Chapter 18

A Little Magic

The next morning, Murray let Cye down from the wall. The wolf rubbed his wrists a bit, but thanked Murray none the less. Cye then turned, and without another word began to leave. He opened the door, and began to step outside when a large black paw shoved him back into the house. Blain was lying out in the yard, relaxing in the cool morning air. Still, he wanted to have a few words with the cursed wolf before he would let him take his leave.

The others soon woke up, and sat down to breakfast. Cye did not eat, just kept trying to get out of the house. Still, no matter if he tried a window or door Blain would gently push him back into the house. Finally, Cye's frustration hit a breaking point as he yelled, "Get out of my way?"

Blain lowered his head down to the door, looking Cye straight in the eye, "Not until I have asked you a few questions."

Cye crossed his arms, growling a bit, "Then what are your questions?"

Blain raised his head again, "First, what were you thinking last night. Sure, you may have killed Johannes when the curse took over and sent you on a killing spree. Still, you could have also killed me, Rachel, Sly, or another innocent bystander."

Cye growled, "It is my business, and none of yours how I turn this curse into a tool."

Blain's eyes turned cold as he glared at Cye, "When it endangers the lives of my friends, than you make it my business. Now, why are you so fixated on killing Johannes?"

"A curse passed by blood can only be broken by blood. I have to kill him to lift the curse since he is the ancestor of the original spell caster."

Blain groaned, "You idiot, that is not what that statements means. Yes, killing Johannes would break the spell, but there is a second translation. It can also mean that some of the original spell casters blood must be present when the spell is broken. Yes, Johannes's blood would serve that purpose but you don't need to kill him. With a single drop I could undo the spell. Heck if I tried to break the spell while Johannes was standing in the same room the spell would still work. The blood must just be present, not spilt."

"Still, I would rather rip him limb from limb. Many have died because they got in my way, and you'll be the next one if you interfere again."

Blain growled, "You are in no position to threaten me. True, I don't have my magic when I am like this. Still, it is a panther the size of a bus against a wolf with an attitude problem."

Cye began to growl, his eyes flashing with a fire of rage, "I do as I please, and no one can tell me otherwise. If I feel like threatening you, then I will do it without pause."

Blain met Cye's glare with his own, "Maybe that curse isn't the problem. It may be your bad attitude just getting amplified. After all, you have easily shown that you do lack any sort of civil manners. We offer you help, and you turn away from it like it is the black plague. You sir, need to take a chill pill."

Finally, Cye's temper snapped. The curse took effect, and his body quickly began to shift. He began to shrink, his bones reorganizing as he turned into a common wolf. He began to growl at Blain who just lay there, shaking his head, "Must it always be violence with you?"

Cye, in his wolf form, tore across the yard before trying to bite down on Blain's paw. Blain easily moved it out of the way, swatting Cye to the side at the same time. Cye's growling had caught Rachel's attention, and she now stepped out of the house asking, "What is going on out here?"

At the sound of her voice, Cye turned and began to glare at Rachel. He bared his teeth, a deep growl emanating from his throat before he began to charge at the lioness. Before he even got close to Rachel, Blain was up and blocking his path. Blain was growling, his eyes flashing with hatred, "Tread lightly Cye, because if you hurt a hair on her head I will personally guarantee your family will live with that curse till the end of time."

Cye stopped, growling at Blain for a few minutes. Then, he began to change back to normal. The transformation was slow, but in a few minutes Cye was standing in front of Blain and Rachel, glaring as he said, "You said you can break the curse."

Blain nodded his head, "Yes, but only if you will agree to trust me, Sly, and all the others to do what has to be done."

Cye growled a bit, then let out a humph and said, "Whatever." With that he turned and walked slowly back into the house. The entire time Blain kept his eyes locked on Cye. When Cye was back in the house, and the door was closed Blain looked over at Rachel and said, "Now, what did you say Rachel?"

Rachel blinked a few times, "I was just wondering what was going on out here. Now, I see you got in an argument with Cye and got his temper up. That was real smooth Blain."

Blain sighed, "I apologize, but he did put you, Sly, and I in a lot of danger last night. I do not appreciate such recklessness, especially when it runs such a high risk of getting some innocent bystander injured or even killed."

