Page 88 of Somewhere down the Ley Line
“With you?”
“Well,” she said, shrugging, “you have been around me more than anyone else. Maybe my magic… um… rubbed off on you.” Her cheeks flushed scarlet.
Felix smirked at her. “That so?”
Mia gasped dramatically, rushed over to Leif and covered his ears with her hands. “Not in front of poor Leif!”
“Yes, please leave me out of this,” Leif mumbled. “I, uh, where did Biscuit go?” Without another word, he increased his speed to join Garren up ahead.
“It could be important, though,” Isolde continued after collecting herself. “What if it has something to do with… with all of this? Have you ever noticed any kind of resistance to magic before?”
Felix laughed. “No, and you know that as well as I do, since you healed me once, and threw me against a wall not too long before that.”
Isolde stared, looking faintly mortified. “Yes… but that was before…” she mumbled.
Mia’s eyes went wide with glee. “Tell me this story. Now.”
“So you can turn it into a song and make fun of me?” Felix said, glaring. “I don’t think so.”
Mia scoffed. “I have plenty of material forthat.I could write about that time you fell off the bar in the Flagon after someone threw a pint that hit you in the –”
“Right, good point, let’s move on.” Felix grimaced.
Isolde laughed. “We’ll have to exchange stories later, Mia. I’m more curious about this magic situation.”
“Yes!” Mia agreed. “Let’s test it. I’ll go first.” She looked Felix up and down with a sly grin.
Felix folded his arms. “Fine. But if you make me hug Garren or recite poetry, there will be hell to pay.”
“No hugging or poetry, I swear on my lute,” Mia said with mock-seriousness. “We’ll merely try some… gentle coercion? Stand still.”
She moved opposite Felix and looked intently at him. Isolde stood off to the side, her gaze flicking excitedly between them.
“Felix, could you be a dear and pick up that rock for me?” Mia said in a singsong voice, one elegant hand outstretched to point at a fist-sized rock at his feet. Felix glanced down at it. His first reaction was to do as she asked; after all, it was such a minor request. But right away, another part of him protested. What a pointless thing for her to ask. It was just a stupid rock. “No,” he said. “Get it yourself.”
Mia frowned and clamped a hand around his arm. “Please, Felix,” she said imploringly. “It is really important to me. Help me out this once?”
And damn it, he almost did. Felix uncrossed his arms and started reaching down, but as he did he stopped himself, and straightened back up. “No,” he said again, his lip curling.
“This is amazing,” he heard Isolde say, and found her staring at him in awe. “I felt your magic, Mia, and it kind of… slid off. Like it had nothing to hold on to.”
“Well, that’s annoying,” Mia mumbled. “This had better be something extremely rare. Now, let’s see you try.” She looked at Isolde and smiled.
“Oh! I um… What do I do?” Isolde said, looking unsure.
“Knock him down, shove him,” Mia said gleefully. “Just a bit. It’ll be fun.”
Felix chuckled wryly. “I am simply delighted at all of this. You have no idea.”
Isolde shook her head. “I don’t want to hurt him, Mia!”
“It’s fine, Isa.” Felix shrugged. “I trust you.” He winked at her. “Do your worst.” He wasn’t afraid of her hurting him… He was more concerned with the implications if she didn’t.
“Alright,” she said softly.
She raised one hand. Felix braced, and a faint pressure brushed against him. It was nothing, a breeze. He didn’t move.
Isolde’s brow furrowed, and the air thickened. The pressure increased, as if he were wading through running water. Felix took half a step backwards. Behind him, pebbles scattered and several larger rocks rolled away. And then it was back, that reaching, coiling presence of her magic around him. It was a question, and something in him answered, like hands and arms and legs entwining together. Her mind touched his, as gentle as a brush of lips against skin.
