returned the mirror to its reflective state. "But it is good that you know what I am facing there."
The salesman looked at her and took her hand. "What -we- will be facing there. Okay?"
Hilda smiled ruefully. "Of course, sweet man. What we will face there."
William understood how she felt. He was bringing a few ideas together and stored them for later. He was sure there were things that could be done to tackle at least the labyrinth. Lamador, of course. was a problem of a different magicianitude.
The fresh wand-owner hugged the witch. "No need to worry before the time to do so comes, Hilda. Believe me, I have learnt that an attitude like that works best." He then got up. "I am getting us wine."
"You should let me do that, William," Hilda said as she got up also. "Remember what you've been through today."
"As if I could forget..." He pulled a face. The memory was still building as he knew he was still adjusting to the bonding. "I'll strike you a deal. I get the wine, and you help me."
"Plan," Hilda nodded. She took the arm he offered her and together they headed for the kitchen, ready to battle it for the wine.
After a successful expedition they found themselves on the couch again.
"Sweet little witch?", William asked.
"Hmm?", the sweet little witch said from behind her glass.
"Did it really never happen that a normal person became magical?" The thought did not leave him.
"I can't say never with absolute certainty, William. If it happened, then I have never heard of it."
"I see..."
"William?"
"Hmm?"
"How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good, I have to say. Not like I could run a marathon, but then I've never been able to do that. I do feel really fine." He looked at her face.
"Oh. Good. Do you think you feel well enough for..." Her eyes sparkled.
He grinned. "There is only one way to find out, isn't there?"
26. Empty your mind
William woke up, a bit confused. It was still dark. He felt Hilda lying against him, her breathing peaceful, her hair over his chest. Somehow she had managed to wrap both her legs around one of his. But that was not what had woken him up, he was certain of it. In the dark he held up a hand and twitched his finger. He felt the wand appear. At least that was still 'working', he thought.
"I could do with a little bit of light," he mumbled to himself.
A few seconds later a faint orange light came from the wand. It appeared so gently that William at first didn't even notice the light coming on. Then his heart skipped a beat as he stared at the tip of the wand where the light came from.
"Holy Bejeebus," he whispered, "put that out!"
Two seconds later the wand darkened again.
Hilda moved, throwing an arm over him, muttering something in her sleep. After almost an entire minute her restlessness settled down and she slept calmly again.
William made the wand disappear and remembered what Hilda had said about the connection she now had to him. He understood that she somehow had reacted to the magic that had happened. better not to play with that again while she was asleep. Better, he corrected himself, not to play with that again period!
In the darkness he stared at the invisible ceiling for quite a while before sleep took him into its arms again...
Hilda opened her eyes. William lay very close to her, holding her against him, his face buried in her hair. She let the feeling of being close to him and the safety that it implied wash through her for a while.
"Sweet man," she whispered, "what more surprises are you holding inside?" She was still amazed and also a bit scared of his ability to manipulate the wand. Maybe she should ask around a bit about that. Other witches might know of ordinaries that shared similar traits after being bound to a wand.
But then, she considered, that might trigger unwanted questions. She banished the thoughts from her head and snuggled close to William, looking at his face through the veil that her hair created in front of her eyes.
After a while she sensed inside her magical core that he was waking up and smiled at the feeling. It felt good, she had already decided. It provided her with a certainty she had never possessed before.
As William slowly opened his eyes, he saw Hilda's happy face. He slowly and gently brushed her hair aside. "Good morning, beautiful," he said, touching her nose with a finger.
"Good morning, also beautiful," she said, the thrill of his tender touch coursing through her very blood. "Do you feel good?"
"I feel better than good," he said, and kissed her. "And you?"
"My feeling just got better." She worked herself up on an elbow and looked down at the man that lay next to her. "I was just wondering what more secrets are bottled up inside you."
"Oh... I discovered one this night." William felt a bit of a fool. "I made the wand lighten up."
