“Well, I hope mine will be significantly warmer.”
“At least the weather is nice, even if it’s cold,” Ellie said, her eyes moving to the window where a couple rays of morning sun had started pouring in.”
I nodded as Ellie made me a plate of food, and handed it over to me. “Come on, eat up. You need your strength today.”
I sat down at the counter and began poking at the food. To be completely honest, I wasn’t hungry, and I didn’t really want to eat, no matter how delicious it smelled. But I knew that Ellie was right, and that if I didn’t eat some food now I was going to regret it later. So, while I poked and prodded at the bacon and eggs on the plate a fair bit, I also occasionally shoved a forkful into my mouth. It took a while, but I eventually polished off all the food on the plate, and then it was time to get ready to go.
“Here are two extra wands,” Ellie said, handing me a couple plain pieces of wood painted in a nice ivory colour. “You shouldn’t need them, but it’s always better to be over prepared.”
I managed to shoot her a small smile. “Thanks. Time to get going.”
Amy was already a coven headquarters, so Ellie, Sara and I left the house a few minutes later. Even Mr. Meowgi came out to say goodbye, and he wished me luck without making fun of me or giving me any suggestions that involved using martial arts. Even he must have known how important this examination was, and as we started walking down the street I realized my mouth had run completely dry.
I was very nervous.
Amy greeted us as soon as we entered coven headquarters. “I’m going to take Tina right into see Lita,” she said. “The rest of you can stay here, and when it’s time for the second examination to start, we can all go together.”
It was quarter to ten, and I felt like I was going to collapse right there in the middle of the building. Ellie took me into a big hug, holding me close. “You can do this. You’re a good witch, Tina. Now get in there, and prove it.”
Sara hugged me next. “Good luck. Not that you’re going to need it. You’re much better witch than you know. Trust your instincts.”
I thanked them both, then followed after Amy who led me to Lita’s office. We stopped in front of the door, and Amy looked at me. “You don’t need any advice. You’re better than that. You’re one of the most naturally talented witches I have ever seen, so as long as you don’t panic you’re going to be fine. Do your best.”
I managed a small nod and smile as Amy opened the door to Lita’s office and let me in. Lita was sitting at her desk, and she motioned for me to come straight over and sit in the same chair as the other day.
“Welcome, Tina. I hope you are ready for your examinations.”
This was it. This was happening. The most important exam of my life. I felt like I was in high school again, only worse. I pushed down the rising feeling of panic in my throat, and forced a smile.
“I’m ready,” I said, hoping that announcing it confidently would make my brain accept it as the truth.
“Good,” Lita nodded. “I have the written portion of the exam right here; you’re welcome to begin. You have three hours to complete this portion of the examination. I have to ask that you put your wand on the table.”
I took the three wands - my regular one and the two that Ellie had given me this morning - and placed them on the table, noticing that Lita gave them an appreciative look. Bringing multiple wands had apparently been a good call. She handed me a clipboard and a pen a minute later, with a little paper booklet on the clipboard. I opened it up to find that it really was like being back in high school.
There were about ten questions on each page, and each of them had four options to choose from. Next to each option was a round circle that had to be filled in with pen.
I had never been especially good at written exams, but I had no choice here. I took a deep breath, and read the first question.
What is the correct incantation to create a light casting the spell in the coven of Jupiter?
I smiled to myself. This was the first spell I had ever learned, that Amy taught me during our first lesson. I read the different options and almost laughed out loud.
Jupiter, with all your might, I beseech you to fill this room with light.
Jupiter, with all of your might, I beseech you to fill this room with light.
Jupiter, with your great might, I beseech you to fill this room with light.
Jupiter, with all your great might, I beseech you to fill this room with light.
I immediately knew the answer was A. The very first time I had tried casting the spell myself, I had used the words in B, and while my wand had made a little bit of light, it hadn’t worked nearly as well as when I had used the proper spell.
Feeling a little bit more confident, I filled in the bubble next to option A, and moved on to the next question. I was going to be able to get through this. I knew it.
It took me a little bit over two hours to finish the first part of the examination. The questions got more and more complex as I continued on, and by the time I reached the end there were definitely a handful that I knew were pure guesses, but all in all I didn’t think I had done all that badly.
“Here, I’m done,” I said to Lita, who had spent the entire time that I was writing the exam working at her desk.
“Good, well done,” she said to me, taking the clipboard back. “I’m afraid I’m not allowed to tell you your score until after you have completed the second part of the examination.”
“That’s all right,” I said with a smile. “I’m not sure I’d want to know before I’m completely finished anyway.”
“Right,” Lita said with a nod. “Well, come on now. We will go to the forest for the second part of your examination. I believe your friends are outside waiting to join us.”
“Am I allowed to talk to them?” I asked.
Lita nodded. “Yes, absolutely. Feel free to tell them anything about the exam you just took.”
