A Touch of Magic

Juliet pulled her tangle of curls into a messy bun, securing it with a handful of golden pins she’d stolen from a rather irresponsible royal, and prepared for a day of chaos. Today, the market was coming to her village, and she had much to do. As she dashed around her shabby room, the church bells rang out brightly. Juliet paused to listen, halfway through stuffing her coat into her knapsack. It struck six times. Juliet bit her lip, tossed her last few possessions carelessly into her bag, and flung it over her shoulder. Then, she rushed out of her room, banging the door shut.

Outside, a light rain was falling from the granite-gray clouds, and Juliet turned her face up toward the sky, letting it freckle her cheeks.

The soft click-clack of hooves on the cobblestone streets snapped Juliet out of her mind, and she whirled around to find the traders had arrived. Juliet crouched down behind a barrel, turning her attention to them. Ever so carefully, she crawled forward before snapping her fingers, harnessing the magic running through her veins. A basket of grain crashed to the ground, grinding beneath the mules’ hooves.

Juliet waited a minute before she struck again. A bag of apples toppled open with a jerk of her head, and some rice spilled onto the cobblestones. As the traders moved through the streets, Juliet ran forward, her feet slapping against the ground. She carefully poured the goods into some jars in her knapsack and was hidden again before anyone noticed.

As the village remained distracted by the traders, Juliet snuck through the streets until she found her destination. She knocked sharply on a gray door, and a weary-looking lady opened it.

Juliet swung her knapsack around, showing her the food. The lady’s eyes grew wide. She took it gratefully and wrapped Juliet in a hug as thanks. A little girl poked her head out from behind the woman’s knees, and Juliet ruffled her hair before closing the door to the orphanage, a smile dancing on her lips.