That night, after our meeting with Elinor, I hardly slept at all.
I tossed and turned, staring at the ceiling, replaying the events of the day over and over in my head. The moment the tiny flame appeared at the tip of the wand, and I used magic for the very first time. Elinor's smile when she told me that I really was a witch.
In the end, I kept turning and thinking about it well past midnight.
"Merope, why aren't you sleeping?" came Mrs. Cole's voice from behind the door at one point. "You're squeaking that bed all night long, no saving you!"
Our rooms were next to each other, and the doors in the house were rather thin. So it wasn't surprising that she could hear the springs of the old bed squeak from another room.
"…Sorry," I replied awkwardly. "I can't fall asleep."
"You've been working at the stables all day, and you still can't sleep?" she snorted. "Well… I envy your youth. Energy to spare!"
At Mrs. Cole's remark, I just blushed and said nothing. Soon her footsteps faded as she returned to her own room.
I buried my face in the pillow to hide my smile.
Of course, I wasn't awake because I was full of energy and didn't want to sleep. It was my thoughts that kept me restless. And those thoughts were all about one specific person…
Still, somehow, I eventually managed to fall asleep and get a little rest that night.
The next morning, when I arrived at the stables, I worked even more energetically than usual. Thomas just blinked at me in surprise.
"What's gotten into you today?" he asked when I finished cleaning all the stalls in just two hours. "Did a bee sting you or something?"
"Just in a good mood," I waved it off.
"I can see that," he shook his head. "You're not going to tell me anyway, are you? Eh."
I blushed.
"Well, I really… I'm just in a good mood today."
"All right, all right, I believe you," the groom snorted. "Let's keep working."
Daisy nudged me with her nose and snorted contentedly. It seemed she was in a good mood too. I just smiled and stroked her mane.
The time until my meeting with Elinor stretched endlessly. I kept glancing at the sun, estimating how much longer it would be. Thomas noticed and snorted.
"Waiting for someone?" he asked.
"…A friend," I replied. "We arranged to meet after my work."
"Well, I figured as much," the old man snorted. "Go on. I'll finish it myself."
"Really?"
"Go on, go to your 'friend.' Otherwise, you'll have the whole stable upside down!"
I blushed and immediately protested, noticing a subtle hint in his tone.
"…But she really is just a friend!"
"I already said I believe you, didn't I?" he smirked. "So go ahead."
Although I was a little embarrassed, I was genuinely grateful to him.
I gave him a quick peck on the cheek (Thomas blushed and waved his arms) and ran to Toby's shop.
Elinor was already waiting there.
She was sitting near the edge of the well, swinging her legs and staring into the distance. She was wearing a different dress — blue with a white collar, and her dark hair was loose.
"Hi," I breathed out as I ran up.
"Hi," she smiled. "Why are you breathing so heavily?"
"I… ran because I was afraid I'd be late."
"I would have waited," Elinor replied.
We walked again toward the lake. There was silence between us, but it wasn't tense at all. On the contrary, it was a rather relaxed atmosphere, as if we had known each other for a long time.
"…I've been thinking about our conversation yesterday," Elinor said as we settled in our usual spot. "And about your gift."
"And what do you think?" I asked a little awkwardly.
"You said that in the forest, when you were attacked, the magic awakened in you from fear and anger. That's normal for the first burst. But to develop your gift, you need other feelings too."
"Which ones?"
"Joy," she turned to me. "Calm. Love. Magic born from anger destroys. Magic born from light creates. Do you understand what I mean?"
"…I think so," I said thoughtfully.
"Shall we try again?" She pulled out her wand. "Yesterday it worked when you thought of something good. Let's try once more."
I took her wand again and closed my eyes.
Darkness filled my vision once more. I heard the beat of my own heart again.
"What were you thinking about yesterday?" Elinor asked.
"About… something good. About people dear to me."
Elinor nodded.
"Good. Then think of that again," she said softly. "Try."
I focused and tried to do as she instructed.
But this time…
My thoughts weren't about Mrs. Cole or other acquaintances from the village. This time… my thoughts were about Elinor.
I thought about Elinor. About her smile and gaze. About how heartfelt our conversation had been yesterday, how she listened to me without interrupting, fully understanding my situation. About how she was looking at me right now.
Warmth spread through my chest. And it was even stronger than yesterday.
I almost completely forgot the world around me and focused entirely on my feelings and sensations. But I came back to reality when I heard a familiar voice.
"…Open them," Elinor whispered at one point.
I opened my eyes.
And at that moment, I was completely speechless.
Golden sparks danced around both of us. They swirled in the air like fireflies, radiating warmth and light.
"Wow!" I breathed out.
Honestly, I hadn't expected that on just my second attempt at using magic I could do something like this! It was simply incredible.
I was about to turn to Elinor to share my joy and maybe hear her praise. But suddenly…
The moment I met her gaze, her expression was slightly tense. She was looking straight at me, unwavering.
I blushed. But before I could say anything, Elinor spoke first.
"…What were you thinking about just now?" she asked.
I was silent. In the end, for some reason, I decided to just tell her the truth.
"About you."