CHAPTER ONE
“Degraff, you’re too hot,” Warden Armitage yelled.
I offered a coy smile. “That’s what all the guys say.”
He rolled his eyes. “Seriously, caster, cool your flames. This is a tracking spell. You’re not conjuring Hellside Canyon.”
I shuddered at the mention of the canyon. We’d recently defeated a team of giants at the canyon that were set on taking over the world. It had been a harrowing experience and one I hoped never to repeat.
I focused on controlling my magic and cooled the blue flame to a more acceptable red. There—all better.
Warden Armitage gave me a curt nod of approval. “Now it needs to actually tell us something aside from how hot it is,” he said, wearing a slight smirk.
I’d show the cocky clinic instructor what I could do. I pushed the flames out and upward and watched as they formed an image of a fountain.
“You hid the key in the fountain?” I asked. I released my hold on the spell and the flames dissipated.
He shrugged. “If that’s what the spell reveals.”
“But which fountain?” Justin Holloway asked. Inwardly, I groaned. The wizard was nice, albeit not the sharpest stake in the weapons drawer.
“It was obvious,” I said. “Didn’t you notice the multiple tiers? It looks like a wedding cake.” I’d recognize Poseidon’s Dance anywhere, even in fiery form. It was located on the far side of the academy, beyond the golden apple orchard.
“Well done, Degraff,” Warden Armitage said, almost sounding annoyed. “There are several fountains on academy grounds. Spotting the critical details can often mean the difference between a successful mission and an unsuccessful one. Time’s almost always of the essence when you’re an agent, so narrowing down options as quickly as possible is an essential skill.” His gaze flickered to me. “That being said, I thought this spell might take a little longer.”
“Then you should have called on someone else to go first,” I shot back.
Bryn choked back laughter. “You’re a real charmer sometimes.” Although my roommate was a powerful witch in her own right, she’d been raised in Terrene—the human world—and lacked the benefit of education and experience.
“Nothing wrong with confidence,” I replied.
“As long as it doesn’t cross over into cocky,” Cerys said gently. Cerys Davies was the earth witch in our elemental quartet and, despite her petite stature, the motherly figure we all resisted.
“Confidence saves lives,” Warden Armitage interjected. “Cocky loses them.” He wagged a finger at me. “So you want to watch which side of that line you fall on. You’re going to have a partner in this line of work and that partner is going to depend on you and vice versa. Don’t be a liability.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, with a mock salute. The warden wasn’t amused. Although Warden Gray Mappleworth was our second year clinic instructor, the vampire was on assignment for the Agency of Magical Forces today, so Armitage apparently agreed to step in for him. That was the reason Bryn was able to join this lesson. Usually, she worked solo with Armitage because the academy’s Board of Regents wanted to make sure she had extra help in learning to control her formidable powers. Unofficially, the board also wanted to separate her from Gray, at least in an academy setting. It would raise more than eyebrows if Gray served as his girlfriend’s instructor.
“Who’s up next?” Warden Armitage asked, giving his hands a firm clap and rubbing them together. “I have plenty of items to track. We could do three sessions on this stuff. Tracking is a skill you never stop needing in our line of work. Trust me.”
Bryn waved a hand in the air. “I’ll do it.”
The warden folded his arms. “You get enough practice with me, Morrow. Let some other sucker have at it.”
Bryn reluctantly dropped her hand to her side. “What if I tracked something unplanned? Make it more challenging.”
Warden Armitage paused, considering her suggestion. “Go on.”
She produced a comb from her cloak pocket. “Gray…I mean, Warden Mappleworth borrowed my comb this morning.” She hesitated. “When I accidentally ran into him in the cafeteria at breakfast, I mean.” A few students snickered. “Let’s see if we can find him.”
Warden Armitage scowled. “He’s on assignment today, Morrow. Not sure if revealing his whereabouts is a good idea.”
“Then it’s closer to a real world situation,” she countered. “Instead of finding keys you tossed into the academy fountain, let’s see if I can track a vampire roaming around the Western Quadrant in pursuit of—whatever it is he’s in pursuit of.”
The warden shook his head. “Our assignments are confidential. I’d be breaking protocol if I let you track a warden for the sake of a lesson.”
“I agree with Bryn, though,” I said. “We should be doing more real world experiments instead of finding the keys you tossed in fountains. That’s amateur hour.” I clamped a hand over my mouth, realizing that my comment probably went a bit too far.
Warden Armitage folded his arms. “One of the reasons we have this clinic is to provide field trips to enhance your real world experience. Trust me, you don’t want to be out of your depth too quickly. An experience like that can shake your confidence. Set you back.”
