Page 48 of Board Games and Broomsticks

‘So mote it be.’

The wind her power had summoned blew out the candles in a final gust, leaving Nyssa with only the now constant glow of the crystals to see by. The light within them was stronger than ever, and now, when Nyssa approached the birdcage, she could barely sense the press of Morven’s power beneath the warm, vibrating hum of her own magic.

Still, Nyssa waited inside the circle for another hour. And then another. And it was only when the clock finally struck midnight – when she was certain the crystals were showing no signs of dimming – that a smile spread across Nyssa’s face.

I did it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Elowen was waiting for Nyssa by the fountain in the town square.

After hurrying back to her cottage to gather supplies into her satchel, she’d flown as quickly as she could back into town so as to not keep Elowen waiting. The elf had brought little with her. Just a simple, green satchel, a thick scarf and a coat that looked at least two sizes too big on her lithe frame. Her chin was tucked into the scarf, and, unaware that Nyssa was approaching, she danced from one foot to the other in what Nyssa assumed was an attempt to stay warm.

‘You didn’t have to wait outside,’ Nyssa said, gliding over to her on her broom. Elowen startled, her eyes widening at the sight of Nyssa watching her.

‘Gods, you’re as quiet as Nyx when you want to be.’

The familiar poked her head out of the basket on Nyssa’s broom and let out a small chirp at the compliment. Nyssa grinned and reached into her coat pocket to pull out one of the two small, still-magic-warm charms from its depths. ‘Here, maybe this will make up for sneaking up on you.’

Elowen took the charm, her fingers brushing against Nyssa’s for just a second too long, and the elf’s breath hitched ‘It’s warm,’ she said, her cheeks flushing prettily. ‘I’m warm.’

‘It’s a heating charm. Flying can get pretty cold, especially at night, so witches use them to fend off the chill.’ Nyssa’s own charm had kept her nice and toasty on the flight from her cottage to the town square. The sensation was like being next to a constantly lit hearth, warming and comforting all at once, and Nyssa watched as Elowen’s lips parted in a relieved sigh.

‘Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome. Now, hop on.’ Nyssa tried to keep the command light and casual, hoping that Elowen wouldn’t notice just how flustered the thought of having her so close made her, but by the glint in her eyes, she hadn’t done a very good job. Thankfully, Elowen remained silent as she got into position behind Nyssa and, with a gentleness that made Nyssa shiver, wrapped her arms around her waist.

‘Have you ever flown to Tŷ Canol Woods before?’ Elowen asked, her breath brushing against Nyssa’s ear.

‘No, but the broom is enchanted to go wherever its witch is thinking of, and it has an inbuilt cloaking enchantment, so we’re good to go.’ Nyssa shifted her position slightly and wrapped her hands around the broom, letting the magic of it flow through her skin. ‘Are you ready?’

Elowen’s grip tightened, but Nyssa felt her nod. ‘As I’ll ever be.’

Nyssa focused her intention on her broom, on the magic inside of it, and offered up a whispered command: ‘To Tŷ Canol Woods.’

Something like woodsmoke tickled Nyssa’s nose as the magic began to work, and then they were rising up, up, far above Nighthaven and its twinkling lights. Elowen’s grip went even tighter around Nyssa’s waist, her breath quickening in her ear, and Nyssa willed the broom to maintain a slower speed than she’d have normally used as they glided over the tiled roofs and winding, cobblestone streets.

As they gained altitude, Nyssa couldn’t help but marvel at the view. Though the darkness of night clung to the edges of the isle of Nighthaven, a sort of golden glow seemed to illuminate the ground that lay beneath them. Nyssa had a faint memory of her grandmother telling her this glow was something to do with the ley lines interacting with certain celestial bodies, but she couldn’t remember much more than that. Whatever it was, the island looked truly magical from this perspective.

‘It looks so small from up here,’ Elowen said. They were high enough in the night sky that they could see the entire island now, from the main town to the large lake on whose shore Hawthorne Cottage stood, and out to the vast countryside beyond. Small glimmers of light danced in and out of the trees and over the water’s surface – tiny specks that, from this distance, reminded Nyssa of shooting stars.

As beautiful as it all was, Nyssa found her gaze drifting to where her cottage was, and then to the street her café was on. Liora and Alaric had insisted they’d be fine watching over Familiars while Nyssa and Elowen were gone. Nyssa didn’t doubt their capabilities to handle things, but …

‘They’ll be fine,’ Elowen said. She sounded so sure, her faith in her friends so unwavering, that Nyssa suddenly felt guilty for her own doubt. Nighthaven was slowly becoming Nyssa’s sanctuary, but it had been Elowen’s for far longer.

So softly it was barely a whisper against the wind, Nyssa vowed, ‘I won’t let him destroy this place.’

This time, when Elowen’s arms tightened around Nyssa’s waist, it wasn’t because of the flight. ‘I know.’

Nyssa had forgotten how good it felt to be above the clouds.

It hadn’t taken long for her tense muscles to relax as she soared through the sky, the wind on her face and droplets of rain kissing her skin. It was a pastime she’d only ever truly experienced alone, one she thought couldn’t be improved, but having Elowen with her made every part of it even more magical. During that brief flight back in Nighthaven (before they’d been rudely attacked), Nyssa had kept her broom fairly low in the sky, her pace steady. And while she still hadn’t gone too fast this time for Elowen’s sake, she had slowly increased her speed, her heart lurching at the sound of Elowen’s delighted gasps.

Nyssa smiled with pleasure as she saw the first hints of dawn creeping across the sky as it slowly turned a tender shade of pink. And when the green, lush woodland of Tŷ Canol appeared in the distance, it was Nyssa who let out a sigh of awe.

‘It’s … incredible.’

The woodland on Nighthaven was beautiful, but this was a forest the likes of which Nyssa had never seen. Even from above, Nyssa could feel the power emitting from it, warm like the kiss of sunlight on a summer morning. At this time of year, the trees should have been largely bare, but the earth magic of the site was so powerful that the woodland looked as verdant as if it were the height of summer. As they drew closer, Nyssa could hear the rustle of leaves on the wind and smell the tang of wet earth in the air.