blanket, areas of no power, but I haven’t found any.”
I felt her power spread from her like a bubble. She raised her hand and said, “Venettaden.”
The power slammed into me. My muscles froze solid. I stared at her in a growing panic.
“Push it away,” she said.
I considered my brick wall, but knew it was no match for her strength. Once again, I drew down my marble curtain and severed the flow of power. My muscles relaxed.
“Very good,” she said. “I took a line of power and shaped it into a ball. Then, using a word and a gesture, I directed it toward you. We teach the students words and gestures for learning purposes, but really you can use anything you want. It just helps focus the power. And after a while you won’t need to use the words to perform the magic. It becomes instinctive. Now, your turn.”
“But I don’t know how to pull a thread of power. I just concentrate on the feel of my bow’s wood and then my mind somehow detaches and I project it out to other minds. Why does that work?”
“The ability to read thoughts is another thread of power linking two minds, forging a connection. Once the link is made, it remains there and reconnecting is easy. For example, consider the link between us, and between you and Topaz.”
“And Valek,” I said.
“Yes, Valek, too. Although with his immunity to magic, I think your link with him must be on a subconscious level. Have you ever read his thoughts?”
“No. But I haven’t tried. Somehow I always knew what he was feeling.”
“A survival instinct. That makes sense, considering his position in Ixia, and since he decided if you would live or die on a daily basis.”
“That survival instinct saved me a few times,” I said, remembering my troubles in Ixia. “I would find myself in a tight spot, and suddenly it seemed another person had taken control of my body and impossible things would happen.”
“Yes, but now you have control and you can
“I’m not so sure—”
Irys raised her hand. “Enough of that. Now concentrate. Feel the power. Pull it to you and hold it.”
I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes for good measure. Feeling a little silly, I focused on the air around me, trying to sense the blanket of power. For a while nothing happened. Then, I felt the air thicken and press against my skin. I willed the magic to gather closer. Once the pressure grew intense, I opened my eyes. Irys watched me.
“When you release it toward me, think of what you want the power to do. A word or gesture will help and can be used as a shortcut for the next time.”
I pushed the power, and said, “Over.”
For a moment nothing happened. Then Irys’s eyes widened in shock, and she fell over.
I ran to her. “I’m sorry.”
She peered up at me. “That was odd.”
“Odd how?”
“Instead of pushing me over, your magic invaded my mind, giving me a mental command to fall.” Irys settled herself back on the pillow.
“Try again, but this time think of the power as a physical object like a wall and direct it toward me.”
I followed her directions, but the results were the same.
“It’s an unorthodox method, but it works.” Irys tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Let’s work on your defenses. I want you to deflect my power before it can affect you.”
In a blur of motion she aimed a ball of energy toward me. “Teatottle.”
I jumped back and put my hands up, but I wasn’t fast enough. My world spun. Streaks of color swirled around me before I could position my defenses. I was flat on my back, looking up at the sloped ceiling of the tower. An owl slept on a nest in the rafters.
“You need to keep your defenses up at all times,” Irys said. “You don’t want to be caught unaware. But then again…” Irys smoothed her shirt. “You kept Roze from going deep into your mind.”
I shied away from that subject. “What does Teatottle mean?” I asked.
“It’s a nonsense word,” Irys said. “I made it up. No sense alerting you to what I planned to do. I use those words for attacks and defensive moves. But for practical matters like fire and light, I use real words.”
“I can make fire?”
“If you’re strong enough. But it’s tiring work. Using magic is draining, some types more than others. You seem to be able to connect with other minds without a lot of effort,” Irys said. “Perhaps that is your specialty.”
“What do you mean by specialty?”
“Some magicians can only do certain things. We have magicians who can heal physical injuries and others who can help with mental trauma. Some can move large objects like statues, while others can light fires with minimal effort.” Irys played with the tassels on her cushion. “Sometimes, you’ll find someone who can do two or three things, or a hybrid talent like Leif who can sense a person’s soul. For you, we’ve discovered that not only can you read minds, but you can also influence a person’s or animal’s actions. A rare talent. That’s two abilities.”
“Is that the limit?” I asked.
“No. Master Magicians can do everything.”
“So why is Roze called First Magician and you’re Fourth?”
Irys gave me a tired smile. “Roze is stronger than I am. We can both light fires. While I can only make a campfire, she has the ability to set a two-story structure ablaze.”
I thought about what she had said. “If a magician only has one talent, what do they do when they finish their training?”
“We assign magicians to different towns and cities, depending on what is needed. We try to have a healer in every town at all times. Other magicians cover several towns, traveling from place to place to help with projects.”
“What would I do?” I asked, wondering if a useful place for me existed. But, at the same time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted a useful place in Sitia.
Irys laughed. “It’s too soon to tell. For now you need to practice collecting power and using it. And practice keeping up your defenses.”
“How do I keep my wall up without draining myself?”
“I imagine my defensive wall, which resembles this tower room. I make it solid and strong, and then I make it translucent so I can see out of it, and then I don’t think about it anymore. But when magic is directed toward me, my barrier solidifies and deflects the attack before my consciousness is even fully aware of it.”
I followed her instructions and created an invisible barrier in my mind. Irys tested it at unexpected times throughout the morning and it held. The rest of the time I practiced gathering magic, but, no matter how hard I tried, my magic could only affect two things. Irys and the owl sleeping in the rafters.
Irys’s patience amazed me, and, for the first time since coming to Sitia, I felt hopeful that mastering my powers might be within my abilities.
“That was a good start,” Irys said as lunchtime neared. “Go eat, and then rest this afternoon. We’ll work in the mornings and you can practice and study at night. But tonight you need to see the Stable Master and pick out a horse.”
Did I hear her right? “A horse?”
“Yes. All magicians have horses. Occasionally you’ll be needed somewhere fast. I had to leave my horse, Silk, here during my mission in Ixia. When you called for help, I had to borrow a horse from May’s father. How else do you think I got here so fast?”
I hadn’t even thought about it. I had been so wrapped up in my own misery at the time. Following Irys’s directions, I located the dining hall. I ate lunch then went back to my rooms where I collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
That night after dinner, I sought out the Stable Master. I found him at the end of a row of stalls, cleaning a leather saddle. A small stocky man, his wild brown hair fell past his shoulders like a horse’s mane. When he glared up at me, I suppressed my smile.
“What do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy?” he asked.