“Then we should do more real world prep,” Bryn said. “Tracking keys on academy grounds doesn’t give us any time pressure or competition. No one else is hunting for the key at the same time. Nothing’s at stake.”
“I take your point,” Warden Armitage said. “Maybe I’ll come up with something more competitive for next time.”
“Next time Warden Mappleworth will be back,” I said.
“I’m sure he won’t object to some tweaks to his lesson plan,” Warden Armitage said, cracking a smile. “He just loves to be told what to do.”
Bryn burst into laughter. “Sure he does.”
Priscilla Peacock raised her hand. “I feel like we should spend more time practicing the tracking spell before we add layers of complication. Not everyone had years of experience while trapped in their ancestral home.”
I knew that was a dig at me, but I shrugged it off. Priscilla wouldn’t excel as an agent no matter how many practice lessons she had. She simply didn’t have the necessary combination of discipline, determination, and talent. She’d likely end up behind a desk at a far-flung AMF outpost after graduation.
I looked at Warden Armitage. “At what point do we divide into groups based on ability?” Take that, Peacock.
Warden Armitage smothered a smirk. “Patience, Degraff. That’s next year.” He surveyed the group. “It’s never too soon to think about your career path, though—whether you want to be in Division A or F or anything in between. Being an agent means setting and meeting goals on a regular basis. You set the goal of catching your collar, for instance, and then you devise a plan to meet that goal, and then you execute said plan. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many agents I’ve seen who lack that basic foundation.”
“Not Spellslingers grads, I take it,” I said.
Warden Armitage snorted. “Not on my watch. Chancellor Tilkin would have my head on a spike and post it in front of the gateway as a warning to other professors not to let you down.”
“Nice,” Bryn said. “I’ll keep that image for the next time you annoy me during our clinic.”
Warden Armitage shrugged. “Annoying you seems to work better than any carrot I’ve dangled in front of you. I can’t help the way you’re wired.” He glanced at me. “And you’ll get your chance out there soon enough, Degraff. It’s my job to make sure you’re ready when you finally do.”
“I’m ready now, Warden,” I said.
He stared at me for a beat, appearing to consider his next words. Finally, he said, “Feeling ready and being ready aren’t the same thing. Understanding that distinction can make the difference between a smart decision and stupid one.”
I laughed. “I thought you were going to say between life and death.”
He leveled a look at me. “What makes you think I didn’t?”
“The next class is Elemental Is Fundamental,” I said, reading the schedule aloud. Our classes didn’t run like a traditional university. Some changed every six weeks and others lasted the entire year with occasional breaks. There was allegedly a method to the madness, though I quietly believed it had more to do with the professors’ personal schedules.
“Can’t they just call it Elemental Magic?” Bryn asked. “It’s like making vitamins in the shape of cartoon characters.”
I shot Bryn a quizzical look. “What?” Sometimes her Terrene references were lost on me.
“Forget it,” she mumbled.
“I don’t care what it’s called,” Mia said. “Anything is better than Arcane Rites with Langley.”
I laughed. “That’s one of my favorite classes.” Despite Langley and his detached teaching style, I always learned something new.
“I know I’m still low witch on the totem pole, but isn’t elemental magic a little basic for our second year?” Bryn asked.
“Not everyone has natural elemental powers like us,” Mia said. The brunette witch specialized in air magic and could blow my butt all the way to the Southern Quadrant if she set her mind to it. “They have to develop those skills, and even then they won’t be as strong as ours.”
“No one’s will be as strong as Bryn’s,” Cerys said.
“That’s because blood magic is rare,” Dani replied.
“That one’s not elemental, though,” Bryn added. “But my water magic is pretty fierce.”
I patted her shoulder. “No need to be modest with us, Bryn,” I joked.
Cerys smiled. “And here I thought Dani cornered the market on confidence.”
“I’m confident in my own weird way,” Bryn replied.
“Emphasis on weird,” Madge LaRue said, brushing past us. The redheaded witch was as unpleasant as they come.
Bryn’s expression soured. “Can someone hex her with a reptilian affliction or something? Is that a thing?”
“We’ll make it a thing,” I told her.
We entered the classroom right behind Madge. The pleasantly plump Abelia Mayweather stood at the front of the classroom. “Before anyone bothers to take their seats, you should know that today’s lesson will be held in the forest adjacent to Mercer Lake.”
“Perfect,” Cerys said. “I prefer outdoor lessons.” The earth witch would happily sleep outside if given the opportunity. She’d pitched a tent on more than once occasion and spent the night on academy grounds. She was partial to the golden apple orchard.
Professor Mayweather waited until the last student arrived before leading us to the forest. We walked in rows of two, chattering the whole way. The professor wasn’t as strict about talking as a few other lecturers, not like Langley.
