Galena

Maggie trained with Diana a few times a week like they agreed. Diana worked with her on meditation for the first week to reintroduce her to the training that was ahead of them. She wanted Maggie to be able to pull her magic away from her fingertips to her center. Getting back into the swing of things was easy for Maggie. She was able to focus on her magic and use meditation to calm herself in order to do this. But it was pulling her magic to her core that she was having difficulty in doing.

By the second week of training, Maggie still couldn’t pull the magic away from her fingertips. She laid on the bed of pillows and listened to Diana gently drum. Her eyes were closed, and she focused on the magic dancing around her fingertips. It was a warm tingling sensation and she could pull it up to her wrist, but that was it. Her magic would not go any further no matter how hard she tried.

It didn’t take long before a frustrated Maggie pulled out of the meditation. “Every time I grab it, I lose it,” she said with clenched fist.

“It’s going to happen, Maggie,” Diana told her, putting her drum to the side. “Remember what I said last time: it’s going to take time.” She paused, then suggested Maggie try to meditate at home when she was alone. “Lay down like you do here and just close your eyes in the silence. Use that time to just gather yourself so you become more relaxed.” She smiled at Maggie and stood up. “I’ll see you in two days.”

Maggie nodded and stood up. She thanked Diana for her help and left to go back to the house. She thought about what Diana said and attempted go into meditation on her own while in the bathtub that night. She put on her candles and filled the tub with hot water. She slowly got into the tub and laid down, submerging her body in the hot water.

As she laid there, she closed her eyes and began to breath in slowly and release it. She did this a few times before trying to concentrate on what Diana told her to do. She needed to relax and decided to use this technique when going to bed as well.

In the morning, she made her way to the bakery with Jace and saw another shop being taken by the Garzil. She painfully looked away and continued to their store.

“Not many are left,” Jace said, catching his sister’s reaction. “It’s starting to freak everyone out too. They don’t want to shop down this way.”

Maggie could feel her relaxation state she had acquired the night before slowly fading. “They’ll be coming back to ask for the store again,” she said, unlocking the front doors.

“And what will you say?”

Maggie stared at the lock then pulled the door open, “I don’t know yet…” She went straight to the office to hang her cloak then joined Jace on the floor, trying to change the subject. “How are you two love birds doing?” she teased.

Jace gave his sister a look then answered, “We’re good. I went over her house the other day.”

“She’s in western Kent, right?”

Jace nodded, “She’s in one of the apartments over there.” He leaned on the counter, studying his sister. She was putting money in the register, but jewls weren’t the only thing on her mind – he could tell. “You’ve been busy lately. Is everything okay?”

Maggie nodded, thinking about all her free time being spent at Diana’s. She closed the register, telling her brother that if no customers came in by noon, they would be closing early. Jace relayed this to Emma when she came in and a few hours later, Maggie asked them to clean up so they could leave. Emma asked for Maggie to join her and Jace for lunch, but Maggie declined - stating she needed to go to the bookstore.

At the store, Maggie went right to the cyclopedia section and began to look for a book to help with her mother’s journal. As she picked out a few books, she was surprised to see Heath approaching her. She greeted him with a smile and he asked how her training was coming along.

“It’s going well, she answered. “Has Diana filled you in?”

Heath shook his head and leaned against the bookcase. “I only speak with her when she calls,” he answered. He tipped a book out in front of him as he spoke, “She’s very careful with her steps.” He then crossed his arms and looked back at Maggie. “Can’t blame her with another hunt getting ready to roll out.”

Maggie never thought about how the hunts must’ve been for the Knights. Not that she cared for the other Knights, but she imagined it put a lot of stress on Heath. He had to make the calls on what to do and order the arrest, then read those people their rites. She wondered how hard it was for him when he knew the person. She looked down at his clothes and saw he was outside his uniform. He wore a black t-shirt and khakis and held no duffle bag.

“You’re off duty and you came all this way from Picco just to come to a bookstore?” she asked, catching his gaze.

“Why else?” he responded, giving her his smirk that made her stomach flutter.

“What were you planning on doing?” she asked, stepping closer to him.

Heath’s eyes showed the playfulness that went through his mind as he tried to come up with a quick answer. His eyes dropped to her lips and she gave him a tight smile before turning to put her book away.

“You’re a tease, you know that?” he laughed out.

“You’re the one who thought it,” Maggie answered and continued down the aisle. At the end, she turned around and looked back at Heath. She put her hands on her hips, then moved her one arm to the side, gesturing him to walk ahead of her, “Why yes, Mr. Jones. I would love to get lunch with you.”