Plucking a leaf from the stem of the rose, Master Akerman handed it to Allyra. “Care to give it a shot?”
She hesitated, then took it from him, reaching for her Gift. She closed her eyes—yes, she could see the yellow threads of the Air Element, but there was nothing in the leaf that suggested how it might be transformed.
“I don’t see how—”
“Nothing in this world comes without a cost, Miss Warden. Evanescing from one form to another requires energy. You must supply that energy.”
Reaching once more for her Gift, Allyra tried again. This time, she retreated inward, past the mental protections she’d built around the glowing sphere of pure energy she held within herself. She allowed the energy to flow, like a river of golden light, from her to the leaf. The energy infused the leaf, breaking it apart, disassembling it, and joining it to the yellow threads. It took only a few seconds for the leaf to disappear completely.
That was the easy part.
Next, she tried to recall the leaf, to rebuild it from nothing but air. The remaking was much more difficult than the unmaking, demanding more focus and devouring the energy she supplied. Slowly, the leaf reformed, at first taking on a transparent, mirage-like quality before solidifying and becoming whole.
Suddenly light-headed, Allyra stumbled back a few steps and leant against the wall, trying to recover her balance. A wave of nausea forced her to slide down the wall until she sat on the floor, taking deep breaths to calm her somersaulting stomach.
Clearly amused, Master Akerman handed her a bottled soft drink. Just the sight of its sickly, artificial orange color made her feel even more ill, and she turned away.
“Drink it,” Master Akerman insisted. “Trust me, the sugar helps.”
He opened the bottle, making the carbonated drink fizz merrily, and put it before her again.
“You’re going to make me sick,” she gasped, pushing it away. “And none of us will enjoy that.”
“Stop being a stubborn donkey, and just drink the damn thing,” Jason snapped with an irritated scowl.
Not because she would ever bother to obey Jason but just to stop all the noise pounding around in her head, she grabbed the bottle and took a small sip. It ran cool and sickly sweet down her throat, and she noted with some surprise that it did make her feel a little better. A few more sips later and she was able to open her eyes without the entire world rocking like a boat on stormy seas.
“When are you going to learn that its easier just to listen?” Jason asked caustically.
“To you? Never.”
Jason tuned to Master Akerman. “She’s fine,” he declared.
“Don’t you two ever get tired of sniping at each other?” Master Akerman muttered, stopping to pick up the reformed rose leaf Allyra had dropped. He held it up for them to see. “Well, at least it’s green.”
And however sarcastic the statement was, it was probably the kindest thing to be said about her attempt, and even then, she’d missed the mark on the shade of green. Hers looked bright and artificial, in total contrast to the original’s deep, natural green. The shape, texture, and size were all wrong too.
Jason turned away, hiding a bemused grin. Allyra shot him an angry stare. “It’s my first attempt,” she said defensively.
“I suppose we should all be grateful you didn’t turn yourself into a one-eyed alien when you came back through the Gate,” Jason said, foregoing any further attempt to hide his laughter.
“Enough,” Master Akerman roared. “This is a lesson, not a comedic performance.” He looked at Allyra sternly. “Tell me what you did wrong.”
“Everything apparently,” she replied, just a little sullen.
“You didn’t take the time to study what you were Evanescing. You just jumped in without thinking. To Evanesce something, you need to know it—thinking a leaf is green is not enough. You need to understand the intricate detail—what it feels like, what it smells like.
“If you think Evanescing a leaf is difficult, think about how difficult it is to Evanesce a person. Most people never attempt it, simply because they don’t trust they know themselves well enough.”
He glanced at Allyra and took in her still pale color and clammy skin. He sighed. “I think that’s enough for today. By the way, that sick feeling you’re experiencing—that comes from getting it wrong. Mess with the natural order of things and you will have to pay a price. Only time—and sugar—will help reestablish the balance.”
He left the room, and after the door swung shut behind him, Jason raised his eyebrows at her and shrugged carelessly. “Guess we have a free afternoon now.”
He sat down beside her and nudged her gently. “It wasn’t that bad. The first time I tried Evanescence, it was a pebble, and it came out looking like sludge. Though, I guess I was only twelve at the time.”
“I can’t tell if you’re trying to be reassuring through all the arrogance.”
“And I’m going to stop trying to be helpful if all you’re going to do is throw it back in my face. I really couldn’t care less if you can Evanesce or not.”
“Except you should care—if I can’t Evanesce, it’s going to put a serious damper on your aspirations of winning,” Allyra shot back.
“No, not really. I’ll just Evanesce you, and if you come out looking like a green alien…” Jason shrugged with a smirk.
“You, Evanesce me?” Allyra exclaimed. “No—not going to happen. If most people won’t Evanesce themselves out of fear of not knowing themselves well enough, how would anyone even begin to attempt doing it to someone else?”
“First—if I wanted to Evanesce you, you wouldn’t have much of a choice. Second—people can know someone else well enough to
