Chapter Six

Imara slowly stirred the beaker with a glass rod. All of the ingredients from the box had been noted and were now suspended in the liquid.

The scramble to get started had been stilted. The stops and starts of the other students were distracting, but it was their darting looks as they tried to guess what the other ones were up to that made Imara angry.

She inhaled the floral scents from her box, and she relaxed. It was time to add an ingredient from her own collection.

She stared at her supplies for ten minutes before she closed her eyes and reached out. When she saw what she had selected, she knew what her spell was for.

Imara jotted down the final ingredient and measured out ten flakes before dropping them into the beaker.

The liquid inside the beaker turned a soft and gentle green, so she put a strainer and a new bottle down and slowly poured the mixture into it.

When she was done, she broke down her station and washed up. She glanced at Master Midian, and it triggered the short brunette into jumping to her feet.

“Well, Master Mirrin, what have you made for me?”

Imara looked at the other students who were still deep in their preparation process. “I have created a potion with an interesting effect.”

The master brought out a small silver cup. “What is the result?”

“Well, the box contained different flowers, which all had something to do with love. Some were obsessive love, some were love of self, and others were love from afar, and others were lost love. The potion is designed to lessen the effects of love and to ease the pain.”

Midian nodded and took the vial from Imara’s desk, pouring a measure into the silver cup. A bright streak of energy came out of the cup, and Midian grinned. “What was your ingredient from the list?”

Imara bit her lip for a moment. “Oatmeal flakes.”

Midian cackled. “Gentle fibre for moving emotions through. Why did you make it into a potion?”

“The flower petals were all fresh and soft. Smashing them would have just been a work of violence they didn’t deserve.”

Midian looked thoughtful. “Well, your spell does what you say it does, so you are dismissed. I will see you this afternoon for the second class.”

Imara blinked. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. This afternoon we will discuss your final exam. You are going to have eight weeks to prepare it, but you will have to make the same spell with the same result three times.”

Imara grabbed her bags, collected Mr. E, and walked out of the class while the others were trying to speed their efforts. “That was definitely odd.”

Mr. E rode proudly on her shoulder. I knew you had a knack for this. I could feel that you have an awareness of the ingredients. It is an intensely important part of the art of crafting magic.

“Thanks. It just felt like the thing to do. Minerva was right. You need to let the ingredients tell you what they want and let your experience with them guide the magic.”

Lucky that you met her then.

Imara smiled. “I would say so.”

She was carrying on this conversation while she crossed the quad. A few of the newer students gave her strange looks, but they probably couldn’t see Mr. E on her shoulder.

“I think I have to buy a new car.”

That is sudden.

“Not really. Not since I saw the wreck of the car from your angle.”

Ah. Maybe one of the big ones like Argus drives?

“No. That is way too expensive. I need something new so that it will at least have airbags that go off. You can help me shop online, and we will see if someone can take us around on the weekend for test drives.”

You need a driver to find a car?

“Yes, it is one of the great ironies of the universe.” She chuckled.

Very strange.

“Yeah, but in the modern era, I can look up something online before I go see it. It cuts down on all the running around.”

Are you looking because Kitty offered you her truck?

“No, I am looking because I realized that I can’t even drive across the college for a quick bite for lunch.”

Ah, you feel confined.

“Hobbled. Yes.”

She entered Reegar Hall and headed for the fridge.

Reegar appeared at her side and walked with her. “How was your class?”

“It was good. It was weird though. I didn’t use any tomes. I just did what Minerva said to do. I listened to the ingredients.”

“Minerva?”

“Yes. She is a friend of a friend. She is also in the process of purchasing one of the herbal supply shops in Redbird City.”

“I knew a Minerva. Tall woman. Exceptionally smart with a weird aura.”

“That does sound like her.”

She put together a sandwich and made another one for Mr. E. She brought everything to the table and sat down.

Reegar poured her a glass of iced tea and brought it over. “So, tell me what you got.”

She blinked. “You know the format?”

“I do. I was part of the crew that invented the course. It has been the same for the last seven decades.”

She took a bite of her sandwich and swallowed. “Flowers. It was flowers.”

