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“Okay, that’s the dandelion. Now….” Sam referred back to the spellbook he was working from. It was a new spell he was trying out and he wanted to make sure he did it correctly. “‘A pinch of sage’- I don’t know how big your pinches are!” He knew magic could be fluid but it could also be very testy and he’s experienced some very nasty consequences from too much or too little of certain ingredients before. But, he had nothing else to go one so…one pinch of sage it was.
“Okay, just say the incantation and then light it up…. Here goes…..” It would probably be fine. And if it wasn’t, he could handle it. Right? He’d just have to speak clearly; he could practically hear Rowena lecturing him on “proper enunciation, Samuel”.
Say the words, light the match and…. A big puff of brightly colored smoke hit his face, making him cough. Once his lungs and eyes cleared up, he looked around to see a thin layer of bright blue dust all over the room, including him, which was definitely not the intended result. He groaned and resigned himself to a long afternoon of cleaning up. He knew better than to try and clean up magic mishaps with more magic. That never went well. He just hoped he’d be done before Rowena got back-
There was rustling upstairs as that exact thing that he didn’t want to happen happened. “Oh, Samuel…. I brought goodies back from the market. Yes, even that kale you like so much.” Rowena’s heels clicked over his head as she approached the door to the basement that had become their witchcraft workshop. “You wouldn’t believe the devil-woman I ran into in the checkout line,” she said as she opened the door and started down the stairs. “I believe she was what you would call a ‘Karen’. Anyway, I slipped a little hex bag in her purse on the way out and-” She paused just before the threshold into the room. She glanced around and sighed before glaring at him. “Well, someone’s been busy….”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ll get this cleaned up.”
“Yes, you will. But we need you to get cleaned up first or all this-” she gestured to the blue grime “-is gonna get everywhere and not even my best cleaner spells will get it out of the floorboards.”
Sam wanted to point out that it would be pointless to get clean now because he’d just get dirty again when he came to clean up but he knew better than to argue with that tone of voice. “Okay. I’ll shower and-”
“No, you’ll do it wrong. Come on.” She turned around and went back up the stairs, not bothering to wait for Sam to follow. She knew he would.
“Shoes and clothes in the hamper,” she said when he caught up with her in the bathroom. “And don’t do anything else until I say so.”
Sam nodded and did as he was told. This wasn’t his first rodeo.
By the time he was done, Rowena had a bath going, heated to the perfect temperature. She gestured for him to get in and he did. He sank under the water until his chin touched the surface and watched as the blue powder clouded in the water. Rowena dipped her finger in and swirled it around, gathering the powder into clumps. Sam watched as she levitated each clump and “carried” them to the garbage on the other side of the room. It was amazing that even after all this time together, she could still find ways to surprise him.
“Alright, let’s get the rest of you.” She took a seat behind his head and lifted a water jug over his head, carefully pouring it over his hair and face and shielding his eyes from the water. She then produced some liquid soap and started cleaning him. She started with his hair, still careful to keep everything away from his eyes as she massaged his scalp. He closed his eyes and relaxed under her skilled fingers. By the time she rinsed his hair out, he was half asleep.
“Take it easy now, love. I’ve got you.” She started humming as she washed down his shoulders and chest and if he was the kind of guy who fell asleep easy, that just might’ve done it. As it was, he managed a light doze before she was prodding him out of the tub and into some warm towels. With strict orders to go put on something that wasn’t jeans or flannel, he settled for a pair of sweatpants and one of the v-necks she liked so much.
Eventually, he remembered the mess he was supposed to clean up and padded downstairs to do it, only to find it was already cleaned. He smiled to himself before going back upstairs to help with dinner.