Septimus Heap, Book One_ Magyk - Angie Sage [65]
“Here you are,” said Marcia, passing the book to Jenna. “Why don’t you take out a Charm?”
Jenna took the small and surprisingly heavy book. It was open at a grubby and much-thumbed page that was written in faded purple ink and large neat writing, which was easy to read.
The words said:
Cause Yourself to be Unseen
a Valued and Esteem’d Spelle
for all those Persons who might wishe
(for Reasons only Pertaining to their
Owne or Others’ safekeeping)
to be Missed by those who may cause
them Harme
Jenna read the words with a feeling of apprehension, not wanting to think about who may cause her harm, and then felt inside the thick paper pocket that held the Charms. Inside the pocket were what felt like a lot of smooth, flat counters. Jenna’s fingers closed around one of the counters and drew out a small oval piece of polished ebony.
“Very nice,” said Marcia approvingly. “Black as the night. Just right. Can you see the words on the Charm?”
Jenna screwed up her eyes in an effort to see what was written on the sliver of ebony. The words were tiny, written in an old-fashioned script in a faded golden ink. Marcia fished a large flat magnifying glass from her belt, which she unfolded and passed to Jenna.
“See if that helps,” she said.
Jenna slowly passed the glass over the golden letters, and as they jumped into view she read them out:
Let me Fade into the Aire
Let all against me know not Where
Let them that Seeke me pass me by
Let Harme not reach me from their Eye.
“Nice and simple,” said Marcia. “Not too hard to remember if things get a bit tricky. Some spells are all well and good, but try and remember them in a crisis and it’s not so easy. Now you need to Imprint the spell.”
“Do what?” asked Jenna.
“Hold the Charm close to you and say the words of the spell as you hold it. You need to remember the exact words. And as you say the words you have to imagine the spell actually happening—that’s the really important part.”
It wasn’t as easy as Jenna expected, particularly with Nicko and Boy 412 watching her. If she remembered the words right, she forgot to imagine the Fade into the Aire bit, and if she thought too much about Fade into the Aire, she forgot the words.
“Have another go,” Marcia encouraged her after Jenna had, to her exasperation, got everything right except one little word. “Everyone thinks spells are easy, but they’re not. But you’re nearly there.”
Jenna took a deep breath. “Stop looking at me,” she told Nicko and Boy 412.
They grinned and pointedly stared at Bert instead. Bert shifted uncomfortably in her sleep. She always knew when someone was looking at her.
So Nicko and Boy 412 missed Jenna’s first Disappearance.
Marcia clapped her hands. “You did it!” she said.
“Did I? Have I?” Jenna’s voice came from out of the air.
“Hey, Jen, where are you?” asked Nicko, laughing.
Marcia looked at her timepiece. “Now don’t forget, the first time you do a spell it doesn’t last very long. You’ll Reappear in a minute or so. After that it should last as long as you want it to.”
Boy 412 watched Jenna’s blurred shape slowly Materialize out of the flickering shadows cast by Aunt Zelda’s candles. He stared openmouthed. He wanted to do that.
“Nicko,” said Marcia, “your turn.”
Boy 412 felt cross with himself. What had made him think Marcia would ask him? Of course she wouldn’t. He didn’t belong. He was just a Young Army Expendable.
“I’ve got my own Disappear, thanks,” said Nicko. “Don’t want to get it muddled up with this one.”
Nicko had a workmanlike approach to Magyk. He had no intention of becoming a Wizard, even though he was from a Magykal family and had been taught Basyk Magyk. Nicko didn’t see why he needed more than one of each kind of spell. Why clog your brain up with all that stuff? He reckoned he already had all