Rachel smiled, "It is all right Blain. Now, did you really mean what you said to Cye just a second ago? That you would do such a terrible thing if he hurt me."

Blain blinked a few times before turning his head away. His cheeks were growing warm, and he was thankful his black fur hid the blush starting to form on his face, "Well, I guess I did. It was all kind of on the spur of the moment, but I do think I meant what I said."

Rachel turned away from Blain, her blush resembling his as he said, "Well, thank you. That means a lot to hear you say that Mr. Shadow Walker."

Blain smiled a bit, "Oh, but Mrs. Leo Blitz, I wonder what you would do if you were in my shoes."

Rachel chocked a second, caught off guard by the question, "Pardon?"

Blain turned to face Rachel, lowering his head down so their eyes met, "I asked you, would you do the same for me?"

Rachel paused, looking into Blain's eyes. Even through his eyes were like a cat's, she found herself becoming lost in those emerald orbs. Still, when Blain blinked it broke Rachel out of her trance. She then seriously thought about his question, and then smiled as she gave him a gentle punch on the nose, "Oh, I guess I would. I owe you that much at least."

Blain shook his head, "So, it is just to repay a dept. I could be on the brink of death, and you would save my life just to make us even."

Rachel nodded her head, but then looked away a bit, "Yes, but also because I kind of like having you around."

Blain smiled, standing up as he said, "Well, if you will pardon me Rachel. I have to relieve myself." With that, Blain turned and head off into the forest. Rachel watched him disappear behind a line of trees before going back into the house, his words ringing in her head.

Even though she was a Leo Blitz, he worried for her safety. He wanted to protect her, and make anyone who harmed her pay dearly for their transgression. There weren't many men that would have done that for her, at least ones she would consider dating. Dating, that word rang in Rachel's head. It had been years since she had been on a real date. Maybe it was time to end that long stretch of lonely Friday nights.

Rachel stepped back into the house, glancing at Cye to make sure he was behaving himself. Then, her eyes fell on Sly who was the one stuck cleaning up the dishes after breakfast. Rachel walked over to the master thief, smiling a bit as she asked, "Do you want a little help with that Sly?"

Sly looked over his shoulder, and then said, "Well, I will admit that after one of Murray's breakfasts, there is a very large pile of things to be cleaned."

Rachel chuckled a bit, shaking her head as she raised her hand. She began to twirl it about in the air, bring all of the remaining plates and dishes under her control before she snapped her fingers. Like a well oiled machine the dishes jumped up into the air, got in a very neat and tidy line, and began to wash themselves.

Sly smiled, stepping back from the sink as he dried his hand. He shook his head, "Magic, it can make things far too easy sometimes. Still, I don't mind the dishes being far too easy."

"Well then, Mr. Cooper, would like to learn this little trick?"

Sly blinked a few times, turning to look at Rachel, "You want to teach me magic?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders, "Only what you would want to learn. I would imagine this spell would be something to your liking, and it is novice level spell."

Sly scratched his head a bit, before letting a toothy grin cover his face, "Well, Bentley won't have a new plan ready until at least sometime this afternoon. I guess it is a good way to kill some time."

Rachel smiled, "Well then, why don't you follow me outside. Cleaning dishes is one thing, but you first need to learn a few simpler spells before you can put them together into something like that."

Sly nodded his head, following Rachel as she headed outside. Blain had returned, and was now sleeping next to the line of trees. He opened one eye to see who had stepped outside, but then shut it again to resume his midmorning nap.

Rachel led Sly over to the pile of wire wood that was sitting up against the house. She grabbed a few logs, tossing them onto the ground behind her as she said, "Everyone in the world has the ability to perform magic. That magic, however, is tuned to their personality, their soul. Blain and I have both learned a lot of magic, but the strongest magic we can ever perform is the magic that goes in tune with our souls."

Blain opened his eyes when he heard his name, and began to watch as Rachel continued to tell Sly about the basics of magic. Blain smiled, his mind going back to the first day he was taught magic. He had been very young, and in such his magic was still very accessible. He wondered if Sly would be able to find his magic after so long. With age, if the magic in your body isn't put to use, it begins to be come overshadowed by other things. It becomes covered, like a vine can grow and cover a wall. It has becomes too constricted, and the magic may prove too difficult to coax out into the open after a certain point.

