Page 64 of Magical Mischief

“Thanks.”

We watched the slow rise and fall of my dad’s giant torso in the yard. He’d come around to the back of the house and fallen asleep. I’d come out to check on him earlier, and just didn’t want to leave.

Stella eventually cleared her throat.

“You know,” she began softly, “sometimes spells fail because we’re too caught up in the motions. Not the meaning.”

I turned to her, and my brows furrowed together. “What do you mean?”

She gave a small smile.

“It’s easy to recite a line or wave a wand. It’s harder tofeelthe outcome and to shape endings from the heart. I’ve seen you do it, like when you first freed your dad from Gideon’s grasp. You manifested the exact result you wanted because youbelievedit was real. You felt it so strongly that magic followed your will.”

I nodded, letting her words settle over me.

“You’re right. I let my ex infiltrate the spell for my dad this time.”

She chuckled. “But, let’s be honest. That was an important thing to have happen.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Poor Celeste.”

But Stella was right.

All morning, I’d been practicing lines and relying on lumps-of-salt nonsense, but I didn’t truly envision my dad small again. I’d just been going through the script.

Stella studied my face. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, darling. We’ve had a whirlwind of fiascos. But if you want your dad back to normal, maybe you need to channel what you felt last night.”

I closed my eyes, heart pounding. Focus, feel. Don’t just recite.

“We’ll do the spell again,” I instructed. “And this time I’ll get it right.”

“Good, girl,” Stella said, nodding. “I’ll go get the others.”

I took a slow inhale, letting the crisp air sharpen my senses.

I conjured a vivid image with my dad wandering around in his regular bulldog stature, barking for bacon scraps, and giving me a wink now and again.

That was what I wanted. That was what I’d shape and let the magic follow.

Bella came outside and smiled. “Would you like me out here for moral support or back inside?”

“The more, the merrier.” I smiled and took the last sip of tea. “Honestly, I probably need all the moral support I can get in case I do something as brilliant as last time.”

Bella’s eyes sparkled and she grabbed my hands. “Honestly, thatwasbrilliant. I wish I had thought to do something like that to my ex-husbands.”

I chuckled as Keegan stepped outside and gave me an encouraging nod.

Twobble’s green little feet hung above me. He preferred the view from the roof.

Stella squeezed my shoulders, and I smiled as I raised my wand. This was the moment.

“By starlit thread and subtle spark,

We cast aside the giant’s mark,

Release the swell, Restore the frame,

No longer large, Revert the same…”