First Magic by Raven Steele (ebook reader screen txt) 📖

The second day of basketball tryouts went as expected. Both May and I did well, almost too well. The other girls kept shooting us nasty looks. Most of them had been playing competitively for years and didn’t appreciate us trying to steal their spots on the team.

As we exited the gym doors, May sighed. “That was seriously awesome. I love scrimmaging.”

“I don’t think the other girls had as much fun.”

She laughed. “Wasn’t that the best?”

I nodded, but I didn’t dare agree out loud, afraid my Aunt Sophie might somehow hear even though she was hundreds of miles away. But it had been such an incredible feeling to push my body hard, stretch its limits. Many times during practice, I’d felt Light surge through me, giving me new strength and focus.

When I walked through the front door, Jake greeted me wearing an apron and holding a spatula. “Did you make the team?”

“I don’t know yet.” I inhaled. “You made cookies?”

He smiled and returned to the kitchen. “Double batch even.”

“Since when do you bake?” I tossed my backpack onto the couch and sat down on a kitchen bar stool.

He turned on the oven light and peeked in. “I used to make them all the time, don’t you remember?”

“Vaguely. But why are you making them now?” I also noticed he’d gotten a haircut. The short cut brightened his face and made his green eyes more pronounced.

“I was hoping we could celebrate you making the team, but I guess we’ll have to do it later.” Jake poured me a glass of milk. “But that doesn’t mean these still can’t be celebratory cookies.”

I jumped from my chair. “Did you get the job?”

A grin split his face, and he nodded.

I cheered and raced into the kitchen to give him a giant hug. “I’m so happy for you!”

He laughed and squeezed me back. It’s the first hug I’d gotten from him in years that didn’t feel full of guilt and sadness.

I released him and asked, “When do you start?”

“Tomorrow. My boss seems really cool.”

“That’s great!” I returned to my chair, surprised by how relaxed I suddenly felt. It’s like I’d been carrying this worry for him on my shoulders, and I hadn’t realized how heavy it had been until now.

He placed a warm cookie in front of me. “I need to apologize to you.”

When I attempted to interrupt him, he stopped me.

“Ever since Mark, I mean your dad, died, I’ve been living in a fortress of solitude. Your dad, well, he was special, more so than even you know. After your mom died, we went through some crazy stuff together, and I think that kind of messed me up, too. I thought I could be like him, but I’m not.”

“What are you talking about?”

He shook his head. “I promised your dad I’d take care of you, but how can I do that? I’m not him.”

“Jake, I couldn’t ask for a better second dad.” I placed my hand over his and mentally transferred Light to him. I hated seeing him like this.

He jerked his hand away, and his eyes widened. “When did you start doing that?”

“Huh?”

“You’re transferring Light to me. When did you learn to do that?”

I shrugged. “Just the other day, I guess. Why? What’s wrong?”

“Your mother. She used to do the same thing whenever I felt bad. I can’t believe you can do it, too.”

“But can’t all Auras at a certain age?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. I only know what your mother did. What else can you do?”

“Just manipulate light and stuff, nothing big. And mostly when the moon is out.”

He nodded as if he understood.

“Is there anything else I should expect?” I asked.

“I’m the wrong person to be asking. You should call your aunt.”

“No way. She’ll try and make me go to that stupid school again.”

“What’s wrong with Lucent? Your mother went there.”

“A lot of good it did her. I think I’m safer out here than in there. All they do is fill your head with delusions of grandeur.”

He laughed. “I doubt that. Maybe we can check it out together?”

I grunted at the same time the oven timer buzzed.

Jake removed another batch of cookies and placed them on the stove. “There’s something else I want to talk to you about.”

“What’s that?” I shoved a cookie into my mouth.

“Since I’m finally getting back into the world, I want you to do the same. Trying out for the basketball team is a great first step, but I know how you are, Tink. You keep everyone at arm's length, and you certainly don’t trust others, which I get to a certain degree, but this is your senior year. You should be enjoying it, not hanging out here, plotting out every move of your future. Life is not meant to be scripted. Your mother and father would want you to be happy.”

“I am happy,” I mumbled.

“No, you’re existing. Just like I was. What happened to your parents is not going to happen to you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

He huffed. “I can’t but play the odds, Llona. They’re in your favor.”

“Can I think about it?” I asked.

“No! No more thinking. Take a chance and say yes. Come on. You can do it, right here, right now. Say yes, and you can have another one of my famous cookies.”

I wasn’t sure if it was Jake’s pep talk or the Light within me that made me say it, but all of a sudden I heard the word “yes” roll from my lips. Before I could take it back, Jake had his arms around me.

“This is going to be great,” he cried.

I tried not to laugh along with him, but I couldn’t help it. His happiness was contagious.

Maybe I would have fun this year. Play the odds, like Jake said, and do all the things I hadn’t allowed myself to do before. Possibilities flashed before me. Christian. Matt. And even Mr. Steele, but I quickly pushed his image from my mind. Teachers were off limits.

Things were finally looking up.