Salem Falls

Alexa kept her hands held up at her sides, while Harry stood in front of her. She felt like they’d been practicing forever, and she’d made little to no improvement in her ability to levitate things. She was beginning to get frustrated, and it was clear by the look on her face.

“You just have to focus, Alexa,” Harry said, taking a step closer to her. “Try not to think too much.”

“So I’m supposed to focus, but not think too much?”Alexa asked, popping her eyes open. “That makes no sense.”

“Eyes closed,” Harry whispered, and she shut them tightly. He chuckled at her, softly enough that she couldn’t hear, while he admired her concentration. She wanted so badly to learn, and he knew how difficult it was going to be, but he wasn’t sure if she did. There were a lot of things about performing magic that were challenging, and Alexa was just at the tip of the iceberg. “You’re overthinking it. Just don’t overthink it.”

“Don’t overthink it,” Alexa whispered, with her eyes gently closed. She let all her thoughts fall from her brain – all the thoughts of her family and their banishment – and focused only on the feeling of the magic washing over her.

“That’s it, Alexa. Just focus.”

With her eyes still shut, Alexa focused on the sound of Harry’s voice, as he encouraged her to keep focused. She was two steps beyond frustrated, but his voice soother her, and every time he spoke it only made the feelings in her body grow stronger. She wasn’t sure if it was just the sound helping her to be more focused, or if it was a bond they had as mages, but she knew that, somehow, he was helping.

“You’re doing great, Alexa. Just keep focusing.”

Alexa peeled one of her eyes open, just to get a peek at the world around her, but Harry caught her before she could see anything.

“Eyes shut, Lex. Don’t open them until I tell you.”

“Is it working?”

“Shh,” Harry whispered. “Focus.”

Alexa forced her eyes shut again, and the moment she did, she felt the wind pick up, running through her hair and causing it to wave around her. Her long, brown hair flew all around her, covering her eyes to block her face, so that even if she did try to sneak another glimpse, all she’d be met with was the coffee color of her hair.

All around her, the earth moved, the wind moving in a circle around them. It was like a small whirlwind, surrounding them and encompassing them with all the energy that they could gather.

Alexa wasn’t sure if it was her or Harry’s doing, but when she opened up her eyes, the leaves, which had once been stationary, were moving around them in a wild pattern, as though they were dancing through the sky. They bobbed and weaved, crashed together, and spun over and over, before falling back to the ground. It was small compared to everything that Harry could do, but to Alexa, it was magical.

When the leaves scattered around them, pushing up a few times before their power dwindled away, the wind stopped and a large smile fell across Harry’s face.

“You did it, Lex,” Harry beamed, his perfect eyes floating across hers. “You did it.”

Alexa’s smile grew wider, twice as large as Harry’s, and she let out the small squeal she’d been holding in. She had never been one to shout like a schoolgirl, but she’d finally accomplished it. She’d done something she’d been struggling with for weeks, and it felt so good to have all her hard work finally pay off.

With her excitement racing through her body, she jumped into Harry’s arms, and he gave her a quick spin. She laughed the whole time, before he set her back gently to the earth’s floor.

“Can you believe it, Harry? Can you believe I finally did it?”

Harry smiled back at her, nodding his head. “I knew you could. I always had faith in you.”

Alexa chuckled. “Oh, that’s bullshit. You didn’t even want to teach me.”

Harry shook his head, moving his eyes to the floor. He’d always known she could do it, as rumor had it that the Devereaux family was full of very powerful mages before they’d been banned, but he wasn’t going to tell Alexa that. He knew it would only go to her head, which would either make her more eager to learn, or ruin any progress they had. He simply chuckled, moving past her and back to the edge of the forest.

“Where are you going?” Alexa asked, as Harry began treading away from her. “We aren’t done, are we?”

“For today.”

“But I was just getting the hang of it. We can’t stop now.”

“There will be plenty of other days, Lex. Plenty of days where we can come out here.”

“But Harry,” Alexa said, as she followed behind him. “I don’t want to stop learning. Not yet.”

Harry spun around, being met with Alexa’s soft eyes looking up at him. He had seen that look before, in his own eyes when he’d been so eager to learn, and it nearly made him chuckle. She looked so beautiful like that, with her practically begging him to teach her everything he knew. He planned to do it, in time, but he didn’t want to move too quickly. Magic often took a lot out of you, especially when you were first learning, and Harry knew Alexa would be feeling the effects soon.

“You’re going to get tired, Lex. You need to rest.”

“But I don’t feel tired, Harry.” She reached out to him, taking his hand in hers. Her skin felt so soft against his, and the moment she touched him, he felt the draw of the magic still flowing inside her. She’d be strong one day, but he didn’t want to push her too hard.

“Please trust me, Lex. It’s better if we wait until morning.”

“First thing in the morning?”

“First thing.”

Alexa sighed, but nodded her head softly, before moving past him. She was in front him in just seconds, and though she agreed, he could see how disappointed she was. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her, as she kept her distance, following the path they’d made before. He wasn’t sure if she was angry with him, or just being her usual stubborn self.