The Lover's Cost

Mischievous Magic

A low groan escaped Heather as she rolled in the regal sheets, sunlight prying her eyelids open a creak. Groggy and without her glasses, she barely made out the candle floating an inch above her face. "Ugh, Mistress...I know you were excited to use magic again, but get that thing out of my face," she slurred, batting it aside.

The candle bumped into her eyebrow and she huffed, swiping it away. "Mistress!" She whined again, only to hear a tiny giggle in response.

Heather's eyes snapped open. The mistress's laugh was beautiful, but never that high-pitched. She never sounded like a kitten on helium.

Whipping her head to the center of the bed, Heather saw the candle shakily tumbling through the air, and she saw the sorceress carrying it – the newborn Mystearlian whose eyes glittered with brilliant, pink and purple sparks. The colors blended in and out of each other in a stunning, mystical gradient. Even a hint of blue danced in the palette. She giggled, still wrapped in silk while her innocent eyes watched the candle float.

"Ah!" Heather screamed in a pitch almost as high as Celeste's. "Celeste, put that down! How are you even doing this!? Mistress!? Mistress!" Heather slammed her hands into the witch's back and shook her harder than an earthquake.

"Ugh, stop the noise," growled the queen as she turned over. Then, she saw her daughter and screamed. She put her hand over Celeste's sparking eyes and the magic faded; the candle fell. A small, curious squeak escaped the baby when interrupted. Violet sighed at her child, "I had to get up over and over in the night to nurse you and now you won't even let me sleep in..."

Heather rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, I guess that's why they say kids are a lot of work," she said, playfully trying to avoid her concerns for the newborn's instant telekinesis. She'd barely made her way out of the womb and could already levitate objects?

Violet must've shared those thoughts, saying, "She's only a day old...how is she doing that? I was born a prodigy, and I couldn't channel magic that early."

"Yeah...this is, like, unheard of..." Heather muttered, beginning to almost fear the little one as much as she loved her.

The queen's pale lips slowly curled up, and a gleam glossed over her eyes. "She's psychic!" Violet squealed.

"Both of her parents are," added the student quietly, unsure of her mentor's surprise.

"Two psychics can produce an elemental."

"I guess, yeah."

"I would love her either way but of course my daughter would be one of the lucky, powerful ones!" The queen boasted, nuzzling the Mystearlian who shut her eyes sleepily.

As much as Heather wished to share in the mistress's glee, she couldn't help but clench her jaw. Such early magic sparked excitement, but concern in kind. The infant didn't know what she was doing or anything about potential damages.

Giggles died down. The queen yawned and said, "It's good she woke me up, I suppose. I...need to talk to Cassius."

Heather couldn't stop her eyes from rolling. "Be quick," she begged.

"I will," promised the queen. "In the meantime, prepare with some meditation. I want to get back to teaching you the proper way: with my magic."

"Y-Yes, Mistress!" Heather replied, adding a brief bow of her head. In the next breath, the mystifying doll and her heir had left, the door shutting behind them.

Everything happened like a blur. Heather lacked a chance to dote on the queen, to deeply snuggle her or attempt a kiss, or to even thank her for their shared rest in the same sheets. The night was void of anything lewd, but sleeping beside the dark sorceress filled Heather with elation and adrenaline. She slept deep, but her dreams were wired with flame.

It could wait. The student decided to remain in the borrowed robe and keep her hair down as she positioned herself comfortably and put on her glasses. She began to meditate as she was told, using her burning love for the queen to fuel her emotions and warm up her magic. Whatever lesson Violet had planned, Heather looked forward to.