The Vampire King's Possession
Chapter 615. A Fluke

Chapter 615: 615. A Fluke

Louis looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. "I know I said to take it slow, but this is not what I meant. Are you even trying?" He asked.

Mauve looked up from the paper and glared at him. "You know I am. Stop interrupting and let me try again. You could tell me if I am pronouncing any words incorrectly."

He shook his head, "If you think that is where the problem is, you would be very wrong. Even though I hate to admit it, you read the spell impeccably, but I shall keep quiet now. Carry on."

Mauve repeated the spell again and again. By the seventh time, she was certain it wasn’t going to work. She dropped the paper on the table and let out a loud sigh.

"I don’t think it is going to work," she whispered, unable to hide her embarrassment and sadness that she had to admit defeat. "It may have been a fluke the last time."

She raised her head to look at Louis when he didn’t say anything. "At least say something," she commented.

His expression didn’t hold anything that might aggravate her already embarrassing situation; instead, he seemed to be lost in thought. "Just a moment," he whispered.

"Do you think I am saying it wrong?" She asked.

"I don’t think that’s the problem," he said, rubbing his chin.

"Then what is it?" She asked.

"To be very honest, I have no idea," he responded.

"So last time was a fluke?" She asked.

"Not necessarily. Maybe the circumstances aren’t right."

"What does that even mean?" She asked.

"Magic is a very delicate concept; the slightest thing can throw it off. How about this? We could try some other spell."

"Okay," Mauve brightened up immediately. "I am willing to try anything at this point."

"I bet you are," he said and leaned forward to flip the book.

Mauve was surprised he wasn’t saying anything hurtful about the situation. He didn’t even seem disappointed, just curious. She wondered what was wrong this time and was starting to assume the worst.

"Try reading out this spell," he said and pointed to a page. "I did say that was a beginner’s incantation, technically, but I lied. This is the beginning. Well, for this spell book," he responded.

"You started with a hard spell?" She asked in horror.

"Calm down, no I didn’t. The entire book is supposed to have easy spells. Just because I started from the middle doesn’t mean anything."

She narrowed her eyes at him but didn’t say anything. She was just glad he wasn’t giving up on her just yet. "I should read this, right?" She asked.

This spell was on the very first page, and as usual, it was the only thing written on the page. Mauve thought the words looked easy and she would be able to pronounce them without issues.

Suddenly, she felt confident. This spell was supposed to be easier than the last one. Maybe today wasn’t her day, but she should be able to do this. She took a deep breath as she readied herself.

"Yes, if you need any help, let me know."

Mauve could only nod. The lack of sarcasm was a bit odd. Somehow, she preferred it when he said something snarky. It was more comforting than this. It made her wonder if he thought she might not be able to do it and didn’t want to make the situation worse.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "What does this spell do?" She asked before she began, realizing she didn’t know.

"I don’t know," he responded.

"What? Then how will we know if it works?"

Louis shrugged and leaned back on his seat. "I guess we will see. You better channel that magic."

"You know you’ve never really taught me how it feels to use magic, you just toss me a spell book and ask me to read it."

"How am I supposed to teach you something I don’t know? All I can teach you is what spell to read and how to read them. That’s it. If you’re expecting something more, you will have to find a new teacher yourself."

Mauve narrowed her eyes at him, "Maybe I will," but there was no anger or annoyance in her voice, and there was a hint of a smile on her face.

She looked at the spell book once more and brought her finger to the page, she traced the lines and read it out loud. Mauve looked around at the end of her citation, not knowing what to expect, but she figured if she used magic, it would show.

Nothing.

She looked to Louis, and he shook his head. Undeterred, she tried again. This time around, as she recited the spell, she tried to feel it from within. She wasn’t sure exactly what feelings it was supposed to be, but she figured if she concentrated hard enough, it would work.

It didn’t.

"I think that’s enough," Louis said after the tenth time. "I don’t think it would change if you try it again."

She placed her arms on the table and rested her head on them as she groaned. "Why? What’s wrong?" She cried.

"It might not be that there is anything wrong," Louis said. "Don’t give up."

"I am not giving up," she said and jerked her head up. "I am just annoyed."

"Good!" He grinned. "If there is one thing I know, magic is something that you practice to get better at. I suppose you will just need more lessons."

"We can start with this spell. Tomorrow, same time."

"I can keep going," she said. "We don’t have to wait for tomorrow."

"No," he said. "Using too much magic as a beginner can be deadly."

"What? I didn’t even use any magic."

"True, but just reading from the spell is enough to get one exhausted. Let’s not push. Besides, we have a lot of time, why rush?"

Mauve narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, you are the teacher. If you say so."