“Can I borrow your white top with the crazy neckline?” Bryn asked me.
“Hot date with a vampire tonight?” I queried.
“Not tonight, but when he comes back from his assignment, we’re supposed to go out. I want to wear something I know he likes.”
“He likes white?” I asked.
“No, but he likes crazy necklines.”
Professor Mayweather gathered us in a clearing, where we were surrounded by ash trees.
“Judging by the number of trees around here, I’m guessing fire is not today’s elemental topic,” Bryn said.
“You are correct, Miss Morrow,” the professor said, “though I think experimenting with fire magic in a risky setting such as this one can provide invaluable practice. The more flammable the environment, the more control you need to exhibit.”
“She has a point,” I murmured.
“Yes, but you’re amazing with fire magic,” Mia said. “Easy for you to say.”
“Today’s topic is earth magic,” Professor Mayweather announced, prompting a fist pump from Cerys. “Yes, I realize we have a few magic users here adept in this area. There’s no such thing as too much practice, however.”
“I totally agree with that,” I said.
“As you know from your primary education, earth magic allows you to tap into the raw power of our planet and harness it for your own purposes,” the professor continued. “Trees, rocks, dirt. They are all at your disposal.”
“And if you’re trapped in an unnatural environment, be sure to bring some with you.” Cerys jiggled the collection of rune rocks in her cloak pocket that she liked to carry in case of an emergency.
“Not every earth witch is as proficient with rune rocks as you are,” the professor told her. “The two skills don’t always go together.”
Cerys beamed at the compliment. “Thank you, Professor Mayweather.”
The professor’s cheeks grew rosy under the morning sun. “Now,” she said, “let’s get started while the sun is shining. I’d like to focus on trees today, hence the forest setting. Imagine you’re in pursuit of a suspect in the woods. Why don’t we demonstrate some of the ways we can use a tree’s power against our opponent? Any volunteers?”
My hand was up first, even before Cerys’s. “I’ll go,” I said. I heard a few annoyed moans, but I didn’t care. I grabbed any chance to hone my skills.
“Miss Degraff, step forward,” the professor said. “If you would be so kind as to stand over here away from the group.”
“Don’t worry, Professor,” I said. “Nothing will go wrong.” I positioned myself in front of one of the ash trees.
“Who would like to act as her opponent?” the professor asked.
Madge took a step closer to me and away from the group. “I’ll do it.”
“Perfect, Miss LaRue. You don’t need to use magic. Simply pretend to be on the attack.”
“Are you sure?” Madge asked. “I’d be happy to attack.”
She was such a wereass—as though she could actually beat me at anything. I focused on my pretend attacker and searched inward for my magic. Although earth magic wasn’t second nature to me the way fire magic was, I’d worked with it enough over the years to have a real connection to the power. I felt the energy build inside me and called to the ash tree. I tugged at its branches and felt it respond. I produced my wand to focus the magic, and the tree’s long arms stretched around me and reached for Madge.
“Aw,” Madge said. “The tree wants to hug me.” The group laughed as she extended her arms as if to reciprocate.
Then I summoned the raised bark and the pieces went flying past me, streaking toward Madge like a small army of projectiles. She threw up her hands as a barrier sprung up between us. She seemed as perplexed to see the barrier as I did. The bark bounced off the shield and dropped to the ground.
“Well done, Miss Degraff,” Professor Mayweather said. She tucked away her wand. “I didn’t expect to need my magic quite so soon in the lesson.”
My smile widened as I glanced at Madge “You can let her attack me, Professor. I’m confident I can handle it.” I felt energized by the earth’s power and wanted to keep going. Although some types of magic depleted my energy level, it would take much more than this to wipe me out.
“We should let someone else have a turn now,” she replied. Despite her pleasant tone, she wore a concerned expression. Was she worried that I’d actually hurt Madge? As much as I disliked her, I’d never actually harm her.
“I know a few more….” I began, but one look from the professor cut me off.
“Return to the group, please,” she said.
Reluctantly, I rejoined my friends, but it was hard to stand still with the magic still flowing through my body. It wanted a release.
“Miss Davies, why don’t you give us a demonstration, as you are one of our more skilled practitioners in this area?” Professor Mayweather said. At least she acknowledged our individual prowess. Professor Langley tended to act as though we were all imbeciles.
Cerys hesitated before separating from the group. As skilled as she was, she lacked my confidence, which was crazy considering how powerful she truly was. Mia volunteered to be her fake attacker.
“Do I need to use the trees or can I access other magic?” Cerys asked the professor.
“Use whatever earth magic you have at your disposal,” Professor Mayweather said.
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