(Ch.18) Meredith And Cici [Breather/Training]

Chapter 18

Meredith And Cici

One night, Meredith was alone in the dim sitting room, restless and perusing the bookshelves by the light of the crackling fireplace and the few lit candles that gently bobbed overhead. Unable to sleep, Meredith decided to read to calm her mind. She didn’t know what book she was looking for but knew she’d know it when she knew it.

She stepped across the wooden floor, her bare feet poking through her blue nightgown. It was late, Cici was asleep in their bed, and Thomas was strangely absent, not that Meredith minded. She wanted to be alone.

Despite venting to Phillip, sleep was still a troublesome affair. Harrowing thoughts slowly crept in and bothered her throughout the following days, hindering her slumber.

‘Aha!’ Meredith thought as she happened across a spell book of advanced magic. It looked interesting enough. She sat down with it by the fire and sifted through the pages until she found a chapter on wandless magic, which was perfect because she had left her wand on her bedroom table.

Meredith sat in the cushioned chair and cracked the book open. The fireplace warmed her skin as she skimmed through the spells, but nothing quite grabbed her attention until she found a teleportation spell. She glanced through the twelve-page-long instructions. Her mind swam as her focus wavered, and the initial excitement waned. Teleporting seemed incredibly advanced, and the chapter was filled with terminology she didn’t understand.

Meredith sighed and continued browsing. She didn’t mind, as she loved flying so much, but knew teleporting was a useful skill. She’d have to ask Thomas or Grandma to teach her.

Meredith stopped. She found a minor teleportation spell! It seemed simple enough: look where you want to be and invoke the spell. Meredith read through the instructions repeatedly until she was ready to try it out. She looked at a spot where she wanted to be—just beside the bookshelf on the other side of the room—mustered her magic, and muttered the incantation.

“Lyra Thalyn!”

CRACK!

Fear and excitement enveloped Meredith as she was instantaneously ripped through space. She lurched forward, her throat hitching. She was there! Right beside the bookshelf! Exactly as intended! Then suddenly, she collapsed on the floor. Her body had still been in a seated position.

“Wow!” Meredith gasped in exhilaration as she stood up and rubbed the pain from her tailbone. Excitement and determination welled up within her, replacing her anxiety. If she could master this spell, she would never be in danger again! If she had known this spell, the bog hag wouldn’t have been able to get ahold of her!

Meredith tried again. She chose a spot in the kitchen and uttered the spell.

CRACK!

The same lurching feeling engulfed her as she was ripped from where she stood and emerged in the kitchen. She stumbled forward, her knees buckling beneath her. Meredith reached out for support and knocked a pan clattering across the kitchen island. She steadied herself, then tried again.

CRACK!

Meredith ripped into the sitting room and slammed her face into the side of a bookshelf. She reeled backward, clutching her nose. A few loose scrolls fell to the floor. Meredith pushed through the pain and tried again.

CRACK!

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Meredith’s knee smacked against a cauldron sticking out from the kitchen cabinets, sending it tumbling across the floor.

CRACK!

Meredith lurched into one of the sitting room chairs, knocking it over.

“Meredith,” a voice croaked from behind her.

“Ah!” Her heart leaped in surprise.

Meredith whipped around to see Thomas seated atop the kitchen island. Cici sauntered in from the hallway, his eyelids droopy.

“What’s going on in here?” He mewed.

“I would also like to know,” Thomas stated.

“I’m practicing a new spell!” Meredith smiled. “Watch!”

“Meredith pl—” Thomas began.

CRACK!

Meredith appeared just before Thomas. She steadied herself without hitting anything.

“Aha!” Meredith exclaimed, her arms spread wide. “That was a good one!”

“Does it have to be so loud?” Cici whined.

“I don’t know.” Meredith shrugged. “The book didn’t mention anything about it.”

“Meredith, please listen.” Thomas interrupted. “I admire your dedication to self-study, but it’s late, and you’re making a mess.”

“And you’re loud,” Cici chimed in.

“Right.” Meredith nodded. “Sorry, I’ll practice outside.”

Meredith turned to face the door that led to the garden.

“Meredith, wait!” Thomas croaked.

CRACK!

Meredith slammed into the door and stumbled backward.

“Ow.” Meredith cradled her head in her hands.

“Please, Meredith, can’t this wait until morning?” Thomas begged.

“It can’t.” The determined young witch straightened.

“Well, at least put some clothes on; you can’t go out in your nightgown!”

“It’s the middle of the night!” Meredith replied tartly.

“It’s not proper!”

“It’s not like we have neighbors, you old fuddy-duddy.”

“You’re not ready for teleportation!” Thomas objected. “It’s very advanced magic! I’ll teach you another more efficient and quieter way to teleport at a more respectable time!”

Meredith threw the door open and flung it closed as she strode outside onto the cool, grassy lawn lit by the full moon. She felt resplendent and continued practicing.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The minor teleportation spell wasn’t particularly taxing on her magical reserves, but Meredith had difficulty remaining steady or in a correct position after she ripped through space.

A thought struck her. Meredith strode to the edge of the clearing beneath the surrounding pines and found a decent stick. She drew the makeshift wand from her forehead to her naval and created four clones.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Meredith and her clones practiced for hours, replacing the usual nightly cacophony of bugs and critters with loud cracks that echoed throughout the forest. The full moon slowly arced across the starry sky as the night wore on. Only when it lay low on the horizon was Meredith satisfied with her progress. She absorbed her clones, instantaneously privy to their knowledge and experience, and continued practicing.

The moon slowly fell behind the distant hills, and Meredith could no longer see. Content and significantly more tired, the worn witch quietly returned inside. She washed up, changed into a fresh, pale green nightgown, and then padded into her room. The first faint rays of morning light seeped through the slits of the window curtain. Cici stretched on her bed, arching his back.

“Morning,” he grumbled.

“Oh no!” Meredith whined. “I stayed up too long! I didn’t get any sleep!”

“Neither did I.” Cici scowled as he flopped onto his side.

“Sorry,” Meredith mumbled. “Ugh! Now I have to go to work!”

She flung her head back, stomped, and whined.

“I’d badger you about actions and consequences.” Cici huffed. “But I’m too tired.”

Meredith sighed and hung her head in defeat as she turned to prepare for the day.

“Was it worth it?” Cici mumbled sleepily.

“I hope so,” Meredith replied.

“Thomas said it was some ‘full-moon thing,’ but you’ve never done this before, have you?”

Meredith swapped her gown for a dark green robe and black boots, admiring herself in the mirror in the corner.

“Not since Grandma left,” she started. “I definitely feel more…alive…during full moons. But sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I get up and read or practice little spells or potions.”

“How come you can’t sleep?”

“It’s just sometimes.”

“It’s been the last few nights.”

“Sorry for waking you up.” Meredith started to grow annoyed. She blamed it on her tiredness but knew he was edging towards the truth. And she didn’t want him to. “I’ll make you some sleeping potions, then you can’t spy on me,” she spat tartly.

“I hate sleeping potions.” Cici rolled onto his haunches. “I’m not spying on you. I miss my cuddle buddy.”

Meredith rolled her eyes and sighed. The tension and anxiety rolled off her chest, replaced with humor and warmth. She gazed at him through the mirror. Cici loved her. Of course he would notice if something was wrong.

Meredith approached Cici and rubbed her hand down his head and neck.

“We’ll talk after work.” She promised.

Cici nipped her hand.