Author's Note: if you read chapter five several weeks ago when it was first posted, you will want to go back and read it again. After having re-read it myself, I decided Regina's characterization needed some work. So, I changed the chapter. Not something I usually do after posting but, forgive me, I'm claiming author's prerogative.
When she has looked over and signed the last piece of paper Snow handed her, Regina puts down her pen, picks up a hefty stack of paperwork, and taps it against her desktop to straighten and align the edges before tucking it all into a leather portfolio. As she places the cap on her Dryden fountain pen, she hums with a sense of accomplishment. "Well, that's it. We're done."
Snow looks around the room in surprise paying particular attention to the items that still remain on Regina's desk. "No, we can't be."
Regina spreads her arms wide, indicating the lack of budget-related reports that remain to be seen to.
Snow smiles. "Well that's a first! The quarterly budget report in under…" She looks at her wristwatch. "just under six hours. Either we're getting good at this or…" She shakes her head. "Nope, I'm not gonna say it."
Regina laughs dryly. "Either we're getting good, or we left out something of crucial importance, and it'll come to mind just before it wakes me up at 3:00 o'clock tomorrow morning."
Snow's eyes widen marginally. "You're not serious. Regina, please tell me you don't wake up at 3:00 AM thinking about these things."
Regina shrugs. "Somebody has to. That's how the town keeps going."
"That has to be awful! Of all the thoughts one can wake up to."
"It's not so bad. Robin usually comes tiptoeing in at about 3:15. I like to get one or two words out of him before he collapses into exhaustion."
"Aww, that's sweet."
Regina resists the urge to roll her eyes. "Not always. The last thing he said to me last night before he passed out was, 'Damn tavern. I don't know who's gonna kill me first; her or you."
Snow covers her mouth, suppressing a giggle, and begins to busy herself with packing up her bag. Dropping her voice to a more discreet level, despite the fact that they are alone in the office, she asks, "I take it this was after the two of you rendezvoused at the Lucky Feather yesterday afternoon."
Regina squints suspiciously. "How do you…" She groans; answering the question she hasn't finished asking for herself. "My sister!"
Snow nods. "Don't worry. It stays with me. And I also told her that she might want to at least think about keeping it to herself from that point forward. I told her you wouldn't appreciate the whole town talking about you and Robin. Of course, you know they do anyway."
Regina squints, not really pausing to think about it. "Why?"
"Oh, come on Regina! I know you're more self-aware than that. You don't really need to ask that question. I know you better than most of them. I understand why the two of you make a good match. Most of the rest of the town doesn't. To them you're an – well, forgive me, but an odd couple. The forest-dwelling bandit who used to rob royal carriages and the queen who puts the capital 'R' in royal."
Regina smirks but then shrugs. "Touché. I wasn't aware that you and my sister were on the level of gossip swapping buddies."
Snow shakes her head and almost whispers, as though she has something to be ashamed of. "We're really not. I promise. I know we have to live here in this small town together. I know we're going to bump into each other, but after what happened when Neal was born... I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm ever going to be completely comfortable with your sister."
Regina sighs. "Snow, she's my sister – and I'm not completely comfortable with her."
"Okay, good. Because, I mean, I know you tried to kill me more than once, but at least you never went directly after my babies… Well, not until after Emma was an adult with at least a chance of defending herself… And technically, at that time, she was going after your baby."
"Yes, thanks for the recap." Regina says dryly. "So, then how did you come to be sharing salacious gossip with my sister?"
Every once in a while, she comes down the hill from that Greek pantheon she lives in and tries to mingle for an hour or two. Neal and I ran into her and Theo this morning at Iron Kids. You really should bring Norah by. There are two weekend slots available during the school year; Saturday at 11:30 AM, and Sundays at 4:00 PM at the community center. The kids run around and shake off some pent-up energy after spending most of the week in school. It's in a supervised setting and we moms sit and catch up with each other while the kids play." She grins sheepishly. "Sorry. Of course, you know about it. You're the one who approves the budget."
Regina waves dismissively. "It wouldn't take five minutes before they would ask Norah to leave – and probably never return."
