thinking. Or maybe it was the other way around.
Or maybe he was just being silly.
“You want some?” Mindy asked. “I used the whole tin.”
“Yes, please,” Calvin said, rolling his eyes. Mindy was such a kid . Any fool could tell that an entire tin of soup was too much for one young girl. Their mother would throw a fit if she found out that Mindy had wasted half the liquid. She might even save it and insist on Mindy reheating the soup at a later date. “And some toast as well, if you please.”
He waited while Mindy finished cooking lunch and then spooned it out into a pair of bowls, before sitting down facing him and tucking in. Calvin ate slowly, enjoying the taste, while reading the newspaper again. Mindy chatted about nothing until she finished eating, whereupon she brought up a friend of hers who believed in magic. Calvin found himself listening with new interest as she spoke.
“Dana has this charm her Indian grandmother gave her,” Mindy informed him. “She says that it protects her from evil.”
“Oh,” Calvin said. He considered pointing out that they were supposed to be called Native Americans these days, before deciding that it was a waste of time. “And does it actually work?”
“She says it does,” Mindy admitted, doubtfully. “But she was also saying that her grandmother invited her to the reservation for a ceremony, one that might be very important for her future.”
“Oh,” Calvin said, again. It was easy to fake disinterest, even though he had the feeling that Native American magic rituals might start working now. Harrow had implied as much. “Maybe you should ask her for a protective bracelet for yourself.”
Mindy glared at him. “You’re not taking me seriously,” she protested. “You’re weird .”
Calvin fought down the sudden hot surge of rage that threatened to consume him. People had been calling him weird, or worse, for his entire life, yet it hurt the most coming from his kid sister. Mana started to boil around him and he forced it down hastily, fearing that he might lose control and incinerate Mindy too. He couldn't do that...slowly, the mana came under control, fading back into the background. And then he opened his eyes, unaware that he’d even closed them, to see Mindy staring at him in horror.
“What...what happened?”
He would have cursed himself for a fool if there had been time. Mindy was his kid sister; they shared the same genes. Whatever had made him a magician might have done the same to her. Maybe she didn't have the benefits of Harrow’s teachings, but he hadn't needed his tutor to kill three bullies. He could teach her...but he couldn't take the risk of her tattling to their parents, or to the authorities.
Calvin concentrated, summoning a spell Harrow had taught him and holding it firmly in his mind. “Nothing happened,” he said, casting the spell. Harrow had warned him that mental manipulation required practice, for the human mind was often unpredictable and difficult to control, but there had been no time to practice on someone else. “You saw nothing. You came home, you ate lunch with me and then you went back to school.”
Mindy looked...dazed, almost hypnotised. Calvin felt a flash of concern, one that was driven away by the grim awareness that he had come very close to exposing himself. This power might be fun, if less spectacular than burning Moe to a crisp, but using it on his kid sister...
But there was no choice. He told himself that he had no choice.
Afterwards, Mindy ran off to school, seemingly unaware that he’d cut a slice out of her memory. Calvin hoped that the spell had worked, knowing that there was no way to be sure. Even the Demon Headmaster had had trouble with hypnosis, and Mindy was smart. Would she notice that her memories didn't quite make sense?
Shaking his head, he
Or maybe he was just being silly.
“You want some?” Mindy asked. “I used the whole tin.”
“Yes, please,” Calvin said, rolling his eyes. Mindy was such a kid . Any fool could tell that an entire tin of soup was too much for one young girl. Their mother would throw a fit if she found out that Mindy had wasted half the liquid. She might even save it and insist on Mindy reheating the soup at a later date. “And some toast as well, if you please.”
He waited while Mindy finished cooking lunch and then spooned it out into a pair of bowls, before sitting down facing him and tucking in. Calvin ate slowly, enjoying the taste, while reading the newspaper again. Mindy chatted about nothing until she finished eating, whereupon she brought up a friend of hers who believed in magic. Calvin found himself listening with new interest as she spoke.
“Dana has this charm her Indian grandmother gave her,” Mindy informed him. “She says that it protects her from evil.”
“Oh,” Calvin said. He considered pointing out that they were supposed to be called Native Americans these days, before deciding that it was a waste of time. “And does it actually work?”
“She says it does,” Mindy admitted, doubtfully. “But she was also saying that her grandmother invited her to the reservation for a ceremony, one that might be very important for her future.”
“Oh,” Calvin said, again. It was easy to fake disinterest, even though he had the feeling that Native American magic rituals might start working now. Harrow had implied as much. “Maybe you should ask her for a protective bracelet for yourself.”
Mindy glared at him. “You’re not taking me seriously,” she protested. “You’re weird .”
Calvin fought down the sudden hot surge of rage that threatened to consume him. People had been calling him weird, or worse, for his entire life, yet it hurt the most coming from his kid sister. Mana started to boil around him and he forced it down hastily, fearing that he might lose control and incinerate Mindy too. He couldn't do that...slowly, the mana came under control, fading back into the background. And then he opened his eyes, unaware that he’d even closed them, to see Mindy staring at him in horror.
“What...what happened?”
He would have cursed himself for a fool if there had been time. Mindy was his kid sister; they shared the same genes. Whatever had made him a magician might have done the same to her. Maybe she didn't have the benefits of Harrow’s teachings, but he hadn't needed his tutor to kill three bullies. He could teach her...but he couldn't take the risk of her tattling to their parents, or to the authorities.
Calvin concentrated, summoning a spell Harrow had taught him and holding it firmly in his mind. “Nothing happened,” he said, casting the spell. Harrow had warned him that mental manipulation required practice, for the human mind was often unpredictable and difficult to control, but there had been no time to practice on someone else. “You saw nothing. You came home, you ate lunch with me and then you went back to school.”
Mindy looked...dazed, almost hypnotised. Calvin felt a flash of concern, one that was driven away by the grim awareness that he had come very close to exposing himself. This power might be fun, if less spectacular than burning Moe to a crisp, but using it on his kid sister...
But there was no choice. He told himself that he had no choice.
Afterwards, Mindy ran off to school, seemingly unaware that he’d cut a slice out of her memory. Calvin hoped that the spell had worked, knowing that there was no way to be sure. Even the Demon Headmaster had had trouble with hypnosis, and Mindy was smart. Would she notice that her memories didn't quite make sense?
Shaking his head, he
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