Sly tried for nearly an hour with Rachel, but was not able to summon any magic. Blain had been watching, and finally decided to say something. He stood up, walking over to the lioness and raccoon as he said, "Rachel, can I try something with Sly."

Rachel turned, "I guess so, but I don't see the point. His magic has gone unused for so long, I doubt we could even bring it to the surface using our own magic."

Blain smiled, "Well, magic does tend to be like the person it inhabits. Sly is a thief, and in such always prefers a secret passage over the front door. So, to get at his magic we should be trying to take the proverbial back door."

Rachel blinked a few times, and then nodded her agreement before turning back to Sly, "I hate to say it, but Blain is right. We have been getting at this all wrong. Now, Sly, so far we have just located the place in your body, your soul, where your magic has pooled. Where it its source is, for lack of a better term. Now, close your eyes and look for it again."

Sly nodded his head, closing his eyes as he did what Rachel had told him earlier. He searched his soul, and could see a mental image of a large building that was completely covered in vines. As he looked up at the building, he could hear Rachel say, "Now, Sly, we tried getting into the reserve of magic through the front door. That, however, didn't work to well. This time, I want you to try and find another way in that is not blocked with vines. Find your own path to the magic within you."

Sly nodded his head as he mentally began to run around the house. On the left side of the house was a drain pipe that led up to the second floor balcony. Sly quickly climbed the pipe, and landed on the balcony. He then ran around, and used his rail walk to climb up a broken hand rail that had fallen down from the third floor. Finally, to get the roof, Sly used his ninja spire landing technique. He landed on an old flag pole that was right beside the front door, and then used it to get up onto the roof.

Sly landed on the roof of the building silently, and began to look for an entrance. There were no vents or doors on the roof. Just a single chimney. Sly smiled, it was time for him to pull a Claus. With a final leap Sly reached the top of the chimney, and then dove down through it. Sly slid down the chimney, and soon was engulfed by a bright light.

Sly opened his eyes, and looked around at Rachel and Blain, who were both smiling. Rachel motioned toward the logs and said, "Now, give it another try."

Sly nodded his head, turning to the logs as he reached out his hand. The first few times he had tried to move the logs nothing had happened. This time was different. Sly could actually, see and feel strange ribbons of blue light grow from his fingers. They wrapped around the logs and soon began to lift them off the ground.

Rachel clapped her hands together, "Very good Sly."

Sly shrugged his shoulders, "It is nothing, but should I be able to see the magic?"

Rachel nodded her head, "Yes, actually, you should be able to see your own magic. Seeing your magic helps you control it, and gain a mastery of manipulating it. Right now, Blain and I can also see your magic. Still, in time you will learn to mask it so only you can see those strings of blue light. That way, should you be fighting someone, you can use your magic without anyone else knowing about it, at least until it is to late."

Sly smiled, using the thin strings of magic to stack the logs in a neat pile, "A surprise attack, I like it."

Sly worked with Rachel and Blain for most of the day while Bentley prepared a new plan for the heist. Since their first attempt, the security around Johannes's manor had easily tripled. Still, there was always a blind spot in any security system. All you had to do is find it.

By the end of the day Sly had gotten the hang of levitation and movement magic. He also began practicing some replacement magic. He was letting his magic flow from his feet, and in such act like a spire or a rail. As Rachel and Blain watch from below, Sly was rail walking and rail sliding through the air above the cabin, throwing in a few ninja spire landings when he felt like it.

As he sun began to hang low in the sky, Sly came back down to earth. Rachel smiled, clapping her hands, "That was amazing. You are learning very quickly."

Blain nodded his head, "Yes, I agree, though you need to remember that the replacement magic, like the one you use for your rail walk, should be anchored at two ends. A slight shift in your concentration and that mystical rail will begin to disappear. If it is anchored at two points, then it will last longer and give you a chance to either fix it or get to safety."

Sly nodded his head, "Got it. Now, can you two teach me one final trick?"

Rachel nodded her head, "Sure Sly, what did you want know?"

Sly smiled, thinking about a certain Spanish vixen, "I am supposed to go visit Carmelita this evening, and I want to do something special. I want to be able to take a hand full of seeds, and with Carmelita watching turn them into a beautiful bouquet of flowers."