“Oh, what kind of flowers?”

“Sunflowers, narcissus, roses, white roses, yellow roses, and gardenias.” She kept eating and spoke between the pauses.

“What did you do with them? Love spell?” Reegar was grinning.

“No. We had to use one of our listed ingredients, so I used oatmeal.”

Reegar stared at her, and then, he whispered, “Genius. Letting love pass.”

“Right. According to the silver cup, the spell works.”

“Did you try it?”

“No, I don’t have any love that I want to turn into a memory.” She finished her sandwich.

“Why did you choose oatmeal?”

She sat back and sipped at her iced tea. “When I was a child, I wandered into a patch of poisoned oak. My skin burned, and the only thing that helped was oatmeal baths. I see flakes of oats, and I see comfort. There is nothing better than comfort after the love brought on by obsession or self-involvement. Also, it binds stuff and carries it away without harm.”

“Wow. You know a lot about oatmeal.”

She smiled. “I like it.”

Mr. E finished his sandwich and curled into a ball on the plate. Wake me when we have to go back to class.

“Is Midian teaching your course?”

“Yes, she is.”

“She’s good. Fair and direct. Just what you need. There is nothing subjective in her class. Did she give you study aids?”

“No. This is a lab course. It is full days for a week and then once a week until the end of the course.”

“So, why are you home?”

“Lunch break. I have to head back in half an hour.”

“Ah. Well, in that case, I will keep meals ready for you.”

She smiled. “Thanks. I would not have been able to get this far without your help.”

Reegar put his hand on her shoulder. “Sure, you would. It just wouldn’t have been as fun.”

She laughed. “Fun. That is a word for it.”

He chuckled. “Life in our world is odd. I know it is a jolt from Sakenta, but you are adapting well. Think of this as a transition between here and Redbird City.”

“A halfway house.”

“Precisely.”

She looked around. “It is a very nice halfway house.”

“Thank you. And thank you for letting me keep my home under control.”

“Where are the other students who are supposed to be moving in?”

He waved his hand. “They will wait until you no longer need privacy and support.”

She sighed. “I hate to think I am depriving someone else of this shelter.”

“Don’t. Kitigan is moving in next term, and she will need your advice long distance.”

Imara chuckled. “She told me. I think she will be fine here, but you are going to have to make room for her bees.”

He quirked his brows. “I didn’t know about them.”

“She doesn’t know about them, but I was watching them when we did the harvesting. She is their queen. I just don’t know how to tell her that. She’s letting the guild take her bees and their honey.”

“Huh. Then, how are they going to come here?”

Imara grinned. “They are going to follow her.”

“You are sure?”

“I looked up bee behaviour, and it is definitely something that will happen. There is too much magic tying them together.”

“Ah. Yeah, those things can’t be broken. Well, not without one party losing their lives.”

She shivered. “That isn’t worth thinking about.”

“No, but stupider things have happened with less reason.”

Imara nodded. “Right. Life is complicated.”

“More and more as you live in it.” Reegar smiled. “You will get used to it. You are simply reaching the end of one goal. You need to find another.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Your focus has been on attaining your license, but that is nearly within your grasp. You need to look wider. Find a new focus and gain a new purpose. Your consulting business is passive. You need a goal to reach for.”

Mr. E looked up from his plate. He is not wrong.

“How would I even start finding something else?”

“There are counselling services offered by the college. You also might want to speak with the XIA or the Mage Guild and ask if they have any programs or if the can use your services on a more regular basis.”

“Oh. Right. I forgot about that.”

“Or even possibly run your own garden of rest. You are a master now. You can prime and create spectres. There are many options open to you. You are smart. Once you finish with today’s class, get out a corkboard and start planning. Figure out what your options are and then start making a decision.”

She nodded. “Thanks for the pep talk. It is helping.”

Imara’s headache faded, and she smiled. “Do you want to come back to class with me, Mr. E?”

No. I am fine here. I will see you after class. He yawned, got up, turned around, and sat back down on the plate.

She made a face and headed back to class. She had a lot to think about, and the walk would do her good.