AN: Title from the song Grand Canyon by The Wind and The Wave. This is a standalone piece, although I may be inspired to write more in this verse at a later date.
~x~
Lydia hummed as she looked down at the piece of amber in her palm, examining the delicate flower forever preserved within the hardened resin. The spark of life—the base of all magical energy, was also preserved—and as she hummed, the flower began to glow. Light diffused from the center down the petals before spreading to the honey-colored substance around it. The pendant rose from her hand, radiant in the dim light of the attic, until it hovered over the shallow bowl of liquid on the stand in front of her.
A soft gasp sounded behind her and Lydia tensed, but didn't lose focus, watching as the pendant lowered until it was fully immersed in the tincture before turning her head to smile at the intruder.
"Admit it, you're impressed."
Allison laughed, a faint flush staining her cheeks and those lovely brown eyes wide with shock. "Yes. And curious. And confused. And probably some SAT level adjectives that you know but I don't."
"Don't sell yourself short, Argent, you're not just a pretty face," Lydia said with a flirtatious wink, then turned back to the bowl in front of her to hide her satisfaction at seeing the other girl's blush deepen. "You need to stay outside the circle," she told her, gesturing to the chalk symbol on the floor, "but you can come closer."
Allison didn't reply verbally, but the old, weathered floorboards creaked beneath her feet as she walked around the circle to stand in front of Lydia. The flush had faded from her cheeks and her expression was curious and analytical as she looked at the still glowing pendant floating in the bowl. "What is it?
"Protection, inspiration, charisma," Lydia explained with an enigmatic smile. "Among other things."
Arching one perfectly shaped eyebrow, Allison looked from the pendant to her. "And here I thought witchcraft was all potions, curses, and animal sacrifices."
"Potions on occasion. And I don't need curses to deal with my opponents," Lydia said with a sharp smile, white teeth and red lips. "As for sacrifices, no need for animals. But some spells need a little blood, or..." she trailed off and looked at the other girl through her lashes, coy and seductive. "Sexual energy is surprisingly useful for all sorts of results."
Allison laughed again, more natural than her earlier strained expression of amusement. "I bet."
The light from the pendant dimmed, flickered, and then went out. Lydia plucked it from the water and found it cool to the touch, humming with energy only a witch could feel. She bit down on a satisfied smile and cocked her head at the other girl.
"Do you want to try some magic?"
"What?" Allison asked, eyes widening again, and Lydia smirked.
"You've clearly accepted that magic is real and that we're neither lying nor delusional."
"At least not about that," Allison responded dryly, composure recovered.
Lydia laughed lightly and nodded. "Precisely. So the next step is for you to do some magic." She shrugged. "Unless you're not ready?"
Her words were a clear challenge and she watched as Allison's lips quirked upwards before firming into a straight line as she gave a decisive nod. "What do I need to do?"
Lydia used her foot to smudge the edge of the circle beneath her feet, breaking the protective seal. "You can take this," she said, handing Allison the small stand and the carefully balanced bowl of liquid on top of it. "We'll bottle the tincture later; it will be more potent now."
Allison opened her mouth and Lydia cut her off with a smile. "And yes, I will explain what it is and what it means. Later." She waited for the other girl to take the stand and then stepped out of the circle, tucking the pendant into the pocket hidden within the pleats of her dress. She chose a piece of bespelled chalk from the nearby windowsill and knelt down on the ground. Lifting her free hand to her lips, she blew on the ground, air and the touch of her power erasing the remains of the circle from the floor.
The other girl watched with fascination as Lydia redrew the chalk circle with a new configuration, all sharp lines and gentle curves. She left the outside circle incomplete and stepped back inside, then sat down with her legs crossed. "Come on in," Lydia said, beckoning with her hand as the spider might have to the fly. "This won't hurt, promise."
Allison snorted, but stepped into the circle, sitting down and mirroring Lydia's posture. "What are we doing, exactly?"
"A duplication spell," Lydia informed her as she used the chalk to close the circle. There was a brief shimmer in the air, a sense of heaviness against their skin, and then all was still again. Allison's eyes were wide, but with fascination, not fear, and Lydia resisted the urge to kiss her. Patience was not one of her foremost virtues, but some things were worth the wait.
She pulled the pendant out of her pocket and set it on the floor in between them, in the center of a carefully etched spiral. Reaching out, she silently guided Allison into the proper position—Lydia's left hand cupping Allison's right, both palms up, and Allison's left hand cupping Lydia's right.
"Repeat after me," she instructed, waiting for the other girl's nod, then took a deep breath to center herself, focusing on the pull of their magic and not the softness of Allison's skin.
"I give you that which is mine to give; power to power and hand to hand," Lydia chanted, low and rhythmic.
"I give you that which is mine to give; power to power and hand to hand," Allison dutifully repeated, her voice huskier than Lydia's, sending a faint thrill down her spine as the pendant rose to hover in the air between them, golden light shining on their skin like a tiny, magical sun.
"What was one, is now two; shared but not halved."
Both of them sounded a little breathless as the power built, filling the circle until the pendant was pulsing like a silent heartbeat.
"Creation without destruction; manifest our will."
The energy peaked, Lydia forced to close her eyes against the brightness of the glow, and then it was done, two pendants falling to the wooden floor with a clatter. When she opened her eyes, Allison was grinning, flushed with happiness and success, her first taste of power a sweet one. Lydia grinned back, eyes drawn to the perfect dimple in Allison's left cheek. That dimple could fell empires if used properly. Lydia very much wanted to lick it, but restrained herself.
She would have flirted with Allison regardless; it was one of her best skills, along with magic and math, but she wanted more than flirtation from their relationship. She wanted to know everything hiding behind that perfect hair, bright smile, and calloused fingers. She wanted to see those glorious brown eyes lit up for her, and not just the magic they created together.
"The spell. It almost sounded like, well, marriage vows?" Allison said, half-question, and Lydia nodded.
"The spell was originally created for charmed wedding bands. One band was crafted and then the betrothed would use this spell to duplicate it. The rings could always be used to find each other." Lydia picked up the two pendants, a reassuring weight of power in her palm, and offered one to the other girl. "For you."
"This doesn't betrothe us, does it?" Allison asked wryly as she took it, examining it with a careful, delicate touch. "No supernatural love properties?"
"I don't need magic to get dates," Lydia assured her, reached forward to close the other girl's fingers over the gift. Their eyes met and Allison's breath caught for a moment. "And I won't need any supernatural help seducing you."
The silence held for the length of a heartbeat, stretching with possibility, and then Lydia leaned back out of her space with a sparkling laugh. "So, Allison Argent, are you ready to be a witch?"
Allison stared at her, dark eyes intent with emotions Lydia couldn't quite decipher and very much looked forward to learning. "Yes, I am."