I tried to concentrate on what he was telling me to do, but the nuts kept hitting me and breaking my concentration. Although the nuts were small, they stung when they hit, and it was becoming impossible to concentrate.
But I knew I must; it was the only way for the irritating nuts to stop reaching me. I looked at Uncle Gabriel. He leaned nonchalantly on his desk and systematically continued his barrage of nuts. His lips were curved in a smile. He was enjoying this, I realized, which made me more determined to show him that I was beyond capable.
I knew what I had to do. I closed my eyes and silenced my mind, just like I had in my concentration lessons. I looked deep inside; there in the silence, I could feel it. The blue-white light pulsated; it had grown since the last time I saw it, and this time it was easier to reach.
“Now concentrate and imagine a shield growing around you, a shield of light. Nothing can penetrate the shield unless you let it,” said Uncle Gabriel.
I did as I was told. I drew on my magic, slowly at first, imagining the shield. Power raced through my veins, and I could feel the light coursing through my body; I wrapped it around myself like a cloak.
Suddenly the barrage of nuts stopped.
I opened my eyes, all the while conscious of what I was still doing. The nuts hadn’t really stopped—Uncle Gabriel was still throwing them at me at regular intervals—but somehow they bounced off an invisible shield that I had created.
Just as I was patting myself on the back for creating the shield, I could feel it wavering. My concentration broke, and a nut hit me on the head. “Ouch!” My shield disappeared, and I stood in front of Uncle Gabriel, rubbing my forehead.
“That was very good.” Uncle Gabriel beamed. “I knew you could do it, even with your amulet on.”
I tried a half-smile. Although I was inwardly pleased with myself for managing a shield on my first try, I didn’t appreciate being pelted with nuts, but Uncle Gabriel seemed to think it was very funny.
“I can try again.” I was determined to show him that I was stronger than I looked.
“That will be all for today, Aurora.” My granduncle sat back down at his desk. “I have work to do, and you must be tired after using your powers for the first time.”
“No, not really.” I shrugged. I didn’t feel like I had put in much effort, and I wasn’t tired at all. “Should I be?”
“Well, ordinarily, yes. But it seems your powers are different than what I expected. A shield attempt by a novice should have tired you out to some extent, at least.”
I shook my head. “I don’t feel any different.”
“That’s good, very good. But it doesn’t mean that you mustn’t be careful. Magic requires a lot of strength of will and character. Just having powerful magic does not necessarily make you a great mage. You have to think before you act, because magic always comes with a price.”
I nodded. Uncle Gabriel’s philosophical statements always went a bit over my head. What did this mean? How different were my powers really?
“I also want to remind you that the amulet you wear around your neck, although keeping you safe from Morgana, diminishes your powers to that of an ordinary mage.”
“I understand that it keeps Morgana from finding me with magic, and that’s why my parents made me wear it. But why does it diminish my powers?”
“Well,” Uncle Gabriel started, leaning back in his chair and stroking his short beard, “the amulet you wear around your neck was created thousands of years ago by the first fae-mage, Auraken Firedrake. He was high king over the seven kingdoms, and Avalonia flourished under his rule. Auraken made the amulet after many attempts on his life, to mask his fae powers so that he could move about the land undetected. But the amulet is infused with powerful magic, and as I told you, all powerful magic has a price. The amulet, when worn, diminishes a fae-mage’s powers to that of an ordinary mage. That is the price you must pay for its protection.”
I sort of understood what he was trying to say.
“But if I take it off, won’t I learn faster?”
Uncle Gabriel clasped his hands in front of him as he rested his elbows on the table. “You might. But one of the main advantages of wearing the amulet, other than its protection, is its ability to control the intensity of a fae-mage’s powers. It will keep your fae magic in check.”
“I don’t understand.”
“A fae-mage is a very rare and very powerful being with almost limitless but wild magic,” said Uncle Gabriel. “The magic you possess is almost impossible to control without the right training.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes in times of great stress or need, your powers can come forward like a defense mechanism. Fae-mages have been known to destroy whole villages before they were found and taught magical discipline. You must learn to call your powers at will and then learn to control them, because control is the most important element in the use of magic. Without it, magical powers can do a lot of damage to yourself and those in your vicinity.”
“Oh!”
“That is why you must be very careful. No one else must know that you are a fae-mage. The time will come when you will be able to reveal yourself to the world. For now, your life is in danger. If Morgana finds out where you are, it won’t make any difference that you are in another kingdom, she will stop at nothing to get to you.”
“But you told Aunt Serena and Erien?”
“That’s because Serena and Erien are family. They would never betray you.”
“And Rafe?” I had to ask.