"You what?"
"I did... look..." The red and white appeared. "And then I said that I could do with a little light." Two pairs of eyes were fixed on the wand that remained as it was. "That's odd. Last night it worked."
"Well, last night you talked to the wand, now you talk to me. I don't have the habit to light up when you talk to me," Hilda explained.
"Are you sure?", William grinned. "Of course it depends on what I say, but..."
"No, no, don't try to change the subject," Hilda pointed at the wand. "Talk to it."
William looked at the wand. "I want light."
"Don't command it. It is a sentient... wand, not a piece of wood," Hilda said. "Watch." She whipped up her wand. "Some light." A few seconds later, the wand shone a light. "That's enough," she said, and the light went away again. "You have to feel along with the wand as you talk to it. Part happens in your words, part happens in the magical area of your body."
"Uhm. Right. Perhaps it is best if we go over this again after breakfast?", William asked.
Hilda kissed his cheek. "Why don't you try again. Just once. With your heart."
The kiss convinced him. "Okay." He looked at the wand. Felt it in his hand. Reached out to it and the connection that was there between them. "I need some light."
Seconds crept by as the witch and the beginner waited. A soft orange light came from the tip of the wand. Hilda shrieked.
"I still don't believe this, William," Hilda said as they were at the table downstairs. "You are doing magical things. You make your wand light up! Show me again!" She was amazed and excited beyond belief. in particular her own belief.
William grinned. He had shown his trick five times already and was tickled that the witch was so wild about it. "Some light," he whispered, his wand in hand, and the tip came to life again.
Hilda giggled, her face full of amazement as normally only a small child's could be. "This is amazing. William, before you know it you will be flying yourself. I am almost certain of that."
William extinguished the light and made his wand pop away. "I am not so sure, sweetheart, but it makes me happy that you seem to think so positive about it. I may be able to do this, but I am an ordinary, right?"
Hilda looked at him, very serious now. "I thought so. Really. But I am not so sure anymore. Give me your hand..."
He did as she asked.
Hilda looked at him. "Try to focus on your magic. Or better, focus on your wand and what you share with it. That is something you know."
To make it easier for himself, William popped the wand in his free hand and let his mind flow out to it, the way he had noticed worked best.
Hilda used the feeling spot she had to get through to William. If there was a way to reach what he held inside, this connection would be the best means to do that. But it did not tell her anything. It confused her to no end. There was this man, who had all the makings of an ordinary, and he worked magic. Not much, but it was magic, and that was definitely weird. And frightening, since he had shown this since only one
day and he was already controlling it.
She let him have his hand back. "Shiny. And scary."
William let her words sink in. And had to agree.
"We'll go make the rounds together again today, yes? Do you feel up to that?"
William watched her face, trying to discern any worries or uncertainties. Then he said: "I am up to that. You are there too, right? Nothing can happen."
"I hope so," Hilda nodded.
They changed into their 'public appearance' attire. Hilda wore her red and black, William put on the blue and silver, and the black cloak.
As they walked out with their brooms, Hilda warned William again not to play or try something unannounced. "I have to know what goes on as I am controlling the flight. If you discover you can do something with your magic, you should not use it, just mention it."
"Trust me. We are going to be up there. I am not going to risks necks with nothing but clear fresh air between us and the ground."
"Good boy," Hilda grinned, "that is what I wanted to hear. Now let's see what happens if you get on the broom and just kick off."
It was obvious that nothing happened very rapidly. "I think I am doing something wrong," William grinned after hopping about a few times.
"Yes. I would say so," Hilda snickered. "Hold on. We're going for real now." But instead of hurling them into the air like she used to, she explained in detail what she did, so William had an idea what she was going through to make them lift off. He listened carefully and nothing more than that. The brooms hovered for a few moments and then lifted off and Hilda pointed them to the castle.
"Try to feel inside you," Hilda said. She kept the speed