Breathe in the magic
WALKING through Ry’s front door, Tikron expected to find his best friend hunched over a stack of books or concocting another crazy love potion. Tikron found neither. Instead, the unmistakable scent of pot roast filled his nostrils.
“Mom?”
“In here,” Mom called out from the kitchen area.
Tikron found Ry leaning against the counter, beer in hand and big smile on his face. Mom was standing next to the stove, stirring a large pot. Tikron scowled at both of them. “Were you two planning on inviting me for dinner, or is this a private party?” He then went and pecked his mom on the cheek and caught a glimpse of what she was cooking—new potatoes, pearl onions, and bacon. “Uh-oh, this must mean you’re about to give me bad news.”
“What makes you think that? Can’t a mom make her son his favorite meal just because she loves him?”
“Yes, of course,” Tikron assured her. “But it’s not your style. Besides, you’re at Ry’s place, not mine.”
“Can’t she make the son she wished she had his favorite meal just because she loves him?” Ry countered. To which Tikron flipped him off in response. Ry, of course, only smiled bigger.
“Okay, you two, play nice.” Mom covered her pot with a lid, dried her hands on a dish towel, peeked in the oven, then turned to Tikron. “Come give your mom a proper hug.”
He went to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. The top of her head barely reached Tikron’s chin. Eugenia Amorith was a tiny thing but fierce. She had the same hair color as Tikron. Her eyes were also similar in color, Eugenia’s lighter. The family was resemblance unmistakable. Anyone outside of the coven would assume they were siblings, since they appeared close in age. They rolled with it when in public. Behind the scenes, she was a very protective mama bear of her only cub.
Tikron patted his mom on the back and then pulled back, holding her at arm’s length as he met her worried gaze. Mom never could hide her emotions. She’d be a terrible poker player. “You might as well tell me the truth,” he said with utter seriousness. “You can joke all you want, but I can tell something is wrong. It’s written all over your face.”
“I’m going to give in to Mysdus’s demands,” she said quietly.
“The hell you are! You don’t love him, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you suffer because of me.”
“But it’s not because of you,” she protested. “He’s doing this because of me. You’re innocent, and I won’t let you pay the price.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
Tikron pulled her into another hug and cradled her head against his chest. “I can’t. I can’t let you do this. I won’t,” he said adamantly. “I have another plan.”
“You do?” Ry asked.
Tikron lifted his head and met his friend’s concerned gaze. “Yeah, I do.” He kissed the top of his mom’s head. “How about we dish up this delicious-smelling dinner and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Mom nodded, then looked up at Tikron and sniffled. “I’ll listen, but if I don’t like it, I’m going through with my plan. The decision is mine to make.”
Tikron’s chest tightened. He should have known his mom would try to sacrifice herself for him. Hell, he’d gladly do it for her if the situation were reversed. There was no way in hell he’d ever allow her to suffer because of him. He understood the why behind it. Still, he couldn’t let her spend eternity being miserable and having to endure Mysdus. Once Mysdus realized he could get Eugenia to bow to his demands, what would he do the next time he wanted something? A life cowing to Mysdus’s whims would be a miserable existence. No. He refused to allow it to happen. He pecked her on the forehead. “Okay, but hear my plan before we discuss yours.” There was nothing to discuss when it came to her involvement, but he didn’t point that out.
After a long pregnant pause, she finally said, “Fine,” before returning to the stove.
Ry gave Tikron a questioning look. Tikron winked at him, but Ry didn’t look convinced. That was okay—Tikron had enough hope for the three of them at the moment.
Tikron grabbed some plates and took them to the table, Ry right behind him with silverware and cups. They were all silent, the tension coming from Ry and Mom so thick it was strangling. Tikron refused to give in to the negativity. He’d made progress with Richard tonight. He had to focus on that.
Tikron took a seat next to Ry just as Mom set a plate heaped high with roast and potatoes in front of him. The scents wafting up were amazing. His stomach growled in response. “This looks and smells delicious,” he complimented. He dug in. Damn, it tasted even better.
Mom sat across from him, laid her napkin in her lap, then pushed her food around on her plate without taking a bite. “So this plan of yours,” she prompted.
“Actually, it was Ry’s plan,” Tikron explained. He took another big bite.
“Mine?” Ry asked around a mouthful of food. Good to see the worry hadn’t hurt Ry’s appetite. Too bad it hadn’t improved his manners.
“Yeah. You’re the one who found that little clause that I could use magic as long as I didn’t use it to interrupt his free will.”
“Who is this he?” Mom asked.
“His name is Richard and I met him at the local bakery.”
“Actually,” Ry interjected, “Tikron didn’t meet him. He gawked at the guy for thirty minutes, then finally got up the nerve to talk to him and was shot down. Not once, but twice. It was quite the spectacle to witness.”
Tikron waved a dismissive hand. “A minor detail, and I didn’t have to work up any such thing. I was simply waiting for the most opportune moment to approach a stranger.”
“Which ended in”—Ry made a gesture of a plane spinning and crashing—“wrrrrrrrrrrr boom!”
Tikron kicked Ry’s shin, hard.
“Hey! What the hell? Mom, Tikron is kicking me,” Ry complained. He then turned to Tikron and glared. “I should turn you into a big pile of shit since you’re acting like one.”
“Do it. I’d love to witness what Mom will turn you into after you wreck this wonderful meal by stinking up the place and ruining everyone’s appetite.”
Ry cut a panicked glance at Eugenia.
“I could do it. Now stop teasing Tikron. And you”—she pointed a warning finger at Tikron—“behave. We have more important things to discuss than the effectiveness of your come-on lines.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ry and Tikron said in unison. Ry had the good sense to look guilty before going back to eating.
