What the Spell Part 1 Read Free Page B

think whining would help my case, since I was trying to get them to see me as mature now.
    My dad stood up and reached out his hand to help my mom up out of her chair. “Fine. But we’ll need a few things,” he said, walking into the living room. I followed after them like a puppy dog. “First, I need a bucket of water, a rose, cayenne pepper, peppermint oil, dirt from the backyard, a large candle, and a glass of milk.”
    “Got it,” I said, disappearing at once to gather everything he mentioned. After several minutes of rummaging around the kitchen, I came back into the living room with my arms full. I placed each item on the coffee table, except for the bucket of water, which I put on the floor between us. My dad held the jar of dirt in his hands, which he’d been nice enough to retrieve for me. No girl should have to go digging around in the dirt, especially on her birthday.
    While I’d been gone, my mom had left the room to retrieve a few items of her own. In her hands was an oversize leather-bound book with yellowing papers sticking out of the sides. I’d read on magicking boards that families like mine often had spell books. I wondered if this was ours.
    “Please, remove your shoes, socks, and any jewelry you may have on and then step into the water,” my dad said.
    Suddenly everything seemed so formal; it was a side of my parents I’d never seen before. I did what they said and hurried into the water, not worrying when a few splashes came up and over the bucket’s edge.
    “First, we’ll add the peppermint,” Dad said, placing the oil in the water. The aroma filled the air instantly and I inhaledthe scent deeply. “To enhance your memory as well as soothe your stomach so you can always trust your gut.”
    I watched him bend down and pick up the bottle of red powder next. “Cayenne,” he said, sprinkling just a little near my feet, “to add a touch of heat to your spells when they call for it.”
    It was more than weird to hear my dad talk about heat in relation to me, but I willed myself to stay silent so that he’d continue with the spell. “Rose petals to remind you to be gentle with yourself and others. The power that comes along with performing magic can harden a person and often sweep them up in the moment. Sometimes you need to stop and smell the roses. Try to find the beauty in life.
    “A little dirt from the earth to keep you grounded and make sure you always appreciate the gifts that the universe offers,” he said, dumping a fistful of the dark stuff right onto my foot. With a flick of his hand, he ignited a flame and lit the tall candle, placing it down into the bucket and away from my legs. It stood firmly in place, with more than half the pillar sticking out of the water. “And finally, a candle to light your way on all your journeys.”
    “What’s the milk for?” I asked, noticing that it was still sitting on the table and hadn’t been added to the mixture yet.
    My dad looked at me and then down at the glass. He blinked. “The cake made me thirsty.”
    I rolled my eyes at him but didn’t say anything.
    “Okay, so now we’re ready,” he said. “Mabel, do you have the offering?”
    My mom stepped forward and presented him with a piece of string that was tied in a knot. I stared at it, noting that it didn’t appear to be anything special.
    “Your father and I bound your powers when you wereborn, to ensure that you had a chance to grow up as a normal kid, free from the complications that magic can bring. As you know, we don’t use our powers much in this house and we hoped that by the time you came of age, you would respect the gifts that you were given and make similar decisions.”
    In other words, they wanted me to choose to live a low-magic lifestyle. They hadn’t exactly been subtle about these desires as I grew up. It’s not like they’d hidden our gifts from me, but they’d made it very clear that I could live a normal life without using my powers. But all this