Page 23 of Wallflower Witch

He smiles, turning to survey the area around us.

“Would going back to the middle of the houses be a good option for a place to practice? That area only had one tree, so it’s pretty open,” Patrick asks.

I turn and glare at him, remembering the feeling of fire licking at my legs from the last time I stepped onto the grass.

“Didn’t think so. So how about we go over there?” He points toward the side where the crypt rests beneath the trees.

“Aren’t you worried about the vines deciding to eat us?” I ask.

“They don’t eat people; they simply trap them in stasis in the crypt,” Patrick answers. “But no, because we aren’t going to get that close to the crypt. Our goal is to have an open area to practice while we figure out what your affinity is.”

That makes sense and should hopefully limit the amount of damage to the already weakened structures.

We make our way to the middle of the flat lawn, standing in knee-high dead grass. Spinning in a circle, Patrick nods.

“This is good. Now, every witch has magic that tends to lean toward one element or another. I have a guess where yours will be, but we should test all five just to be sure.”

“What’s your affinity?” I ask.

“Fire,” he answers. “My family wanted me to join the family business and be a firefighter, but I followed my passion into tattooing.”

My mouth falls open in surprise. “I’m glad you’re doing what makes you happy. So fire, water, wind…you said five, right?”

“Yep.” Patrick nods. “Earth and spirit.”

“Well, if that doesn’t hit the nail on the head. Why do we need to check all of them? I see ghosts. Of course mine would be spirit.”

“Some witches and warlocks have more than one affinity. We need to see what we are working with here.”

He asks me to trust him—which I already do—and walks over to the tree line, returning with some small sticks.

He stops a few feet in front of me, holding his hand out flat. “First, let’s try wind. Feel inside yourself for a warm spot that you haven’t noticed before. Most people say it’s near their center. Can you find it?”

I close my eyes and turn my focus inward, searching for this warmth inside he mentioned. After a few minutes, I notice a tiny spot that matches his description.

“I think I found it, but it’s so small, like the size of a grape or something.”

His brow creases. “Glad you found it, but that doesn’t seem right. I’ve sensed a lot of power from you, especially when you are caught in the death memories.” He shakes his head. “Anyway, focus on that spot and call the warmth up. Draw the power through your arms and to your hands. Tell it what you want it to do and create a breeze that will knock the sticks from my hand.”

I take a step closer to him, but he shakes his head, stopping me in my tracks.

“Magic can happen over a distance. The longer you practice, the greater the distance, but even to start, a few feet should be doable. And it keeps you from being tempted to smack them out of my hand.”

I laugh a little, but he doesn’t. Guess there’s a story there.

“Okay,” I agree, closing my eyes, then mentally reaching inside to the little warmth I found. I tug on it, but there’s no response. I plead with it mentally, but it refuses to move, staying tucked safely in my center. I dig my nails in and try to force it to flow up my arms, but it seems to shrink the more I try.

I give up with a sigh. “It’s no use. The magic won’t come, and it seems to be withdrawing more with everything I’m trying.”

Patrick steps into my space reaching up and stroking my cheek. “It’s okay, Mor,” he murmurs. “These things take time.”

“Do we have time?” I ask.

“I don’t know, but we have to hope we do.” He leans forward, brushing a kiss against my lips. It’s feather-light but makes me want more. I grab his shirt and tug him back to my mouth, adding more heat to the kiss. I feel his lips tilt into a smile, then he devours my mouth.

My blood and body heats at the promises his mouth is making, and I moan. He grunts in reply and plunges his tongue into my mouth, stroking and tasting every inch.

I pull back with a gasp, struggling to get my breathing under control. I feel lighter suddenly, the tiny ball of magic expanding from my center until I can feel it filling every cell in my body. My hand flexes, and the magic responds, eagerly awaiting my every command.

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