The Master Magician

Ceony turned to face him, their chests only inches apart, and tucked one of her squares into the front pocket of his trousers. “I am not your ‘sweets,’ Carl,” she said, shaking off his hand and simultaneously throwing the other square with a flick of her wrist. The “Adhere” spell she’d placed on it made it suction tightly to the floor. “And if you touch me again, I’ll have you tossed out. Or, better yet, I’ll do it myself. Affix!”


The bearing square in Carl’s pocket leapt to connect with its partner on the floor, regardless of what—or who—stood in the way. The force of the magic knocked Carl onto the ground and slid him several feet to meet the other paper square.

Zina gaped. “Ceony!”

“Come with me, or I’ll do the same to you,” she snapped, snatching the fag from Zina’s lips. With an uttered “Shred,” the cigarette’s paper tore itself to pieces, leaving a barely smoldering mess on the tabletop.

Having grabbed Zina by the elbow, Ceony dragged her out of the saloon and into the blessedly fresh-smelling sunlight. Fortunately, her sister didn’t resist until they were several paces from the dreaded place’s front doors.

“You’ve got some nerve!” Zina shot.

Ceony brushed her hands over her blouse as though the action could scare away the smell of cigars. “Apparently not as much as you. My affair with an established magician hardly seems notable compared to whatever rubbish you’re up to.”

Zina deflated, leaned against the outside wall of Maple By. “Don’t act like you understand me.”

“Why would I pretend to when I don’t?” she countered. “What has gotten into you? Mother is worried about you, and so am I. Talk to me.”

Zina frowned.

“I don’t see Carl coming to your rescue.”

Rolling her eyes, Zina folded her arms, then unfolded them to flick her black hair behind her shoulders. It fell forward again. She ignored it.

Ceony frowned. “We used to be close, you know.”

Her sister continued to fuss with her hair, eyes averted. “Before you took off and became the apple of Mum and Dad’s eye, maybe.”

Ceony raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sick of being second-rate, Ceony!” Zina said, loud enough to earn a few glances from passersby. Apparently, without Carl and Sam as her shield, the looks bothered her. Lowering her voice, she continued. “Compared, overlooked. If one daughter can become a magician, then certainly another can do something equally great.”

“You can, if you want to,” she offered quietly. “And I’m not a magician yet.”

“Easy for you to say. We don’t all have rich men paying for our schooling.”

“You hate school.”

“I wish I didn’t.”

That took Ceony aback. She felt herself soften, inside and out. “Oh, Zina.”

Zina folded her arms tightly over her chest. “I hate being poor.”

“Is that the appeal to this Carl? Money?”

She guffawed. “He’s a street sweeper, so no.”

But he pays attention to you, Ceony thought, though she knew better than to voice the words. Instead, she said, “Come,” and gently took Zina’s elbow. Zina, eyes fixed on the walk, came without protest.

“What do you want to do?” Ceony asked after a minute of silence.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, we can’t do anything until we figure that out. What about your art?”

She snorted. “Can’t afford the equipment.”

Ceony paused, looked at her. “Oh, Zina, I can help you out with that. You just have to ask.”

“I don’t need any debts to you.”

Ceony resisted rolling her own eyes and continued walking. “We all need help once in a while. And if I pass my magician’s test, I will have the means to help you financially. The rest is up to you.”

“I don’t want handouts.”

“Then sell something and pay me back. Accept a little help from your family, Zina. I doubt you want to spend the rest of your life inside a saloon next to someone who manhandles women.”

Zina sighed. “Carl is an idiot.”

“See? We’re already becoming more agreeable with each other.”

Despite the tension, Zina laughed, though it was a somewhat bitter sound. They walked in silence for a moment longer before Zina said, “I just need to find some old rich man to marry.”

“And that’s not a handout?”

Her sister smirked. “To suffer through a marriage like that? I’d be earning my allowance.”

That made Ceony pause again. “I know someone who might appreciate you. Your art, at least.”

Another eye roll. “Got another Folder up your sleeve?”

Ceony thought of Emery’s first apprentice, Langston. “Well, yes, actually. But I won’t introduce him to someone who smells like a saloon and who doesn’t respect herself.”

Zina pulled away from her, brows drawn together again. “I respect myself just fine.”

“Then act like it, Zina.”

Her sister opened her mouth to retort, but Ceony pulled her into a hug before she could speak. “I believe in you,” she said into Zina’s tobacco-scented hair. “Believe in yourself. I’ll see you at my announcement?”

Pulling back, Zina studied Ceony’s eyes. “So sure you’ll pass, eh?”

Ceony smiled. “When one believes in oneself, even the extraordinary is possible.”





CHAPTER 18