Wood Sprites(68)

Finally it was time. They plugged in the generator. Louise noticed nothing different but Jillian gave a slight “oh” of surprise.

“Is it working?” Louise asked.

“Doh. Yes.”

Louise frowned at the generator, wondering how Jillian could be so sure.

According to the Codex, each spell needed a certain frequency of magic to operate. Apparently, naturally occurring magic was like light in that it contained a wide spectrum. Written spells used a narrow frequency to both limit and channel power. Dufae’s description of “dirty magic” probably was because the magic that leaked across consisted of constantly shifting frequencies. It would be like trying to use a flashlight as someone kept switching the type of batteries. Dufae complained about the fact that his “magic cleaning system” gave him one steady source of magic at the cost of being limited to one frequency. Luckily for the twins, the next section of the Codex was devoted to taking that one frequency and stepping it up or down via translation spells that Dufae created through trial and error. Because of it, every spell in the book was available to them.

Louise wondered how Kensbock ended up matching his generator to the one spell in his possession. Had he set the generator to the spell? Or had he rejected several spells before finding one that matched his output? The more she thought about it, the more she felt sure that his kidnapper had selected the spell and given it to him on a silver platter. Someone had been tracking his progress and acted quickly after he reached a successful conclusion. Kensbock had made extensive notes on everything, except where he had found the spell. Dufae had noted that the spell was one of the first ones taught children; he’d dissected and reconfigured it in trying to deal with his situation on Earth with the dirty magic. Had Kensbock been given it because it was so simple—or because it matched the frequency of another spell? If Louise had been the one manipulating the man, it would be the latter. But what spell would it be?

“Lou?” Jillian whispered.

“Huh?”

“Are you okay? You look like someone hit you with a cattle prod.”

“Huh?”

“Lights are on, but no one’s home,” Jillian whispered.

Louise shook herself. “I’m fine.”

Jillian watched her closely for another minute before leaning close to inspect the spell. Dufae stressed that the lines of the spell had to be solidly drawn without blemishes and that all conductive material, even fine dust, must be kept clear of the tracings. Jillian gave two thumbs up to indicate that they were ready to activate the spell. She turned her right hand sideways and tucked in her thumb to make a fist.

Jillian wanted to play “rock paper stone” to see who activated the spell.

Louise clenched her jaw in frustration. Part of her felt like she should let Jillian do it since it was obvious her twin wanted to—but she wanted to, too. Jillian gave her a look that was a clear mix of impatience and confusion. Louise jerked up her fist.

Five games later—because Jillian was a sore loser—Louise took a deep breath and spoke the activate phrase as loudly as she dared.

The black lines of the spell suddenly gleamed like gold light. Jillian gasped. A glowing sphere rose over the spell and a confusion of landmasses and rivers and buildings took form in ghostly holographic perfection.

This of course called for a Dance of Joy, which consisted of leaping from bed to bed, with their mouths open in silent screams of delight.

Several minutes later, they were able to examine the spell in relative calm.

Louise was used to seeing the map of New York City as a clean, orderly collection of lines and labels with Manhattan at the center. This was a tiny exact miniature with their house in Astoria smack in the middle. The northern edge was the Bronx and the western edge was a thin slice of the New Jersey shore of the Hudson River. The southern tip was just beyond the East River Park.

“What’s that?” Jillian pointed out a rare spot of flat.

“Some kind of park in—Flushing?”

Jillian scooted away from the spell and got her tablet to compare it to a map of the city. “It’s Corona Park.”

“Dufae said that ley lines were denoted by blue lines, the width and brightness indicating…oh no!” Louise jerked the plug of the transformer out of the wall outlet and the gleaming spell collapsed.

“What?”

“Mom and Dad!” Louise slid the marble slab across the floor and under her bed, vaguely aware that she ripped the leads free.

Jillian quickly set the transformer and generator into the shadows under her desk and scrambled into bed with her. They lay side by side under the covers, trying not to pant, feigning sleep.