Blain shook his head, "Oh good grief."

Rachel glared over at Blain, "Now you shush, I think it is a wonder idea. Still, is there any magic like that?"

Blain nodded his head, "Yes, but I fear it is a little advanced for Sly's current skill level. Still, if he wants to learn we might as well try to teach him."

Sly smiled, "Well then, let the lesson continue." Blain groaned, but nodded his head as he told Sly about the spell. It was a mixture of a time manipulation spell and earth magic. You had to use your magic and provide the necessary energy for the plant to grow to a full bloom. Then, you also would have to create a time vortex around the flowers and fast forward their growth. It was dangerous because Sly had to make sure the flowers didn't grow any roots, because they would dig into his hand. Also, he would have to place the time vortex above his hand. If his hand was caught in the vortex, it could be very dangerous.

By the end of the hour, Sly had a rough mastery of the magic. He could not do a whole bouquet, but Blain suggested just doing a single rose. That was just as classy as a full bouquet, and well within Sly's current skill level with the spell. With that, Sly cleaned himself up a bit and disappeared into Carmelita's book.

Sly appeared in front of Carmelita's house inside the book a few moments later. The sun had set, and a cool nip filled the air. Sly smiled, looking around at the front of the house. He had not told Blain and Rachel the whole story. He had said he was meeting with Carmelita. In truth, he was taking her on a date. He was amazed she actually agreed to it, but Sly wasn't about to complain. He didn't care if she was just getting stir crazy inside the book. It was something he had dreamed about on more then one occasion.

Sly quickly moved to the side of the yard, and got down onto his knees. He began to search through the garden, pushing back branches until he found a small blue button. He smiled, pressing the button gently. He then stood up as he usual thieving clothes were replaced by a full tuxedo. He had written the button in so he didn't have to change where Bentley, Murray, or anyone else could have seen him in the get up.

Sly looked down at the all black and white tuxedo, and then out at the yard. The button had a few other functions. Outside the front gate, across the endless grassy plain that surrounded the house, a road began to rise out of the ground. At the same time, a black limousine began to roll up the long road, coming to a stop right in front of Carmelita's gate. Finally, in the distance, the silhouette of a building appeared on the horizon.

Sly smiled, checking that everything was in place before he looked over at Carmelita's door. With graceful steps, sly walked to the door. He stood in front of it, taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves before he gently reached out and knocked on the door. A few moments later, Carmelita opened the door.

Sly almost let his jaw drop, but managed to keep his composer. Carmelita was wearing the most beautiful dress Sly had ever seen. It was a deep black dress with spaghetti straps on top and a slit on the side that went half way up her thigh. Carmelita had pulled her hair out of its usual pony tail, and combed it straight. It hung down her back like a deep blue waterfall, gently rolling over her shoulders until it reached her waist. With her hair pulled back, it was very easy to see Carmelita's entire face, even the gentle smile that was gracing her lips.

Carmelita stepped through the door, looking over Sly as she said, "Hello Ringtail."

Sly shook his head, coming out of his state of shock. He then smiled, bowing gracefully, "Greetings Miss Fox. How are you this evening?"

Carmelita let her smile widen, "I am just fine Mr. Cooper, thank you for asking."

Sly raised his head, looking up at the angle before him, "Well then, shall we be on our way." Sly gently held his hand out. Carmelita nodded her head, setting her hand in his. Sly stood up a bit, placing a kiss on the back of Carmelita's hand before he let go. He then dug in his pocket, pulling out a single rose seed before holding it out to Carmelita.

Carmelita's eyes lit up as she saw the seed sprout, and slowly grow into a single, beautiful rose. The rose was a deep blue with white around the edges. Sly took hold of the rose, offering it to Carmelita as he asked, "So, would you care to join me on this lovely night out, Miss Fox."

Carmelita took the rose, nodding her head as she fought back the blush that tried to surface on her cheeks. She then gently lifted the rose up, pushing away a few strands of hair as she gently slipped it behind her ear. She then stepped down beside Sly, who offered his arm. Carmelita gently slipped her arm around his, locking their elbows as they began to walk towards the waiting limousine.