Chapter 5
#5 of Notes of Aria: Starlight
"Okay, newbie," Sandra excitedly started as Lily moved behind the counter, "Are you ready to start your shift?"
"Eh, not sure. As I told whats-his-face, I'm not the most well-versed in magic. He said it wasn't that big of a deal, but a second opinion would be appreciated."
"Danniel was telling the truth, but I have no doubt you'll learn magic working here. To start, what's your element?"
Lily tilted her head at the bear's question. "Element? The wolf asked me the same thing. No clue what that means."
Sandra and Isabella shared a concerned look, which caused Lily to tense up. The bear crossed her arms while looking back at the rabbit. "Your element. The energy your magic radiates."
"Yeah, the thing is, the only magic I've used is stage magic. The spells were based on chord progression and tempo. We don't need to know much more than how to play."
"Weird. Like, I never met someone who didn't know their element." Isabella spoke up.
"Is that bad? What's yours?" Lily asked, turning to look at her.
"Wind." Answered the bat.
"Mines earth, and don't worry, sweetheart. It's not a big deal; we'll help you find out. You don't need it for the utility spells we use around here. I'd love to show you, but I need to start cooking. Izzy, can you show her those spells? They are super simple."
"Like, of course, Sandra."
"Wonderful. Lily, you've got this. I will be in the cafe if you need me. Gonzi is probably in his office. Everything else, Isabella and Danniel should be able to answer." With that, the bear left the pair behind.
"Alright, this'll be quick," Isabella said as she pointed at a box of books. Lily leaned forward and paid every bit of attention she could. "It's a pretty simple spell that we use to move and grab stuff. Now hold your hand out and repeat after me."
"After me," Lily whispered while she aimed her hand at the same box.
Isabella stifled a laugh before continuing. "Right. So focus and, like, say Lovis." With the word spoken, a thin circle of light surrounded the box and floated slightly above the countertop. The bat lifted her hand, and the box followed it effortlessly. She glanced over and saw the almost unblinking gaze of her new co-worker, the amazement clear on Lily's face. "and when you want to end it, simply close your hand."
Lily watched the box slowly drift back to the counter as Isabella clenched her hand into a tight fist. The bat stepped aside, and Lily quickly stood in front of the box of books. Holding her hand out, the rabbit took a deep breath and repeated the phrase,
"Lovis."
Much to Ms. Thorne's dismay, nothing happened. She tried again, this time saying the command a bit more forcefully, yet the outcome remained the same.
"Oh, come on!" Lily barked as her arm dropped. The frustrated rabbit threw back her head to let out an annoyed groan. "You said this would be easy."
"Like, it is. Try again. Just focus." Isabella said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
The rabbit looked at the bat and then back to the box. Reassuming the position, Lily closed her eyes and breathed deeply before repeating the phrase one more time.
This time, it felt different. A sensation washed over the hand aimed at the box. It was a gentle tingling sensation that started at the tips of Lily's fingers. It crept down her fingers, intensifying as it engulfed her palm. Once the feeling moved to her wrist, a weight pulled her hand down slightly. Though unexpected, Lily's focus held fast as her arm tensed up.
"Did I do it?" Lily asked, too nervous to open her eyes.
"Aye." Isabella confirmed.
Lily's eyes opened quickly to see that she was telling the truth. A smile stretched across her face as the rabbit started to bounce on her toes. The bouncing stopped as the rabbit remembered something. Recalling Isabella's example, Lily moved her hand to the right. Bouncing began again as a soft squeal of joy came from the excited rabbit as the box levitated.
"I did it." Lily chirped while she looked at her co-worker. She returned her attention to the box while swinging her hand from side to side. From there, the pleased rabbit decided to step her newly acquired skill by moving in a figure-eight motion.
"Like, good job. Can you do it again?" Isabella asked as she fiddled with the register.
Lily moved her left hand back to its starting position and closed it into a tight fist. Once the thin ring of light completely faded, the rabbit opened her hand and aimed her palm at her target.
"Let's see," Lily said confidently. "Lovis!" This time, the spell went off perfectly. The circle reappeared and lifted the box slightly into the air. This success caused Lily to hop in joy, letting out a little squeak as she moved an inch or two into the air.
"See, easy. Now, come back here, and I will show you the next spell," instructed Isabella as she pulled a notepad from under the counter and slipped it onto a satchel on her hips while moving further into the store. Lily closed her hand and followed the bat further back into the store.
The pair eventually found themselves in a small storage closet. Isabella reached up and turned on the light that hung above their head. On the walls were shelves dotted with assorted cleaning supplies. Beneath the shelves sat the expected supplies, like a broom and mop and an old locked chest.
"Okay, this just looks like a broom closet," Lily remarked while scanning the room's contents.
"That's, like, because it is. The spell is tied to it." The bat stepped inside the room and closed the door most of the way. Pulling it back open, Isabella handed over a keychain with four charms. Each charm corresponded to one of the items except the last one, which was a simple square. "This is yours."
Lily took it from her hand and played with the charm that looked like a mop and bucket. "Um, okay. It's cute, but I don't see how it's magic."
Isabella pulled her own set from the satchel on her hip. She looked at the charms before picking the broom. After giving it a quick squeeze, the keyring and charms started to glow and change. From behind the bat, a similar glow shined from within the broom closet. As the light in the closet faded, the mass in the bat's hand shifted into a broom.
"That's how. Saves time on cleaning up."
"Wow..."Lily said, her voice tainted with a hint of sarcasm, "what a lame use for magic."
Isabella chuckled at the remark while grabbing hold of the broom. "Yeah, it's not all flashy. Trust, you'll grow to appreciate it. Something always breaks or falls over or explodes around here." She lets it drop down a bit, letting it slide before grasping it near the top. Under her thumb was a rune carved into the wooden shaft. She gave it a tap, and the item glowed again, quickly returning to its original keychain form.
"Hold on, explode? It's a book store, right?"
Isabella laughed again while closing the closet door and putting her charms away. She didn't respond right away. Instead, she headed back to the front desk while pulling out her phone. Of course, Lily followed her while eagerly waiting for a response. "When you work around magic, you expect some hazards. Plus, there is a testing chamber on the bottom floor. If I remember correctly, this is the..." Isabella paused to think. She also used the pause to take a quick sip of her coffee. "third or fourth version of the store. I'll have to ask Danny when he comes back."
"You two said this was a nice place to work."
"It is. Like, it's not like we deal with big things all the time. I've only seen one big thing in the six months I've worked here. So, chill."
You know you and dreads are terrible at making me feel less concerned." Lily remarked.
"Well, just give it time, and you'll see there's nothing to worry about." Isabella took another sip just as the first customer came through the door. Isabella gave the customer a nod and greeted them with, "Welcome to Starlight. Like, how can I help you?."