"I'm sure that's not true, Regina! Norah is a good girl. Sure, she's a little - energetic. She runs circles around boys twice her size. But, she's still a good girl."
"I know that, Snow. She requires a bit more room to roam than the gymnasium at the community center can afford her. She climbs on everything. It wouldn't take her 45 seconds to topple that lightweight jungle gym set-up they've got."
"Well, that's okay. That stuff is made to be climbed on by kids. It's meant to be knocked around a little bit."
Regina nods. "But I set that up because I intended for it to be used by kids who spend the biggest part of their day indoors – kids who need the exercise. Forcing Norah to go there even once a week would be like trying to cage an animal that's lived its whole life in the wild. Norah is outside every morning before breakfast. I usually drop her off for her Pre-K class on my way to work. Daddy walks over and picks her up at 11:30. By the time the two of them make it back to our house, Robin is usually up and about and making her lunch. Then, she plays with Robin while Daddy takes his afternoon nap. Robin goes off to work at around 1:30 and Norah drags Daddy outdoors. The two of them ride horses, or wander around exploring in the woods until Daddy runs out of steam and insists on being returned to the comfort of his deck chair on the back porch, where he reads with one eye on the page and one eye on Norah until dinner time. After dinner, more often than not, she begs to go back outside. She would be bored to death with the gymnasium. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she doesn't grow up to be some kind of park ranger."
Snow offers a soft smile. "That's her daddy's influence."
"Well, of course! I mean, I don't mind being outside, but after two or three hours, I'm ready for some comfort. My daughter would sleep out there if we let her. She will run circles around the kids at the community center and drive the adults to distraction."
"Isn't she ever still?"
"Only if she's in her father's or her grandfather's lap, and if she gets her way about it, they are outside when she is. We have to forcibly put her in bed every night. More than once, I have physically forced her to lay down and put her head on the pillow. It's a nightly battle at our house. Then, as soon as she does lay down, she's gone. She sleeps like the dead."
Snow laughs. "Of course, she does - with all that fresh air and sunshine. She has to recharge nightly."
"And, there is no waking her until she is ready to wake. If we force her to get out of bed in the morning before she's ready, she's impossible to live with. Fortunately, as long as we put her to bed early enough, she usually rolls out of bed on her own while I'm in the shower. Every once in a while, she wakes me up in the morning - usually with pleading eyes and a loud whisper that has no hope of not waking Robin. 'Mama, I'm starving. If you don't wake up and feed me right now, I am going to die!"
Snow laughs. "I didn't know she was so theatrical."
Regina shakes her head. "Only at 5:30 AM, and only when she is hungry."
"She needs fuel for her day spent outdoors exploring. Dinner was hours ago." Snow justifies. "Starting next fall, a full day of school is going to be hard for her."
"I know. That was my sole reason for insisting on enrolling her in the Pre - K class. Robin didn't think we needed to, but I did it anyway just because I knew she was going to need a slow introduction to the idea of 2/3 of her day spent indoors. Right now, her class is only 2 ½ hours long. Daddy says when they let her out of the building, he has to run just to keep her in sight.
"Oh, that I know. I've seen him run after her. She's keeping him young. Or at least keeping him from getting old… and decrepit. After about the second week of trying to catch her running out of the school building, he adopted a new game plan. Instead of chasing her, Henry simply walks down to the end of the curb where they have pick-up and drop-off. He sits down on one of the benches under that big old elm tree and tells her to run around the bench in circles until she feels like slowing down. And that's just what she does too. Regina, she's so cute. she runs, and she jumps, or hops up and down on one foot. She can even turn cartwheels and stand on her head. Henry just sits there and lets her do as she will until she feels like she can walk at a normal pace… And then the two of them walk home hand in hand."
"Well, that explains it. I wondered how he got her home every day without losing track of her on their walk. He used to chase me around like that too, but he was a lot younger then."
"Weren't we all!"
"You're about to be a grandmother for the second time."
Snow's smile is radiant. "I know. I'm so excited. I swear I can hardly wait. I think people keep expecting it to bother me. I don't know why, unless maybe it's because most people my age…"
"Might still be having their own children?" Regina guesses. "Neal is going to have a niece or a nephew who is young enough to grow up playing with him like a cousin."
Snow chuckles. "Well, that's hardly Emma's fault. Somebody went and cast a curse that made time come to a complete standstill for nearly 30 years for the people of this town."
"And now you probably get to be the youngest grandmother of two in history. Especially when considering the fact that the older of the two is nearly 20… You're welcome, by the way."
"Any day now, he's gonna find himself a girl, Regina. One to get serious about. Then it will be happening to you too. Probably before you know it."
Regina cringes. "I'm too young to be a grandmother. I have a five-year-old."
"I have a 37-year-old. And a 6 ½-year-old. And, I know you didn't raise him as such, but technically…"
"Don't even go there! Henry is no more my great-grandson than you were my daughter… Besides, it just sounds ridiculous. He has a grandfather older than me."
Snow acquiesces. "Okay, fine, we just won't talk about that."
"Thank you!"
"I've got to get out of here. I promised Emma I would drive her to Lamaze class."
Regina rises to her feet. "With Henry away at school in Boston, I haven't seen Emma for a few weeks."
"She stays pretty close to home these days."
Regina guesses, "She's gotten too big to comfortably fit behind the wheel?"
Snow nods. "It's not safe. Her magic has gone all wonky. So, she can't just pop over. In that tiny car of hers, if she has to slam on her breaks…"
Regina nods as well. "She goes belly first into either the steering wheel, or the air bag. "I remember."
Shouldering her bag, Snow smiles dreamily, covers her heart with both hands, and briefly marches in place like an over-excited kid. "David and I will take either one, of course. it doesn't matter which… but, just between you and me, I hope it's a girl!" With absolutely no intent to browbeat or punish Regina, she says, "I didn't get to see Emma grow up. Watching her daughter grow up – it's the only thing in this world that might possibly be even better."
"Well then you better go." Regina declares, fearing she may overdose on sunshine before the woman leaves her office. "You aren't late, are you?"
"No, not if I leave now. And don't worry about yesterday. It wouldn't kill David to knock off work and come home early once in a while. We could use a little alone-time ourselves. I will talk to him about the deputy mayor position."
"What's to talk about? You're already doing the work. I'm just offering to make it official. The position even comes with a paycheck. A small one, but Robin was right, I should've done this ages ago."
"Hi Norah! Eliana skips over the Locksley's threshold and hugs her cousin, using the greeting as a legitimate opportunity to whisper in Norah's ear. "I got it!"
When she starts to pat the jewel encrusted cross-body tote she wears across her torso over her ballerina's calf-length tutu and her fairy wings, Norah grabs her hand, concealing the action, and declares happily. "Come on, Elia." She trots away quickly, pulling her redheaded cousin along with her as she announces, "We're gonna go play in my room, Papa."
With the winged feet of youth, they are halfway across the great room before Henry even has a chance to say hello.
Shaking his head at their enthusiasm, the king addresses Zelena with a smile. "Oh, to have their energy again, just for 20 minutes out of the day."
Zelena nods. "Don't I know it! Thanks for this. Sorry for the last-minute notice."
Henry waves the apology aside. "I hope everything is alright."
"Well, it is nothing earth shattering. It's just, I have to take Theo to see the pediatrician. And it's hard enough to get his sister to sit still for two hours when she has an entire house full of toys to entertain her. In the doctor's office, forget it. She gets bored."
"You have to take the little guy to the doctor? That's a surprise. I thought he'd be immune to common bugs."
Zelena rolls her eyes in annoyance but shrugs anyway. "Well, you would think. Wouldn't you? He's not seriously ill. He just has allergies… As odd as that sounds. But then, he is only ¾ deity. The same thing happened about this time last year. He got itchy, watery eyes, and he started sneezing. The pediatrician says he has hay fever. Hay fever! Of all the ridiculous…"
Cutting her off, Henry offers her a handkerchief from the pocket of his waistcoat and discreetly points to the runny nose of the toddler in her arms.
Zelena's sighs as she tries to wipe her son's nose and has to forcibly move his hands out of the way as he shakes his head 'no' and then continues to resist her efforts by placing his small hands on her chest and pushing his upper body as far away from hers as he possibly can while still held in her arms. "Unfortunately, there's a new development. This year every time he starts sneezing, he lights up – both, the crown of his head and his nostrils. I swear he's going to burn the bloody house down if I don't go get him some medicine. Not to mention the fact that people are likely to think he's a dragon. Never mind the fact that they don't breathe fire in human form. So," she sighs. "I'm off!" She gives Henry his used handkerchief back and disappears in a cloud of swirling green smoke taking her son with her and leaving Henry standing there in the doorway; one corner of his soiled handkerchief pinched between thumb and forefinger and held cautiously away from his personage.
On the off chance the kid has something more virulent than hay fever, the old monarch heads straight for the kitchen at the back of the house. As he listens to the sound of his granddaughter and her cousin running noisily through the upstairs hallway, he relegates the monogrammed swatch of cloth with its glittering and slightly iridescent mucus stains to the flames already burning in the kitchen fireplace.
Upstairs, in her bedroom, Norah closes the door and pauses to make certain that it latches tightly before she crosses the room and flops down on the cushioned window seat.
Eliana deposits her small jeweled tote on her cousin's bed before also shedding her slightly heavier shoulder pack and her wings. Crossing her ankles, she sinks to the floor and tucks one knee, and then the other, under her chin as she loosens the laces on her point shoes and then leaves both the shoes and her tutu lying momentarily in a discarded heap on the rug. Down to nothing but her leotard, she opens her shoulder pack, extracting not only a difference skirt and a pair of sparkly red flats but a lightweight ruby-colored cardigan as well. She quickly swaps one set of apparel for the other, putting the new on over her leotard, and cramming the discarded clothing sloppily into the shoulder bag. As she hangs her wings on the closet doorknob by their shoulder straps, Norah offers, "You can hang your skirt in my closet if you want to, so it won't get so smooshed."
Eliana shrugs. "Why do you care if my skirt gets smooshed? You don't even have clothes like that."
Norah shrugs. "Do too. I don't have as much as you, that's all. Mama always hangs mine up really carefully. She says it's, because if I do it, it will get all wrinkle-y."
"Mum just magics the wrinkles away."
"When we send stuff away using magic, where do you think it all goes?"
The redhead shrugs. "Norah, I don't care. And anyway, don't ask me questions like that, they just make my head hurt thinking about them."
Norah chuckles at her own thoughts. "Probably to the same place socks go when they get lost in the dryer… Wherever that is."
Eliana frowns curiously. "What's a dryer?"
Norah's eyes widen only marginally in surprise. She's used to such questions from her cousin. "It's the big machine in the mud room that blows hot air. You put your wet clothes inside after you get them out of the washing machine, and it tumbles them around and makes them dry again. Daddy hates ours. He always says it makes his socks disappear and Mama always rolls her eyes when she tells him that if he wants his socks hand-washed, he has to wash them himself, or he has to let her hire a housekeeper."
"Norah your parents are weird. I wish you'd come to dance class with me."
"I know. So are yours. But, I don't think I want to go to dance class. Daddy says I don't have to if I don't want to. I'm still thinking about it."
"You are?" Eliana's face brightens instantly.
Norah shrugs. "Maybe. Mama said she would get me some pretty dancing clothes if I want to go."
"You should. It's so much fun."
Norah repeats. "Maybe."
Eliana nods wordlessly as she opens her small tote and slowly removes a carefully folded ivy green pashmina scarf. Laying it in the center of Norah's bed with exaggerated care, she silently opens its folds to reveal the two jagged halves of the dull and lifeless Olympian crystal.
Standing six inches away from the bed, Norah clasps her hands behind her back and observes it with skepticism. "I thought your dad said it was dangerous."
Her blue eyes going big, Eliana nods emphatically, "He did."
"It doesn't look very dangerous. It just looks like a really old broken crystal. It's not even shiny. It's sort of looks dirty, or maybe burned. Where did you find it?"
"In one of daddy's hiding places. I know where all of them are. I know the combination too."
"He put this in a safe?"
Eliana shrugs. It's a little metal box in the wall behind Mum's painting. it has a combination. You have to punch the buttons in the right order."
Norah nods. "It's called a safe. And if that thing is really very dangerous, then that's not a very good hiding place for it."
"Huh, why not?"
"Because Elia, you're only in kindergarten. You found it, and you stole it. So, too easy. He needs better hiding places. You should show him some. Uh, you know, after you give it back."
"Hey! I did not steal it!"
"Did you take it without asking permission?"
"Yes."
"Then you stole it."
Not liking the idea at all, Eliana shakes her head insistently. "When we're done using it, I am going to put it back."
Norah giggles. "Doesn't matter. You still stole it."
"You told me too!" She crosses her arms over her chest. Besides, I am not a thief! My dad says your dad is one, and he doesn't sound very nice when he says it either."
Norah shrugs. "El, your dad doesn't sound very nice most of the time he's talking. And anyway, I don't care if you stole it. You need it. You're trying to help your parents, remember. I'm just saying, if you are gonna do something, at least know what it's called."
"I tried putting the two pieces together, but they won't stay together."
"Huh?"
"I used the spell Mum taught me for tying my hair up the way I like it, but every time I try something weird happens."
"Weird like what?"
"Here, watch." Eliana lifts her hands. On the verge of summoning magic, she suddenly stops and grabs Norah by the arm. "Well, don't stand there with the sharp end pointing at you. Come over here beside me."
Moving over slightly, Norah complains, "El, I'm way far away from the bed."
Eliana shakes her head emphatically. "Not far enough. You come stand over here by me. I'll show you why."
Grimacing slightly because she doesn't understand what the big deal is, Norah steps to Eliana's side and waits.
Eliana closes her eyes and concentrates on binding the two broken halves of the crystal together. Particles of green and pink magical energy emerge from her outstretched palm and flow through the air coming into contact with the pieces of crystal. Momentarily, the small gap between the two pieces closes. They thunk together softly and, for an instant, both halves glow an iridescent blue-white with the greatest brilliance concentrated at the split. Both halves of the crystal rise and levitate 6 inches off Norah's bedspread shaking slightly in the air. For one brief moment, Norah thinks it's going to work. She's certain the two pieces are going to merge and become one when, all of a sudden, violent cobalt blue sparks shoot out in all directions and the two broken pieces of crystal burst apart and jettison in opposite directions as if each half of the crystal were trying to repel the other. One piece flies off the bed, and slices through the air only to crash land on one of Norah's bookshelves; sending a small collection of her books tumbling to the floor. The other glides through the air with no less velocity and soars through the open closet doorway and violently stabs into the plush belly of Roland's old toy monkey. For one horrifying moment, the thing begins to transform into its former self. It grows larger and more lifelike and begins to sprout ugly gray leathery wings. Then, the burst of power dies and the toy transmutes back into itself.
Both girls stare-wide eyed. Norah's mouth stretches into a grim line and turns down at the corners rather comically and Eliana stomps her feet as though running in place and ducks slightly as though she might dive under the bed before she whispers, "Boy, it never did that before. All it did was fly around the room and crash into my stuff.
Norah whispers back, "That's Roland's monkey. The one that tried to get him, but Mama changed it to a toy before it could grab him.
"A monkey tried to grab Roland?"
"Yeah, it was a long time ago… Before you and me were born. It was one of your mom's flying monkeys. Mama did magic on it and it changed into a toy and fell out of the sky. Roland still loves the toy even though he says he's too big for it now. He calls her Reggie."
"Mum doesn't have any monkeys here now, only in Oz… And they are uuuggg-ly!" How come Roland's monkey is in your closet?"
"Sometimes I hide her from him."
"Why?"
Norah stares at her cousin as if it should be obvious. "So, he can come find her and take her back to his room."
"Why?" Eliana repeats querulously
"It's a game we play."
"For fun?" Eliana squints at this foreign concept.
"Well yeah. Don't you ever play with Theo?
"Uh-uh! Not unless they make me."
Knowing better than to argue with her, Norah places her palm against her forehead. Shaking her head woefully, she chooses not to reply. Changing the subject instead, she says, you just need the pieces to stick together long enough for your magic to work. And… Maybe you need stronger magic."
"Nor-rah! I am a goddess. I have stronger magic than all of the witches and magical creatures in this town."
Norah holds up her hands defensively, expecting more of an argument when she says, "El, don't get mad. You are only ¾. And you are six. Your mom is only half goddess and she is stronger than you because she's older and bigger. So, maybe you have to be a grownup goddess to make it stick for keeps."
"Well then, what am I supposed to do? No grown-up is gonna help us do that Norah. They will just take it away from us and tell us that we are too little to mess with such things - and you know it!"
Norah grimaces. Her cousin is right. She stares at the broken crystal pieces lying on her floor with what Eliana already knows is her 'thinking' face.
She stares at the crystal for so long that Eliana is just about to poke her on the arm to make sure she didn't freeze that way when Norah says suddenly, "Stay here. I'll be right back and pick that thing up. Hide it somewhere in case Papa comes upstairs." She's out the door, and a few steps away when she turns back.
Knowing what she will find, Norah whispers, "And Eliana, hide it someplace better than behind your back. Don't be standing there like a doofus with your hands behind your back if Papa comes in."
Departing once more, she races downstairs, and out the backdoor.
Catching sight of her as she runs at top speed through the kitchen, Henry calls out, "Hey bumblebee, where's the fire?"
She calls out as the door slams behind her, "I'm just going to get something I left outside. I'll be right back."
Henry chuckles and talks to no one but himself. "That girl moves faster than lightning."
Outside, she makes a beeline for the old carriage house on the property were Robin stores his tools. Then, hoping that her grandfather is still seated in the kitchen, she rounds the house and reenters through the front door, allowing it to slam no less quietly than the back door had less than 5 minutes before.
Back upstairs again, Norah stops by her room to store her pilfered items under her bed and races out again leaving her cousin, who is 10 months older staring after her in confusion and mild exasperation. Racing up to the third floor, she visits her parents' bedroom, where she stands on tiptoe and borrows something from deep in the back of one of her mother's lingerie drawers.
Trotting back down to the second floor, she stops long enough to peer cautiously down the hallway and make sure that the coast is clear all the way around her bedroom.
Dashing in again, she pauses long enough to make sure that the bedroom door is locked before depositing a small wooden box on her bed, and lifting the dust ruffle to reclaim a half used roll of duct tape and some curious looking metal thing that Eliana is not the slightest bit familiar with.
Hissing in quiet confusion, Eliana doesn't know whether to be curious or worried as she asks, "Norah, what in the ham sandwich are you on about now?"
Norah opens her mouth to speak but then finds her thought process interrupted. "Eliana, you should stop saying that. It doesn't make any sense – and, it confuses me. And anyway, look here, just wait and watch.
Eliana scowls but shrugs. "The crystal is under your pillow."
Norah helps herself to the two broken halves of the crystal. Using her teeth to tear off a long piece of duct tape from the purloined roll, she draws another scowl from her cousin.
"Don't do it like that. Norah, princesses do not tear things with their teeth. Use scissors."
Norah rolls her eyes. "Mama says I'm not allowed to use scissors unless an adult is watching me." She holds the two broken ends of the crystal together in one hand, and winds the tape around their middle multiple times until the entire length of tape is used and she's reasonably certain that it will hold tight. Then, she lowers herself to the floor and crosses her legs Indian style.
Eliana shakes her head. "Norah… If my magic can't hold that thing together, then what makes you think your daddy's ugly old tape is going to do it?"
Norah rolls her eyes. "This is just for extra 'sticky' until the binding spell starts to work better so the pieces won't fly apart. Plus, I brought more stuff. Just wait."
She lays the metal C-shaped clamp down flat on the floor and moves to face Eliana before placing it between the two of them. She makes quick easy adjustments, tightening the vice clamps firmly down against either end of the crystal. Next, she informs her cousin, "Give me your hand." When Eliana complies without reservation, Norah holds tight, and quick as a hiccup, before Eliana has time to question or complain, Norah opens the small wooden box from her mother's bureau and draws out a very sharp dagger. She neatly and swiftly pierces the center of the redhead's palm with the point of the ceremonial blade.
