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“I can’t bring it back. Bring it back.” It was a hopeful demand that came from their shared lips.
Mother tucked away the sunbleached strands that had lightened from always working out in her garden and frowned. “It’s just a bird, Meira. Magic takes such a toll on one's body; you must use it wisely.”
“But it fell from the tree. It’s just a baby.” Tears were gathering in their vision, blurring their mother’s image.
“It’s sad, my dear, but it is how the world is.” She left the onion behind and picked up a small cloth, gently wrapping up the body of the bird within it and guiding them outside. “We can bury the bird, give its body back to nature.”
They sniffled. “Martina said that witches can bring animals and sometimes people back to life. Why can’t we?”
Mother slowed then, watched them with a mixture of grief and amusement. “There are many types of witches, Meira. Some can make things out of thin air, others control the weather, and some can make a garden thrive. We are each given a gift, but much like we all look differently, our powers manifest in different ways.”
“But you said all witches can do things like start a fire.”
“Ah.” She nodded as they left the house and strolled through vibrant green grasses. “We can’t all control fire but we can all use nature for small tasks like such.” With a wave of her hand, a wind blew the leaves away from their path. “Anybody can master such magic if only they believe they might.”
The last word echoed. Remis’ vision blurred. Everything steadied once he was made in her body again. This time she was swinging a blade.
On and on it went. Remis relived more memories until suddenly he was thrust back into his body once more. He felt the heaviness of his movements, suddenly feeling sluggish where he’d once been quick and light.
Their cells were still dark but now as he blinked he could make out Meira’s outline and the shadows of her features. The thrum of power that ran in the dirt, water, and air and all things made from nature hummed all around him. He could sense the pocket of it that resided within Meira as well. How he’d sensed her before, her nearness through the bond of the curse, paled in comparison to how he felt her now. It was as though they shared a body. The discomfort she experienced from sitting on her knees on the cold hard stone, the hunger in her stomach, and a lingering curiosity.
Had she been in his head too? Leafing through his memories? What had she seen?
Your father hits you. Her voice in his thoughts.
Remis jumped away from the bars. She’d spoken that but not out loud.
You have a sister.
You love your friends very much.
All true. All things that she’d glimpsed as they’d slammed into each other’s minds.
“You were not forthcoming with your injuries. I can feel them,” she admitted, thankfully out loud.
Remis forced himself to his feet. He swayed, but this time it wasn’t because the guards may or may not have broken a bone in his ankle. It was because the magic he often drew from the world was seeping into his skin without him even trying. It was building up under his flesh and swimming inside of his head. He could hardly think. It was intoxicating.
Both hands skimmed over his bruised ribs. He’d sworn before that they were broken but he breathed easier now. Even the hand Meira had mixed their blood on could easily be moved without him wanting to grunt in pain. Was this how Meira always felt?
“No,” she answered. “This is more. This is better.” She hadn’t stood from where she’d knelt against the bars. Her breaths resounded in the small space.
Remis waved his hand. Wind came to his beck and call tossing straw to one side of the room and thickening the musty scent. He’d done that. He’d done it and he hadn’t even tried, he’d barely even had the thought!
“Meira this is amazing. I’ve never felt so…so…amazing.” There were no words for this.
One minute he’d convinced himself that his father was right. That he would never amount to anything and perhaps his dreams were far too silly and out of reach. Now he was far more than he might have ever been.
“Mrithun. We have to get to Mrithun.” Meira was up then, grabbing the iron bars and tugging them apart as though they were made of thin pieces of string. Her breath was coming in staggering pants as she turned to look back at Remis.
He reached for the bars next, though he didn’t have the strength to pull them apart, all it took was a thought for the magic in him to speak to the magic that resided inside the metal and they moved for him. This was madness! This was magestry!
One step was all it took to get him out of his cell and standing before the witch. He felt her relief as though it was his own and rushed forward tugging her into his chest. He had to breathe her in, hold her, and know she was okay.
“I don’t know what this means for us,” she murmured against his clothes.
“We’ll figure it out, together.” It came naturally to press a kiss to her forehead as if he’d already been doing it for months. All of this was madness though. They’d not known each other for hardly more than a week but he knew he trusted her more than he trusted his own father.
You certainly can’t kill me now, Remis thought and he swore her laughter echoed inside his head.
