“The other one. The bracelet that connects you to the Aether realm.”
“How did you...?”
Maree raised an eyebrow. “I’m the head of this guild. It’s my job to know.”
“It’s mine, given to me by my Patron, the Prince Heir.”
“I didn’t ask you for details on ownership, Miss Weathervane.”
Ciardis decided to try another tactic. “I need it to make sure—”
“Now,” the woman snapped.
Ciardis inhaled a calming breath. She carefully took it off her ankle and held it out. All the while she was fighting the urge to hurl the bracelet in the woman’s face.
“I’m doing this for your own good,” Maree said as she locked the bracelet inside the small box, and secured it in her desk.
“As of now, you’re far too unstable to handle it.”
“Am I dismissed?”
“No,” she said.
“No?”
“No. Now, my dear, I think it’s time for your lessons to begin,” Maree Amber said as if she hadn’t just stolen Ciardis’s most prized possession.
Before Ciardis could think of anything to say, Maree said, “Ciardis, can you see what I’m holding?”
She was tempted to say “air,” but held back.
“Look deeper. Open your core.”
Ciardis gathered in her magic and prepared to drop down into her core.
“No, not like that. You’re taking too long. Perhaps we should start with basic rules about cores.”
Ciardis let loose her magic. “Too long?”
“You shouldn’t have to gather your magic and then drop into a spiral, which was what you were doing, just to activate your mage sight.”
“Oh?” she said hesitantly. “Then what should I be doing?”
Maree said, “Watch me. Watch my aura.” It began to shift and shimmer, the power gathering slowly under the surface until it pooled like silver light around her eyes.
“You can see my power, yes?”
Ciardis nodded in affirmation.
“What did you do to access that sight?”
“Nothing,” Ciardis answered truthfully. “Seeing power build has been something I could do since my powers came in.”
She grimaced. “At first it was everywhere. Now to see magic as it is in a settled form, I have to call my core.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Ciardis,” her instructor said. “You can call in your mage sight to see all forms of magic at any time without dipping into your core. You just have to build a reserve closer to the surface.”
“Give me your hands—we’re going to go into your core together. I will show you what I mean, but this is the only time you will allow another mage to draw from your core,” she said firmly. “It’s dangerous...more dangerous than you can imagine, Miss Weathervane. If another mage can successfully deplete your core, they can kill you. Your life force will dwindle and your body will die. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“All right, good.”
They grasped each other’s hands.
“Close your eyes and focus on moving down into your core. It doesn’t have to be fast. In fact, since I’m following you, it’s best to go slow.” Ciardis began the descent. She saw a tunnel of bright golden power leading down in a swirl to a bright ball of magic—her mage core. It wasn’t precisely in the same realm as her body, but she knew where it was and how to reach it instinctively.
“Do you see the wave of magic curves along the walls of the tunnel? Like a spiral?” Ciardis turned to find Maree Amber, awash in a purple glow, following along behind her.
“Yes, is that why it’s called spiraling?”
“Correct. A mage follows the trail their magic leaves along their core tunnel to reach the axis of their power seated in the ball at its center. The center being their mage core, and the tunnel being the magic taken from the core and used while the mage is in their corporeal form.”
Ciardis looked ahead. “We’re almost there.” And indeed they were. As they leveled their ethereal forms out to hover alongside outside the core, Maree said, “Now, Miss Weathervane, reach toward your core. Skim a tiny bit of magic from the outside.”
Ciardis moved her form forward and reached to grab magic from the core. It was a hasty attempt.
“Not like that. Slowly, until you have more practice. You don’t want too much or you’ll overwhelm yourself.”
She tried again, this time reaching out slowly, and, with dexterity, she grabbed just enough to satisfy Maree Amber. “Good, now let’s go back up. We’ll stop close to the outer edge and I’ll show you how to deposit what you’ve taken into a reserve.”
Ciardis felt herself begin to rise. This time she followed behind Maree Amber and it felt a lot faster. It was generally easier to go back up the tunnel than to travel down to the mage core. As they neared the edge, Maree Amber’s purple form stopped, an ethereal mass hovering just at the edge.
“Here, Ciardis, is where you’ll place your reserve. Take the core and push against the wall. And then you’re going to reach into the wall and grab small strings of power off of the tunnel. Wrap the reserve tightly. Now try.”
Ciardis hovered and moved up against the tunnel wall. It thrummed with power and beat with the rhythm of her heart. It was melodic in its intensity. She pushed the orb closer to the glowing wall. Holding it in place with one hand, she reached around and grabbed first one string of power, then a second, a third, a fourth, and finally a fifth string of power was wrapped around the reserve ball. It glowed, a sphere encased by a glowing, pulsing web holding it snugly against the tunnel.
“Very good, Ciardis. Now, when you draw from your power, you can draw from here instead of dropping deep into your core. It will get easier for you do and you’ll be able to tap a line of power from your core to your reserve to replenish it once you’re ready.”
Ciardis was surprised. “This is useful. I’m grateful.”
“Let’s go, then; we have work to do. Back to the regular realm.”
Chapter 16
“Tap into your mage sight,” was the command given as soon as Ciardis resurfaced. She hesitated then dipped back to her core. Before she’d been gone for even a few seconds, she saw the bright reserve laying just on the edge. Edging closer to it, Ciardis pushed a line of power from herself into the reserve. She felt the magic rise immediately.
“Good, Ciardis, now concentrate on holding on to the power and open your eyes.” Ciardis followed her command. Staring outward, she saw the glimmer of magic on her desk, in her clothes, and among the objects in the room.
“Where am I focusing my magic now, Ciardis?”
“Your eyes,” said Ciardis, seeing the flare of power centering on Maree Amber’s eyes. A shimmer of power had slid over her eyes like a veil.
“Now watch me.” Maree Amber’s magic rose in waves across her body until it came down slowly to center into a pool in her hands. She held her hands up. The pool of magic began to reshape itself into a web. The web began to twist and turn in on itself. The filaments of string multiplying and connecting until the surface of the web was smooth and the pattern was clear. A hazy image began to appear in the shape of a person.
“What do you see now, Ciardis?”