While Eliana whispers loudly, "Oww! Hey! That's not nice! What did you do that for?" Norah shushes her and subjects her own tender palm to the same treatment. Without bothering to answer, she clasps her cousin's hand in hers, smashing the minuscule bleeding punctures together as she says simply, "My blood. Your blood. Our blood." Then she bobs her chin once for emphasis, and says, "Do it again, Goddess." Then, just before Eliana starts again, Norah says with quiet excitement, "Wait, wait, wait! Let's get off the rug first. If it starts doing that sparkler thing again, only worse because it's stuck together, I don't wanna leave a mark on the carpet. Mom will have a cow!"
Eliana nods with a comical grimace and the two girls scoot off the rug onto bare floor where they make certain that the two ends of the crystal run parallel between their knees and that, if it should break apart again, it will not travel in either of their directions. Curious, Eliana asks, "What is that metal thing?"
Norah shrugs. "Daddy uses it to hold pieces of wood together while he waits for the special glue to dry. It works. It holds stuff really tight. I just hope we don't break it."
Eliana shrugs as well and inspects the speck of blood still present in the center of her palm again before joining hands with her cousin.
Once more she turns her focus inward, closes her eyes and concentrates as hard as she can on the only binding spell she knows or has any practice with.
Slowly, and growing in brilliance, the ends of the crystal not covered by gray tape began to glow a spectacular blue-white. The crystal begins to tremble harshly, causing the metal vice on the floor to rock noisily. Norah reaches down with her free hand and touches it. Her intent is to hold it in place, so that it will not make noise, but she jerks away quickly, causing Eliana to open her eyes curiously as both the crystal pieces and the vice grip go completely still and lifeless once more.
"Sorry." Norah shakes her hand about in the air. "It's hot. It almost burned me."
"Then don't touch it!" Eliana sighs and tries again.
The exact same process begins anew. Only this time, because the ends cannot repel each other, the crystal and the clamp glow white hot, start to shimmy against the floor and then slowly begin to rise into the air as if the entire ensemble is being pulled straight up in the air; rising and bobbing gently as if the metal clamp were tied to the end of a string on an invisible red helium-filled balloon.
The two girls rise with it, coming ever so slowly to their feet and watching in wonder as the shared power they possess wells from deep inside and begins to mingle between them.
It takes several long seconds of utter silence but just when it feels like their magic might overflow, the metal C-shaped clamp and the crystal it holds thump softly against Norah's bedroom ceiling; 15 feet overhead. The crystal begins to admit a low frequency hum and the sparkler effect has stopped. Instead of shooting off sparks in every direction, the power emanating from the crystal is a white starburst of steadily pulsing light that is so pure it makes their eyes hurt to look at it. Then, in the next instant, the light is completely extinguished, and the clamp is overtaken once more by gravity. It plummets for the floor with both girls reaching out to catch it just in time to avoid a loud crash. They release it just as quickly because of the heat that is still fading, but sitting on their knees, they stare at it wordlessly for several long seconds before Norah finally dares to use the sleeves of her shirt to protect her hands as she quickly releases the clamps while being careful not to hold the plastic coated release knobs too tightly, or for too long. When they no longer need the clamp, she leaves it where it lies and waits.
She stares at Eliana and Eliana stares at her.
When Norah can hold her hand over the taped crystal while barely wincing, she wraps it in the numerous folds of the green pashmina scarf again and, hurrying to unlock the bedroom door, she pokes her head out and make sure the coast is clear before motioning to Eliana.
Eliana follows dutifully, but without comprehension as Norah dashes across the hall to the bathroom and turns on the cold water tap in the tub. She drops the stopper into place and waits until the bathtub contains enough water to completely submerge the crystal. Then she drops the crystal in and shuts off the tap as steam instantly hisses, pops, and begins to rise from the tub to fog the bathroom mirror.
Then Norah closes and locks the bathroom door and returns to the bathtub where she sits down on the tub's edge and makes herself comfortable,
Eliana squints. "What do we do now?"
We wait. I'm not touching that thing again until I can get the tape off without getting my hands hot. When it cools, we'll take the tape off and see if it worked."
