After Talon and Catherine had drilled Vivian thoroughly in all the different conjugations, she finally felt ready to try the spell.
She went to her mother’s room. Talon and Catherine stood watching her. Her mother, Benevois, was sitting on the bed, still in frog form, but managing to read a book. The pages were big, but she was able to turn the pages by hopping to the side of the book, picking the pages up in her frog hands, moving the pages,, and then sitting on the book to read the page. Benevois looked up when they walked in.
Vivian began the chant. Benevois looked concerned. “Vivian, dear, what are you doing?”
Vivian was humming softly now. She broke the hum briefly to say, “It’s all right mother. I’m here to help you.”
Benvois did not argue. She simply said, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Trust me mother.” Vivian continued the chanting. Eventually, Benevois was transformed from a frog back into a human.
“You did it,” said Benevois. She embraced her daughter happily and kissed her.
Vivian collapsed onto a chair. But it was not exhaustion in her face. It was a look of rapturous delight. She had done it. She looked very happy and pleased with herself.
“It felt good, didn’t it,” said Catherine. “It always feels good when you release the energy like that. So much better than keeping it pent up inside you. People like you and me aren’t meant to keep the energy pent up inside us.”
“It did feel good,” said Vivian.
“Imagine feeling like that all the time,” said Catherine. “Every day. Every hour. It can be yours.”
Vivian feebly tried to resist. “It’s dangerous to release too much magic like that.”
“Dangerous for who? There are plenty of things in this world that need fixing, and you can fix them.”
Vivian tried another route. “I don’t want to lose control.”
“You don’t have to lose control. Look at Talon. Has he ever lost control.”
“There are,” Talon said carefully, “two different kinds of magic. Both are to be used cautiously, for neither are without its costs. But one kind is relatively harmless, and the other-”
“Black magic,” said Catherine. “Yes, you can call it by its name.”
Talon nodded. “Black magic, then. Black magic has its costs.”
“It does,” said Catherine, in a voice that was almost cooing. “But it also has its benefits. You can feel very powerful when you use black magic.”
Vivian was getting frightened now. “I don’t ever want to use black magic,” she said.
“Of course not. And no one is making you,” said Catherine. “We only want you to use the type of magic that you’re comfortable with.”
Benevois stepped forward and put her arm around her daughter. “I think you should go now,” she said to Catherine.
“Of course,” said Catherine. “It’s your room, after all. Just remember that you could be turned back into a frog at any moment if I choose. It is only because I like your daughter that I’m allowing you to return to human form.”
“I don’t need favors from you, Catherine,” said Benevois.
“You did once,” said Catherine. “I remember when I was Queen of this castle, and you were just a girl. I am queen of the castle again, and you will supplicate me like you did before.”
“That was a long time ago,” said Benevois. “And many things have changed.”
“Things are changing back,” said Catherine, and she turned around.
Catherine and Talon left the room, and closed the door. “Don’t ever trust her,” said Benevois.
“I won’t,” said Vivian.
“Promise me.”
“I promise I won’t,” said Vivian.
“I agree with that,” said a voice.
“Midor?” Vivian turned. “Where are you?
“On the windowsill. My friends Sandi and Stuart flew me back here.”
“What about my father?”
“He grew tired of my company.”
Benevois sighed. “I suppose that was only a matter of time,” she said. “I didn’t think he was going to put up with you forever. Still, I do hope he’ll be alright in the forest.”
“He should be fine,” said Midor. “Benjamin the Mouse and Jacob the Frog will look after him and make sure he doesn’t get into trouble.”
“So why did you come back then,” asked Vivian. “Why not continue on your own through the forest.”
“Because I was worried about you,” said Midor. “And now I see I was right to be worried.”
Vivian straightened up indignantly. “You underestimate me as always Midor. I’ve been handling myself. I’ve only gone along with Catherine as far as it was necessary to change mother back into human form.”
“I know. But Catherine wants to tempt you into dark magic. I don’t like it.”
“You think Catherine is smarter than I am?”
“I think Catherine knows things about the seduction of black magic. Things that we don’t know. And that makes her dangerous.”
“Agreed,” said Vivian. “She is dangerous. But I’m keeping clear of her. I’ll be alright.”
“I hope so,” said Midor.
“So you’re just back in this castle to keep an eye on me?” Vivian asked.
“Something like that.”
“You have no other agenda here?”
“Nothing comes to mind.”
“You know,” Vivian said, twirling her hair slightly, “I could probably reverse Catherine’s spell and turn you back into normal size. She taught me how to reverse the frog spell on Mother. She’d probably teach me how to reverse your shrinking spell.”
“She probably would,” Midor agreed. “If for no other reason than because it will lead you further down the path she wants you on.”
“Yes, I know. But I’m smart enough to walk the line. I can take the magic spells I want from her, without getting transformed like she did. And we have to turn you back to regular size sooner or later. You can’t go through the rest of your life like this.”
“I was hoping to get to the land of the fairies.”
“But you said it yourself. No one can undo a magic spell unless they know what the spell was. Only Catherine can tell us how to reverse her own spell.”
“Magic isn’t my area of expertise,” said Midor. “But my understanding is that it might be possible for someone to try to guess the spell. The fairies could try to undo it.”
“Listen to yourself. ‘might’, ‘possible’ ‘could try’. It’s a long shot and you know it as well as I do. Catherine is right here, and she would help us. And it’s not even black magic. We can’t have you wandering around only 6 inches tall, not when there’s so much that you need to do.”
“I hate to say it,” said Benevois, “But it sounds like my daughter is probably right. I hate trusting Catherine, but what other choice do we have?”
“No,” said Midor. “No, I don’t like it. Listen, Vivian, you know how I feel. I’ve always felt it was wrong for you to hide your gifts. I’ve always felt that if you wanted to do magic, you should do magic. You know that. But don’t do it under Catherine’s tutelage. You know she’s looking for a chance to mislead you. Come with me and we’ll go to the Elves, and you can learn magic from them. Or the fairies can teach you. Or we’ll bring you to the forest druids, and learn their spells. You can do all the magic you want, but don’t let Catherine teach you anything.”
“But what about you?”
“I’ll take my chances with the fairies. Or I’ll be 3 inches tall for the rest of my life. I don’t care. I can still help the forest and help the animals negotiate with each other just as well if I’m 3 inches tall as I can when I’m 6 feet. My wits and patience have always been what’s helped me in the forest, not my strength.”
“You're over-reacting, and you don’t trust me. It’s just one spell. I’ve already done one spell on my mother, and it has caused me no ill effect. Besides, we can’t have you spending days wandering the forest hoping that the fairies can help you. There’s going to be trouble in this castle sooner or later, and I want you by my side to help me.”
Midor relented. “Fine. One spell.”
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