“As I was saying before Ry so rudely interrupted.” He shot Ry a disapproving look before turning his attention back to his mom. “I met this guy name Richard. He’s not my typical type, but I was drawn to him. I can’t explain it, but…. Doesn’t matter. What does matter is I took Ry’s advice, used a little magic on the guy, and it went very well.”
“You told me he doesn’t believe in magic,” Ry pointed out. “What spell did you use?”
“Hold that thought,” Mom said. “I’m confused. If this Richard person isn’t your type, why is it important that you make him believe in magic?”
“Because I think he might be the one.”
“The one?”
Tikron nodded. “Yeah. Like I said, I can’t explain it, but my gut is telling me Richard is the one who can break the curse.”
Mom’s eyes lit up. “You’ve always had very good instincts when it comes to people. The real question is, are you willing to lower that wall you’ve built up around your heart and give him a chance?”
Mom knew him too well. It really was the million-dollar question, wasn’t it. “I’m going to try,” he said with sincere honesty.
Mom reached over and patted his arm. “That’s all we can do, son. Try.”
Tikron wasn’t the only one who had suffered paralyzing heartbreak. While the coven boasted immortality, that wasn’t altogether true. The members could die. Tikron didn’t know the specifics; he wasn’t allowed to. It was something only the elders were privy to. However, Tikron did know it had something to do with an ancient spell, one Mysdus was the keeper of for the Feara Luirg clan. Yet the spell wasn’t absolute. Death could and had knocked on the door of those within its protection.
It hadn’t happened in a very, very long time. Thaddeus, Tikron’s father, was one of those unfortunates. He’d died at the hands of witch hunters when Tikron was a young boy. The same group that had given Tikron his facial disfigurement when he went after them as a cocky man of twenty. It had been worth it. He’d destroyed them all.
After the death of her husband, Eugenia had tried several times to give her heart away, but so far she hadn’t met anyone who stole her breath the way Thaddeus had done. However, she kept trying. Maybe one day she would find him. She had hope. For the first time in a long time, Tikron thought he might too.
“I want to hear more about my great plan,” Ry said, cutting the silence that threatened. “What kind of wonderful spell did you dazzle Mr. Geek with?”
Tikron’s memories were suddenly replaced with the image of Richard’s slight smile, lightening his mood. “It was raining and cloudy when he left the bakery, so I created a bubble depicting a starry night and kept him dry,” Tikron announced proudly.
“Oh, how lovely,” Mom complimented.
“And how did Richard take this impressive display?” Ry asked flatly.
“He was impressed, thank you very much. He called it budadinny-stitre, poly poly butt or something like that.”
Mom and Ry stared at him with confused expressions.
“Some kind of chemical reaction,” Tikron clarified.
“Ah, so he used logic on you. Big surprise there,” Ry said snidely.
“Christ, you’re being so frickin’ negative. Just for that—” Tikron swiped the last potato from Ry’s plate and popped it into his mouth.
“Hey! Give that back.”
“What, this?” Tikron asked and opened his mouth.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you two hadn’t hit puberty yet,” Mom grumbled. She stood up and headed into the kitchen.
Tikron and Ry cracked up. It had always been the way they’d dealt with stress. The more stress, the more immature they seemed to become. It was a great way to lighten a mood. A far better way to deal with difficulties than crying or pickling their livers from overindulging in alcohol. And with the amount of stress they’d had to deal with over the years, they’d have either been put in a padded cell or started each day hungover.
Mom returned to the table with the pot of potatoes, and she dished Tikron and Ry heaping amounts before taking her seat. “Now, are you two children just about done with the shenanigans?”
“Yes, ma’am,” they said in unison.
“Good. Then you can continue the story, Tikron.” She pointed her fork at Ry. “Without any interruptions or comments from you.”
Tikron relayed the story of what had transpired between him and Richard while they finished their dinner. As he told it out loud, it really didn’t sound all that impressive. I guess you had to be there. However, considering his prior interactions with Richard, they’d made huge strides. And that smile. Every time Tikron thought about it, he couldn’t help but do the same.
Ry never commented on Tikron’s story. Instead he announced he was going to go check the books for a razzle-dazzle spell to wow the pants off Richard. Knowing him as well as Tikron did, he knew Ry was dying to ask more questions. He was smart, though, and he remained silent. Strangely, Mom did too. It wasn’t until they were standing at the sink doing the dishes that she spoke.
“You know I trust you and your gut, but I have to admit, your story really didn’t leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside about this proposed romance.”
Tikron scrubbed a plate and handed it to Mom to rinse. “I can understand that. But if you had witnessed the first two encounters I had with him, you’d understand. I was beginning to think the man was made of stone, but it’s a façade. Beneath that hard exterior is someone screaming for a little fun.” He bumped against Mom and handed her another plate to rinse. “And honey, if anyone can show him a good time, you know I can.”
Mom laughed. “There is a whole lot of truth right there.”
“Plus, he’s lonely, Mom.”
“Are you sure? You said he chooses to be alone.”
“He doesn’t. I know it. I’m not sure why he has a wall around him, but something tells me it’s not for the same reason I do.”
“We all have them, I suppose,” Mom said soberly.
“Yes, until we find the right person to help us tear them down.”
The dishes finished, Tikron drained the water, rinsed the sink, and dried his hands. After Mom dried hers, Tikron slung his arm over her shoulder. “Everything is going to be okay,” he promised her.
“I know it will. And if this doesn’t work out with Richard, I have your back.”
“It won’t come to that, but thank you and thanks for dinner. I love you.”
“You’re welcome, and I love you too.” Mom patted his belly, then shrugged out of his embrace. “Okay, let’s go see what kind of enchanted witchcraft Ry came up with.”
Tikron followed her into the living room with a smile on his face. He had Mom and Ry on his side. No way could he fail.
And that smile….
Failure was not an option.