Threads

Chapter Seventeen: Part 2

Alice noticed that Altair was leaning forward in his chair as he listened to the girl’s story, his knuckles white as he gripped the arms.

            Maya took another gulp of air and reached for her tea, her shaking hand knocked the rim and the cup tipped over onto the carpet. “Oh, I’m sorry!”

            Azura smiled as Alice said to the girl, “Don’t worry. Watch”

            She studied her face as Maya watched the rug suck in the tea, remembering the same shock that she had watched it with. The girl’s eyes went wide and her mouth hung open a little. How long ago had it been when she had witnessed her first bit of magic?

            “How do you like our self-cleaning rug?”

            “Oh wow.” Maya’s eyes shone and for a moment the anguish was gone from her face, replaced by wonder. “I’ve never seen magic like that. Ambrose has Wizards and Witches working for him, or at his parties, but I never got to see any.”

            “This is just a little practical magic.” Azura smiled. .

            Maya hesitated. “Do you think…I mean, can anyone learn magic?”

            Azura studied her., “Not anyone, but you may have a little potential. We’d have to test you.”

            “How can you tell?” Alice asked curiously.

            “Occasionally, if you pay enough attention you can see a little spark come off a person’s skin, the threads reacting to the charge they get off of you. You have to look for it though, it’s subtle.”

            Alice was a disappointed with herself for not seeing it on Maya. They were silent again, waiting for the girl to return to her story.

            “That’s it,” Maya said. “Up till now of course. All I know is that everyone in that place has heard how interested he is in Alice. He wants you for himself...almost as much as he wanted me.” She levelled serious brown eyes on Alice.

“He is bound and determined to have you.”

                       

The next several weeks were blissfully absent of trouble.  Maya came down with Alice every morning, and spent most of the day sitting beside her.  Alice thought she would be bored as all hell, but the girl appeared content just to sit there.          

She spotted the Elf peering at Maya from time to time, and hoped feverishly that he had found a new interest.  Late Tuesday morning it was just Alice and Shakra at the desk. Azura took Maya into the backroom and amused her by showing her the potions. After a few minutes of this the two women came up to the front and placed several bottles on the desk.

            “What are these for?” Alice asked.

            “Maya was asking what these did, and I remembered I was going to show you the effects of some of the potions weeks ago, but we got caught up in other things and I never got a chance. I hope you don’t mind, since we aren’t using product, just tap water and magic.”

            “Go for it,” she said, excited at the prospect of seeing what the potions did. She was careful not to look too eager in front of Maya though. After all, she was supposed to be used to this sort of thing.

            “First, the Perfect Excuses. Would anyone like to try?”

            Alice hesitated, and then shrugged. “I’ll do it.”