“Do you want me to help with the compass plant?” Izzy asked when we returned to the cottage. She pointed beside the metal door. “Oh. You have lumber too.”

“No,” I replied shaking my head. “Why don’t you spend some time with your aunt while you can?”

“Jase, let Izzy help. One day away from her aunt won’t hurt,” Lily said.

“Alright, if you really want to help, come on,” I shrugged and waved Izzy over.

“Thanks Lily,” Isabella said.

“You’re welcome,” my familiar replied giving the apprentice a thumbs up.

The next couple of hours were spent stripping leaves from the compass plants, cracking shafts for the sap, and cutting off the roots. Some of the leaves went into water for use in the next day or two while the rest were placed in bundles to dry out. The sap was gathered into jars.

“Hard work?” I asked Isabella. We had done everything by hand.

“Not really. It’s more tedious than hard,” Izzy answered. Lily and I laughed. “What?”

“Tedious describes what we do better than any other phrase does,” I replied. Lily nodded in agreement.

“What about helpful, necessary, and appreciated?” Izzy asked.

“Most of the villagers don’t appreciate me or my wares,” I answered. “So, that one doesn’t apply.”

“The work is often monotonous,” Lily said as she skated around us. “So, tedious fits like a glove even if the salves, tinctures, and potions are helpful and necessary.”

“How do you do that?” Izzy asked the pixie as Lily jumped higher in the air doing a spin and landing on the same plane on one foot throwing her arms out wide gliding backwards.

“Do what?” Lily asked.

“That,” Isabella said pointing at Lily as she spun quickly in place.

My familiar stopped spinning and shook her head. “Whoa! Getting dizzy is fun!”

Izzy and I laughed as she then started gliding forward placing one leg in front of the other and pushing off. Her wings didn’t appear to be fluttering at all.

“Lily, you know she means that movement,” I said.

“Oh! Air skating?” Lily replied. “It’s just like ice skating except you don’t need skates and do it in midair.”

“Uh Lily, humans can’t fly. We don’t have wings,” Isabella said. Lily stopped and stared at Izzy.

“Really?” Lily asked making a surprised face and slapping both sides of her face. She then flew around Isabella and myself checking our backs. “Yep! No wings. Too bad for you two then.”

She started skating around us again.

“Was she serious?” Isabella asked me. I shook my head.

Lily suddenly stopped between us and snapped her fingers. “I got it! Perhaps I can sprinkle some pixie dust on you and that’ll let you fly like Peter Pan!”

She made a small bag appear and reached into it.

“Don’t do it! That’s just glitter,” I quickly said.

“I’m sure it’s pixie dust,” Lily replied. Izzy watched us with eyes wide open wondering what was going on.

“You know pixies don’t have magic pixie dust,” I said.

“Oh yeah!” Lily replied making the bag disappear.

“You were joking?” Izzy asked.

“Playing a prank that my Jase spoiled,” Lily answered shaking her head sadly. She then shrugged and smiled. “I’ll try it on one of the villagers tomorrow.”

“Just don’t use your magic to levitate anyone a few inches off the ground…”

“My Jase! That’s a terrific idea!” Lily gushed flying to me and kissing my right cheek. “Thanks!”

“I hadn’t finished,” I said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Lily said waving off my words as she resumed her skating.

“Don’t make anyone think they can fly and talk them into jumping off their roof or out of a tree,” I said.

“Jase, you know I wouldn’t do anything like that,” Lily replied.

“It had to be said anyway,” I shrugged. “You know people don’t aways thing straight.”

“That’s true,” Lily agreed.

“Hold up. You can levitate people?” Izzy asked.

“Yep,” Lily answered nodding her head. “People, animals, boulders, furniture, and all sorts of other things.”

“How though? You’re so tiny,” Izzy protested.

“Magic doesn’t care about size and my will is mighty,” Lily replied grinning at the young woman. As my familiar talked Izzy started floating. My apprentice looked around in confusion for a second before she realized what was happening.

“Help! Put me down!” Izzy shrieked. She was only three inches or less off the floor.

“You’re barely off the floor,” I laughed.

“We have company,” Lily said as a pounding came from the basement metal door. She set Izzy back down.

“How do you know that?” Izzy asked as I got up and went to the door.

“Magic,” Lily replied wiggling her fingers at the girl. The door burst in just as soon as I unlocked it knocking me to the floor. Lily spun toward the door. Her eyes and hands glowing as she channeled a lot of power.

“What’s going on here?” Gabriela asked rushing into the basement shop after Juan and quickly going to Isabella’s side.