Sunday Snippet: Blondie and the Three Wizards

Welcome 2021! It's been raining like crazy the last few days, which is kind of soothing even if it's also a little dark and dreary.

I finished up a work project and had time to get somewhat organized for the new year. I have a few small things to get lined up but I'm ready to dive deep into 2021.

Had a very slow week in television. I caught a couple episodes of Blue Heelers and a couple episodes of Silent Witness. I also did a few year-end marathons and watched my usual classic TV and mystery shows.

And that's how I'm starting this year. Tonight's post is from Blondie and the Three Wizards, a sexy short that riffs on Goldilocks.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Xandra Blue, a mage adept, has to pick a new mentor from three extremely sexy wizards. All three have the skills and could make great partners, but the guys don't make it easy for her to choose.

And a preview snippet…

Xandra entered the common area of the residence hall and paused. "Whoa." She had to pick from the trio of gorgeousness scattered around the room?

Based on the file descriptions, she had a solid idea of who each man might be. And Chris spoke of them frequently. Bless him for making her a part of his life and acting as the big brother she never had. She could really use his advice for how to deal with this group of men, his friends and colleagues.

Moving further into the lounge space, she drew the attention of the men.

The one closest to her rose and gave her a nod. "Hello. You must be Xandra." He smoothed his shirt and stepped forward. "I'm Sam Guilliams." He thrust his palm toward her, blushing profusely.

She shook his hand. "Hi. Yes. I'm Xandra." She'd pegged him correctly.

Sam had a light blue button down shirt and meticulously creased khaki pants. His shoes were spotless, brown loafers with a highly buffed sheen. After his initial eagerness, he retreated back to the table, suddenly timid.

The second man let out a long, low whistle. "Well, hello there, Blondie." His gaze raked over her slowly. "Aren't you a beautiful sight?" He made a twirling motion with his finger, suggesting she turn around in a circle.

She almost followed the unvoiced order but caught herself. "You must be Heath. Chris warned me about you." She smiled, taking the heat out of her words and trying not to be sad at the loss of her mentor.

Heath chuckled. "Should've known." He also stuck his hand out and grasped hers. "Nice to meet you, Xandra." He let go and gave her a bow.

Her mood brightened again. Hard to stay when someone wild, aggressive, and brash made it impossible.

The final member of the trio lifted a hand. "I'm Dare. We're sorry to meet you under these circumstances, but glad to have you here." He moved forward. "Chris left some big shoes to fill." Putting a hand on her shoulder, he led her to the large table in the center of the room. "Let's get things rolling here and find out what you can do and how we can help." He pulled a chair out for her.

Two hours later, Xandra's head whirled with information. Sam listed out a full two pages of pros and cons if they worked together. His presentation showed he had an immaculate depth of knowledge and his skills were impeccable if not rigidly wielded.

Heath pretty much said he'd get her where she needed to be but they'd discuss her instruction over dinner. Then he put on a dazzling show of blindingly spectacular magick designed to impress. And break at least half a dozen rules. <No surprise there.> Heath probably had met a rule he wouldn't break.

Dare started out by asking her a question. "Where did you and Chris leave off?"

She appreciated the gesture. "We were in the middle of the third stage in level three." She wondered if the number three would be a thing for her.

Dare's eyes widened. "A difficult series of maneuvers. Did you have a specific agenda for continuing your lessons?" He conjured the Book of Magicks and opened it to level three.

Again, he'd impressed her. Not by a long monologue of how things should work or by showing off with crazy skills. Instead he asked and offered. Kind of refreshing.

Xandra pointed to the third—seriously, three again—maneuver. "Chris showed me this over and over and I still don't get it." If she didn't master the combination of visualizing and verbalizing, she'd never make it to the next level.

Dare nodded. "This is one of those skills that when it finally clicks, so many things will fall into place." He gave her his full attention and explained further. "The hardest part about the combination casts is subtlety. The vision has to be fully formed before the incantation is spoken or the result is nil." He tapped his finger on the page. "Try this. Visualize a large bouquet of flowers."

She closed her eyes and pictured lilacs.

"Now, hold that image and fill in the details. Make sure there's a vase, water, whatever else is needed for the bouquet to fully form."

Xandra let her mind fill with the suggestions. A green vase filled with water surrounded the blooms. A spray or two of greenery interspersed with the purple petals. She opened her mouth to utter the spell but Dare stopped her.

"Not yet. Hold the image and let it solidify. Don't speak the words until you fully envision the bouquet."

She waited a moment, until the image fully formed, then uttered her cast. "Bring it forth."

A large bouquet of lilacs appeared on the table, exactly how she'd pictured it in her mind.

Her mouth dropped open. "I can't believe it." Her gaze flew to Dare's. "That's incredible."

Heath rolled his eyes. "Look at Mr. Romance scoring big points." He smirked in Sam's direction. "Think we have a chance now?"

Sam shrugged. "Of course. Xandra can't make a snap decision about something this important."

Xandra gave a nod. "That's true." She directed her attention to Dare. "I do thank you though." She got up. "Can we do our individual meets tomorrow? The master sage wants a decision by the end of the week."

The men agreed and they set up times. Sam insisted on nine a.m. He only had that time available for the next day. Heath didn't want to meet until at least two in the afternoon. Apparently, he had a hot date and didn't plan to be up before noon. Dare asked her what time would work best for her. She suggested around five, which worked out well for him.

She gave another nod. "I'll look forward to seeing you all again." Turning, she exited the common area and fanned her face. "Man … not gonna be an easy decision."

I love putting a fun spin on classic fairytales and this story brings a lot of joy when writing.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye