it, did he?”
“What I want to understand,” she whined, “is why can Colin do all this magic stuff, but not me?”
“Before we get to that, Colin, let me ask you, why do you think the book made you figure it out for yourself, instead of doing it for you?”
Colin recounted the incident in his head before answering.
“I think it was because the book thought I should learn how to do it on my own.”
“Correct. Magicante is a complex thing. Think of it as a textbook to end all textbooks. It will not, however, perform what it thinks you should be able to do for yourself.”
“So back to my question,” implored Meghan. “Why - can’t - I?”
“Have you tried?” enticed her uncle.
“No, I suppose I haven’t,” she answered less impatiently. “The first time the book helped us we weren’t sure that it wasn’t a fluke. Even after the second time, and Colin doing magic, it honestly didn’t dawn on me to try.”
“Well,” Colin started, “when I did magic the second time, before the Scratcher attack …”
“Again?” she questioned.
34
Uncle Eddy gestured Colin to explain.
“Remember when you sensed I was being bullied, and you came looking for me with Sebastien and Jae?” Colin bowed his head, embarrassed to let his uncle hear that he had been bullied.
“Yeah, I remember, you had this smug look on your face…” she exhaled and asked in a dark voice, “What – Did – You- Do?”
“It was a complete accident,” he insisted. “I didn’t realize anything would happen. I wished that the boys would freeze, and they did. Then they started yelling. I was afraid someone might see what I’d done, so I wished for them to shut up, and they did. I heard the spell wear off after I ran away.”
Meghan was dumbfounded that Colin had done magic, twice, before she had known about it.
What scared her most was that he had successfully kept this fact hidden from her.
“He must be getting better at blocking me,” she thought.
“Yes, I am!” He stuck out his tongue.
She mimicked him and then folded her arms in disgust. Uncle Eddy eyed them both apprehensively.
“I am afraid that before either of you can continue, this bickering has to stop. You must both find peace with each other. Your bond is strong, but it needs to remain so. Remember… no secrets.”
Once again, the twins found themselves in trouble for arguing. They tried to put aside their bitterness and continue.
“So how do I do it? Magic, I mean,” asked Meghan.
Uncle Eddy took a worried breath.
“Let’s start with something simple. Perhaps the book will allow some assistance, since it’s your first try.”
The book answered, this time with a snide poem.
Assistance I will give,
For the one that lives,
Although her brain a sieve,
Oh drat! We all know she can’t do it on her own!
Colin frowned at the odd poem, while sensing in Meghan’s mind a desire to kick the book.
“What would you like to try, Meghan?” asked Eddy.
“I don’t know,” she replied, unsure.
“How about something simple, like color changing,” Eddy prompted.
“Color changing!” she grinned. “How about my hair?”
It wasn’t exactly what Uncle Eddy had in mind, but it would work. Colin rolled his eyes and was about to make a joke, when Meghan gave him a glare; he put on a fake smile, motioning for her to continue.
35
“Book,” she tried to ask politely. “Hm hmm,” she cleared her throat. “Give me a spell to turn my hair sky blue.”
“As you wish your…” Uncle Eddy interrupted.
“If you don’t mind, stick to the spell, thanks.”
It sniveled and snarled under its breath. The pages flipped, stopping on a shimmering yellow leaf.
Meghan was thankful to her uncle for stopping the oncoming onslaught of contempt. She read the directions, which floated over the shimmering leaf.
“Although an insult to my knowledge…”
Hmpfff Meghan’s thoughts shouted.
A Spell for Blue Hair.
To have hair of blue in every strand,
Say
“What I want to understand,” she whined, “is why can Colin do all this magic stuff, but not me?”
“Before we get to that, Colin, let me ask you, why do you think the book made you figure it out for yourself, instead of doing it for you?”
Colin recounted the incident in his head before answering.
“I think it was because the book thought I should learn how to do it on my own.”
“Correct. Magicante is a complex thing. Think of it as a textbook to end all textbooks. It will not, however, perform what it thinks you should be able to do for yourself.”
“So back to my question,” implored Meghan. “Why - can’t - I?”
“Have you tried?” enticed her uncle.
“No, I suppose I haven’t,” she answered less impatiently. “The first time the book helped us we weren’t sure that it wasn’t a fluke. Even after the second time, and Colin doing magic, it honestly didn’t dawn on me to try.”
“Well,” Colin started, “when I did magic the second time, before the Scratcher attack …”
“Again?” she questioned.
34
Uncle Eddy gestured Colin to explain.
“Remember when you sensed I was being bullied, and you came looking for me with Sebastien and Jae?” Colin bowed his head, embarrassed to let his uncle hear that he had been bullied.
“Yeah, I remember, you had this smug look on your face…” she exhaled and asked in a dark voice, “What – Did – You- Do?”
“It was a complete accident,” he insisted. “I didn’t realize anything would happen. I wished that the boys would freeze, and they did. Then they started yelling. I was afraid someone might see what I’d done, so I wished for them to shut up, and they did. I heard the spell wear off after I ran away.”
Meghan was dumbfounded that Colin had done magic, twice, before she had known about it.
What scared her most was that he had successfully kept this fact hidden from her.
“He must be getting better at blocking me,” she thought.
“Yes, I am!” He stuck out his tongue.
She mimicked him and then folded her arms in disgust. Uncle Eddy eyed them both apprehensively.
“I am afraid that before either of you can continue, this bickering has to stop. You must both find peace with each other. Your bond is strong, but it needs to remain so. Remember… no secrets.”
Once again, the twins found themselves in trouble for arguing. They tried to put aside their bitterness and continue.
“So how do I do it? Magic, I mean,” asked Meghan.
Uncle Eddy took a worried breath.
“Let’s start with something simple. Perhaps the book will allow some assistance, since it’s your first try.”
The book answered, this time with a snide poem.
Assistance I will give,
For the one that lives,
Although her brain a sieve,
Oh drat! We all know she can’t do it on her own!
Colin frowned at the odd poem, while sensing in Meghan’s mind a desire to kick the book.
“What would you like to try, Meghan?” asked Eddy.
“I don’t know,” she replied, unsure.
“How about something simple, like color changing,” Eddy prompted.
“Color changing!” she grinned. “How about my hair?”
It wasn’t exactly what Uncle Eddy had in mind, but it would work. Colin rolled his eyes and was about to make a joke, when Meghan gave him a glare; he put on a fake smile, motioning for her to continue.
35
“Book,” she tried to ask politely. “Hm hmm,” she cleared her throat. “Give me a spell to turn my hair sky blue.”
“As you wish your…” Uncle Eddy interrupted.
“If you don’t mind, stick to the spell, thanks.”
It sniveled and snarled under its breath. The pages flipped, stopping on a shimmering yellow leaf.
Meghan was thankful to her uncle for stopping the oncoming onslaught of contempt. She read the directions, which floated over the shimmering leaf.
“Although an insult to my knowledge…”
Hmpfff Meghan’s thoughts shouted.
A Spell for Blue Hair.
To have hair of blue in every strand,
Say
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