Amy, Sara and Ellie were all waiting near the entrance to coven headquarters, sitting on a stone bench together. As soon as they saw me coming, they all jumped up and rushed towards me.
“How was it?”
“How did you do?”
“Do you think you got a great score?”
I laughed and waved them all down. “I don’t think I did too badly,” I replied. “There were definitely a few questions that I know I messed up. Like, I have absolutely no idea what herb needs to be soaked in a mixture of oil and vinegar for exactly 37 days to create an infused oil suitable for potion use.”
“Star anise,” Amy said immediately, and I frowned. “Okay, I got that one wrong. I guessed cumin.”
“That’s not a bad guess,” Amy said, trying to make me feel better, and I laughed.
“Don’t worry. I knew I got it wrong, it’s okay. Anyway, there’s nothing I can do about any of it now, and I’m pretty sure I did get a good number of them right.”
“Good, now let’s get the next part over and done with,” Ellie said, and the group of us made our way to the door. It was time for the practical portion of the examination.
Chapter 22
I couldn’t help but notice that Lita had grabbed a broom on the way out, but walked along with us to the forest. She went first, taking us deep into the woods, and we didn’t stop until about twenty minutes after we had started. When we reached a small clearing, Lita finally turned towards us.
“This is where the second examination will take place,” she told me. “The first thing I need you to do is to demonstrate your ability to ride a broom. Your teacher is very good at this herself; Sara still holds the record for the highest score ever recorded in the coven of Jupiter on this section of the examination.”
We all turned toward Sara, her face having gone red with embarrassment. “Really?” she asked, and Lita nodded. “Yes. And by a comfortable margin, as well. Now, it’s time to see how your student does.”
Lita took her wand out from the holder she kept in her wais
tband and pointed it towards the sky. She muttered an incantation, and I gasped as all of a sudden a whole bunch of hoops appeared in the sky.
“This is a bit of an obstacle course,” Lita explained. “Do you see the numbers above all of the hoops?”
I squinted hard, and noticed that sure enough, there were floating numbers written above each hoop.
“Yes,” I nodded.
“You’re to go through the hoops in order,” Lita explained. “You start on the ground, and you will be timed. The hoops are designed to get you to perform certain maneuvers, and I will judge you based on how well you perform them. Got it?”
“Got it,” I confirmed. Lita handed me the broom, and I moved away from the others, standing alone in the middle of the field.
“Wait for my call before you begin,” Lita announced, and I nodded.
“You can do this,” Ellie shouted at me.
“Come on, Tina,” Sara called out, clapping her hands.
“You’ve got this,” came Amy’s shout.
“Tina White, your time begins now,” Lita announced. I jumped up onto the broom and sent it soaring up into the sky. I had to admit, I still wasn’t super comfortable riding a broom. It wasn’t that I was afraid of heights or anything like that, but during my first lesson, a dragon had knocked me off the broom when I was in the air and I would have been killed if it wasn’t for Sara’s quick thinking.
This time, however, I tried not to think about how high I was in the air, and I simply focused on the first hoop, which was horizontal, meaning that I had to go straight up through it. By the time I reached it I had picked up a little bit of speed, and I zoomed through it, immediately looking for hoop number two.
It was to my left, and I shifted my weight, turning the broom on a dime and passing through it, the wind whistling in my ears. Broom number three was directly below me, and I put the broom into a dive, feeling my confidence grow with every move that I made.
My friends were cheering for me from the ground, and it felt like only a moment had passed before I finally made my way through all forty-three hoops and landed in the field once more, setting the broom down as softly and elegantly as I could.
“Good job,” Ellie shouted. I looked over at Lita, who nodded approvingly.
“Well done,” she said. “I am very impressed with your skills for someone who has spent so little time on a broom.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure Sara’s record would still be safe,” I said with a grin.
Lita smiled slightly. “Yes, that it is. However, your effort was not bad at all. You should be quite proud of yourself. Now, take out your wand, and prepare yourself. This next part of the examination requires you to cast spells as I give you commands.”
I nodded and pulled out my wand, while Lita turned and looked at the others.
“I need all of you to put your wands down on the ground in front of you,” she told them. “I don’t believe any of you would cheat and cast the spell for Tina, but rules are rules.”
My friends did as they were told, and Lita pointed her wand towards the trees. She muttered a spell herself, and a moment later a giant square appeared in front of the trees, like a huge plate of plexiglass.
“Any spell that you cast into that pane will be absorbed by it,” Lita explained. “I will shout out a number of commands of spells that you need to cast, and you will have to perform them to the best of your abilities. You will be scored on both the number of spells that you are able to cast in the fifteen minutes of this test, and also the power with which you manage to cast them. Because you’re not from the coven of Jupiter, it would be unfair to judge you at the same level as the other members of the coven, so an extra thirty percent will be added to your score to make up for the fact that they are not your natural spells. Understood?”
