Veronica opened her eyes. She saw the purple light shining on the walls and ceiling and smiled. “We did it.”
“You did it,” I said. “You’re learning quickly.”
“What now?” she asked. “What do I do with my Mana now?”
“You should be able to push it out and create lightning,” I said. “At least that’s how our tattoos work.” I pointed to Amelia as well as I said this.
“Try directing the Mana onto your hand now,” Amelia said.
Veronica concentrated again. She held out her hand in front of her. She’d seen Amelia and I doing that earlier when we were demonstrating our skills.
“It’s not working,” Veronica said.
I could tell she was a little bit frustrated, but she looked determined. I was pleased with how much trust she had in us already. The bond between the three of us was strong already. Such friends were hard to come by.
“Don’t worry if it doesn’t work straight away,” I said. “Just keep trying. Your rune might not work quite the same way as ours do; it is a different element, after all. Just relax and let the Mana flow where it will.”
“You can do it, Veronica,” Amelia said. “Your magic will guide you.” She wasn’t saying anything new, but sometimes it helped just to receive some ordinary encouragement.
Veronica closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her face loosened as she stopped trying so hard to concentrate.
We waited in silence, in the warm, dim light of the candles, mixed with the purple glow of Veronica’s tattoo. We were so quiet, I could hear Veronica’s soft breathing as she focused.
Then, I heard a crackle. A sizzling sound burst out, shattering the silence, and an intense purple light flashed across the room.
Amelia gasped and stared at Veronica’s hand. She frowned. “Where’s the lightning?”
Veronica’s hand was empty. “I failed?” she asked as she looked at her open palm.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “There was something. Give it more Mana this time and try to regulate the flow steadily to the tattoo.”
Veronica nodded and concentrated. The lightning flashed again, but this time I caught a spark of it on Veronica’s body. Except it hadn’t originated where my previous experience suggested it should have.
“It’s not coming out on your hand,” I said to her. “It’s on your shoulders.”
“I’ve got it,” Veronica said, suddenly straightening up and smiling. “It took me a moment, but I can feel it now! Let me just adjust the flow…”
As she spoke, lightning crackled out around Veronica’s shoulders, leaping up and then to dancing over her back and sides as well.
“What kind of spell is this?” Amelia asked.
“I have no idea,” I said. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
“That much is clear,” said Jacques. “What’s this spell good for? Beyond making lightning dance on your shoulders, that is.”
Veronica looked at her shoulders and sides. “So, this isn’t normal then, is it?”
The Mistress chuckled. “If I understand rightly, William and Amelia can’t exactly tell you what’s normal and what isn’t right now. You’ve just done something new.”
I nodded. “The lightning doesn’t hurt, does it?”
Veronica shook her head. “It feels nice actually. The prickling heat feels good against my skin.”
Amelia nodded as she observed Veronica. “I have read about something like this before. When elements cling to the skin like this, it’s often associated with defensive skills. The offensive ones allow you to cast the element away from you, but this is behaving differently.”
“How does it work then?” I asked. “And why would the rune behave like this?”
“I’m not quite sure,” Amelia answered, “but it should mean that this coat of lightning defends Veronica. Perhaps it’s functioning as a defensive spell, much like the runes that are sometimes inscribed on shields or special armor.”
“Well, only one way to find out,” said Jacques. Before any of us could respond, Jacques grabbed a knife from one of the benches against the wall and lunged toward Veronica.
“No!” Amelia shouted.
A flash of purple light blazed out from Veronica’s side. We were blinded as it exploded against Jacques’ hand.
A metallic clang rang out as the knife bounced against the bench and hit the floor. Jacques stood there, wringing his hand. “That hurt a bit.”
“What just happened?” Veronica asked, her face looking bewildered. “I felt my Mana drop a bit when you did that.” The lightning continued to flicker around her neck and shoulders.
“Looks like it works as expected,” Jacques said. “It defends Veronica.”
I laughed. “You are such an asshole sometimes, Jacques. Who knows what might have happened when you did that?”
“What? I was doing it for research,” he said. “Now we know exactly what the spell does.”
“This is incredible,” Veronica said. “The spell will defend me in battle. I’ve never had a defensive spell before. I could actually feel that knife coming toward me, then my Mana lashed out, without me doing anything.”
“How much do you think it can defend Veronica against?” I asked, looking at Amelia. “Would it work against spells? Or just blades?” I also wondered how many attacks like the one Jacques had attempted it would sustain.
Amelia shrugged. “I’ve got no idea.”
“Only one way to find out,” Jacques announced. “Let’s throw knives at her and see how many she can zap.”
“That sounds like a terrible idea,” I said.
The Mistress was laughing. “Your mischief knows no bounds, Jacques.”
“I’ll do it,” Veronica said. “I’ll do this test.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, surprised. “What if something goes wrong?”
“I have to learn to control this, William,” Veronica answered. “Monsters will attack me in battle, and they won’t wait to see if I’m ready. I need to learn how to control this now.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I said reluctantly.
“Don’t worry,” Veronica said. “I know how much Mana I have, and I can sense the knives coming in. I think I can do this.”
“As long as you’re sure,” I said. “It is
