Gypsy Magic - J.R. Rain Page 0,85
me hoped this go-round would allow Aquafina to be useful, for once. I tilted the water down, letting a generous measure pour toward my palm. The stream came to a quivering halt just before it could touch my (woefully short) lifeline.
Any human could learn the basics of magic. Most magic was just memorization and calling on higher powers. But to really harness the energy, you had to have magical empathy or drops of inhuman blood flowing through your veins. That was why magic had fallen out of favor among regular folk for so long—we’d forgotten we were capable of it at all.
I had a cheat, though. I was practically a magical null. The elixir that kept me human was distilled magic. Lissa’s magic, which meant I had a boost from the most powerful sorceress in the Western Hemisphere. I’d have never ordinarily been able to do what I was about to do without the elixir.
The water formed a small wave pattern on my hand and, though it didn’t precisely change color, its scent changed. Sharp and unpleasant, biting at even my less sensitive human nose.
“Vinegar,” I pronounced and pushed the water out from my palm, toward the classroom.
The water began to writhe and bunch, propelling itself forward like a snake, weaving in and out between the students. Many of their noses wrinkled, and a few eyed the sour-smelling stream like it could bite them.
When it made a full circuit of the room, the liquid snake returned to my side and hovered above my palm again.
“Since you’re all intelligent enough to be enrolled at this university, why don’t you tell me why I’ve transmuted water into vinegar?"
“Because you like the taste of piss?” Tobias asked with a loud laugh. There were some snickers from various places around the room.
Oh, the little wanker was so about to get it.
“Close, but no cigar,” I said with another tight, careful smile. “Because chewing gum is hydrophobic. Does anyone know what that means?” No one answered, so I continued. “It means it won’t break down in water. But vinegar is a solvent and that means vinegar breaks down the chemical bonds that make gum sticky.”
As if prompted by the words, the writhing stream of vinegar twirled around my extended finger, dousing both the lock of hair and my finger in stinky vinegar. Now I’d be going home smelling like an old trash can. Yippee. At least I had the consolation of knowing it wasn’t the worst odor I’d come into contact with.
The gum came free with just a little bit of effort, and I wadded what was left of it into my fist. It was tempting to flick the gum into Tobias’ sullen face. Part of me thought he deserved it. My intuition said he’d been the one to flick the sticky wad at my head.
We should make him suffer our wrath! The vampire within me suddenly reared her unwanted head.
Oh, God, will you stop?
I focused on the class again and felt proud of myself. I’d controlled my temper—no easy feat—and the class had observed a higher-level transmutation spell and were sufficiently impressed. Solids transmuted easily. The molecules were bunched in together, easy to capture. Liquids were harder. Gasses were almost impossible, unless you were something inhuman. I could grind Tobias’ morale further into the dirt, if I wanted to. Really teach him a lesson.
Instead, I wrung my hair out over the trashcan and tucked it into a long ponytail to keep the smell away from my nose.
“I think that’s enough for today,” I said as warmly as I could. “I want the essay on the Three Principles emailed to me before midnight tonight. Class dismissed.”
Neither Hyde Nor Hair
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About J.R. Rain:
J.R. Rain is the international bestselling author of over seventy novels, including his popular Samantha Moon and Jim Knighthorse series. His books are published in five languages in twelve countries, and he has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide.
Please visit him at www.jrrain.com.
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About H.P. Mallory:
H.P. Mallory is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She has eleven series currently and she writes paranormal fiction, heavy on the romance! H.P. lives in Southern California with her son and a cranky cat.
To learn more about H.P. and to download free books, visit: www.hpmallory.com
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