Page 72 of Charmed, I'm Sure

Flipping through the first few pages, bypassing the things that saywarning, don’t do this, read this first, untilI find the exact hex that Ivora used to create the original barrier.

But there’s one small problem: one of the main ingredients is glamour. A form of magic that I never felt the need to learn. Mostly because we have Fae who live in our town and that is their magic.

My shoulders droop as I come to realize that I can’t, in fact, do the barrier. I set the book down and begin to pace back and forth, trying to figure out how exactlyI will pull off putting the barrier back up.

Miles, the ever watchful man that he is, notices immediately the change in my mood. He walks over and grabs the book that he had just given me and flips it open to the page I was just reading. He has no idea what he’s reading, but he still tries, even though I know it’s a lost cause.

“If the spell is right here then why do you look defeated?”

“Because,“ I sigh. “It’s calling for glamour magic, a form of magic that I never learned. I know that she says that I’m capable of doing it, but it takes time to learn a new form of magic. Time that we don’t have.”

His eyes light up like I just told him the most amazing news yet I didn’t.

“So all you’re missing from the spell is glamour magic?“

“Yup.”

“Okay so I know you’re not #TeamPlayer. But, Clarissa is known for her glamour magic. What if, hear me out, we asked for her to help us with it?”

“I—I don’t know, I’ve never asked for help. Let alone, felt like anyone in this community would even bother.”

“I think now is a perfect time for you to try that out. Don’t you agree, Elora?”

Of course she’s going to agree. If I know anything about my sister, which I’m pretty sure I do, it’s that I know she’s already seen this.

“I think it’s a great idea. Thank you for suggesting it.“

Miles puffs out his chest, as if he’s readying himself for battle. “How about I go? Ask her while you and your sister work on whatever else you might need?”

I cut my eyes at him. I can already tell that these two are always going to gang up on me. He doesn’t even wait for me to answer. He just smiles, pecks me on the cheek, and whirls around out the door. Leaving me and my sister in the wake of all his bubbly sunshine.

I heave out a sigh. There’s never going to be another quiet day. Elora, sensing what I’m thinking, comes over and wraps her arm around my waist, resting her head on my shoulder.

“I know it seems like a lot right now. But this is the best thing for you. This path is your most beautiful path. And I can’t wait for you to see what happens next.“

“Does it ever get tiring? You know, always knowing what’s gonna happen?”

She lets out a soft breath that you wouldn’t be able to hear unless you were near her. “Sometimes but… then there’s times like this where I see the beautiful future and I’m glad to know you’ll be at peace for once.”

I suck in a breath. I never really thought about how hard it must be on her to always see the good and the bad things that are going to happen to those that you love. To dream and pray for them to make a different decision just so you know they go down the better path. I’ve always just been annoyed by her constant nagging.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all the years that I never considered the toll your magic takes on you. I’ve always been so consumed by my own magic, my own fate, and in my own tragedy, that I never stopped to consider what you were going through.”

She holds her head up a little, her eyes scanning mine, a gentle smile curves her lips, and I think this might be the only time we’ve ever been this close.

“Bells, you’ve always had to face a demon. A demon that only you could face. But I have my own things to be sorry about. I’m sorry for all the years that I wasn’t there for you. All the times that I let those visions be the wall between us. I’ve always just wanted what was best for you. Even at the expense of our own relationship.”

I suck in a breath, determined not to cry again today. This is far too many emotions that I’ve expressed in such a short period of time. So in the only way I know how, I shake it all off.

Wiping up my face furiously, I suck in what tears are trying to fall. Before moving away from her arm, flipping open the book, I run my finger down the list of ingredients needed, and the exact way to do it.

“Shit, we have another problem.”

Elora comes and stands next to me, looking over my shoulder at the words on the page.

“It seems we might need more people from the community than I originally thought.”

How are we going to convince an entire town that has shunned me since I was born to help me?