia it’s as natural as breathing, and it’s not a big deal.”

            “She also walks in six inch heels, I would never bother with that either.”

            Azura laughed. “True.”

            “Okay, so how do I do this?”

            Alice watched as Azura reached up to the ceiling, closing her hand around a light blue thread.

“You can use any thread that’s mouldable for you, a thread that will turn the other threads into the right type of spell. When you reach out for it, it should feel receptive and versatile, like it’s on the brink of changing to something else. Take that and find your second thread - this time you need a deception, a false thread if you will. You’ll recognize it because it feels a little slippery, a little sly.  Your third thread is your end goal, your big picture. Let’s say I feel like changing the color of my eyes. I’d like electric blue eyes. This last one is difficult because it’s not like the usual intentions you project. You would like blue eyes, so how do you project that?”

            “Picture blue eyes?”

            “That will help, but you also need to speak that in your mind and will it to be so.”

            “That’s a little vague.” Alice hesitated. “Sorry, I didn’t mean your teaching…”

            “It’s okay. I know it’s hard to explain and it’s hard to learn at first too. The best way is simply to try.” Azura opened her fist and let the blue thread drift away.

            “First feel out the changing thread.”

            “Alright, I’ll try.” Alice bit her lip and reached up with her senses, trying to find the thread that felt like it would change for her.  She looked for the blue one that Azura had let drift back up to mingle with the others. She’d lost sight of it.  Nothing felt right at first, and she searched through the threads with growing frustration.  She felt the potential of force, lightening, bursts of darkness and light, intense heat and cold, storm clouds and blizzards, alien languages, hidden abilities, untouchable knowledge and power…

            Something sparkled through her entire body, a gentle tickle on all her nerves, a warm and pleasant sensation that made her shiver as she touched the threads. It was wonderful, and she opened herself up to it further, stretching up. The feeling got stronger, and the trickle turned slowly into a torrent. Something was wrong.

Alice gasped as the sensation rushed over her like a geyser, battering down her defences, charging each nerve in her body until every inch of her skin tingled and the hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention. It felt like she was floundering, fighting the rip tide of an overwhelming power that threatened to carry her away. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. A moment more of this and she would be gone, lost forever.

            “Alice?” There was a tone in Azura’s voice, one she’d never heard before - fear.

            Alice wrenched open her eyes. She hadn’t even known she’d shut them. Her heart gave a giant buck in her chest and leapt up into her throat. Every thread in the room had been sucked straight towards her. They were all standing on end, pointed down at her like the barrels of multiple neon guns.  Even the patterns woven into the walls and ceiling posts had unravelled themselves and were standing rigidly at attention.  They glowed and pulsed in time with her galloping heart, awaiting her command.