I nodded. “Thank you,” I said. Every coven had their own set of spells, and while any witch or wizard could use the spells of any coven, the ones from the coven they were born into were always more powerful. As a result, when I used the spells that I was taught, from the coven of Jupiter, they had a tendency to be far weaker than when they were cast by, say, Ellie.
“Are you ready?” Lita asked, and I nodded.
“Yes.”
“Your time begins as soon as I give you the first command.”
The girls shouted words of encouragement once more as I steeled myself, looking at the pane into which I was about to cast all of my spells. I was focused, and I forced myself to relax, allowing the magical energy inside me to build up.
“Cast a spell which creates water,” Lita called out, and I smiled. Water was definitely my thing.
“Jupiter, God of Thunder, use my wand and bring forth water,” I called out, putting all of my energy into the spell. Straight away, a burst of water shot from my wand and into the pane, which was immediately absorbed as though the pane were a giant sponge.
I looked over at Lita, who nodded. “Cast a spell which shoots fire,” she ordered next, and I steeled myself once more.
The fifteen minutes past as if they were nothing, and before I knew it, Lita told me time was up just as I finished casting a spell designed to protect me from oncoming attacks. I didn’t realize how tired I was until I stumbled back towards my friends, sweat dripping off my brow. Who knew that casting so many spells in a row would be such hard work?
“Good job,” Ellie said.
“That water spell you cast first was incredible,” Amy said.
“I might have gotten a better score on the broom portion, but you definitely have me beat in the spellcasting,” Sara said with a grin. “That was amazing.”
Amy looked towards Lita. “Did she score high enough to qualify for the third round of examinations?”
Lita looked at Amy. “I’m just tallying up the final score now. Give me a couple of minutes.”
“Please, take your time,” I laughed, sitting down on the grass. “I feel like I just ran a marathon.”
“You get to rest for half an hour if you qualify for the third round,” Amy explained.
“Amy is just dying to brag about the fact that she got to do a third round and the rest of us didn’t,” Ellie said with a laugh, and Amy stuck her tongue out at her.
“I am not,” she retorted. “I’m just letting Tina know how this goes since she has no idea.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” I said. “If only the best of the best get to do the third round, I’m definitely not going to qualify. I might know some of the spells, but I’m far from one of the best witches in town.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Ellie said. “You completely missed one of the spells that you had to do, but that was it.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen Amy cast the spell that sends fireworks up into the sky, but I’ve never done it myself.” Having no idea what spell to cast, I had invented a few words that I hoped would have worked, but all that came out of the tip of my wand was a tiny little spark that even a lighter would have been ashamed of.
“The ones you did know, though, you cast incredibly well,” Sara said. “Especially for someone who’s not from our coven.”
“Thanks,” I said. “At least I get a little bit of a bonus as well since they’re not my coven’s spells.”
Honestly, I wasn’t really expecting to qualify for the third round of examinations. I figured it was just my friends being supportive, but, a moment later Lita turned towards us and spoke.
“I’ve calculated the final tally,” she said. “Tina, you have half an hour to rest and prepare before the third examination begins.”
My mouth dropped open as my three roommates whopped and hollered around me.
“I knew it!” Ellie said. “I knew you were that good.”
All I could do was shake my head slowly. “How? How on earth did I score that well?”
“The quality of the spells you cast is incredible,” Lita admitted. “To be honest, I really want to know which coven you’re from, as it’s quite rare to have a witch w
ho can cast another coven’s spells that powerfully. If you had been from the coven of Jupiter, you would have passed with flying colors, and the fact that you manage to cast our spells so powerfully is something I’ve never seen from a foreign witch.”
“Well, hopefully we’ll find out what coven I’m from one day,” I said with a self-depreciating smile. I could see Ellie and Amy sharing a look behind Lita’s back. I felt a bit guilty keeping information like that from the head of the coven that had accepted me as one of their own, but it was for good reason. We couldn’t risk anyone finding out my new secret.
“I’ll give the four of you a little bit of privacy if you’d like,” Lita said. “I need to cast a few spells to prepare for the third part of the examination, anyway. She made her way to the edge of the clearing on the other side, while the others sat down on the grass along with me. It wasn’t a warm day out, that was for sure, but Amy cast a quick spell to cast an aura of warmth around us all. I was grateful for it; I hadn’t realized at the time, but my hands had gotten quite cold while casting the spells during the exam.
I breathed warm air into my hands while the aura of warmth around us filled me to my core.
“Oh this is way better,” Ellie said, rubbing her hands together.
“Is there any way you can do something like this for Tina during the third part of her examination?” Sara asked, but Amy shook her head.
“No, definitely not. There’s nothing stopping Tina from doing it herself, though. The chant is: Jupiter, god of Lightning, I need some warmth, bring it forth.”
I made a mental note of the spell; I figured if I could cast it straight away when the third challenge began, I could be warm the entire time. That way, at least frostbite and hypothermia wouldn’t be an issue.
“What can I expect in this examination?” I asked Amy. “I know you won’t be able to give me specifics, but how does it work overall?”
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