I followed her directions, but the results were the same.
“It’s an unorthodox method, but it works.” Irys tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Let’s work on your defenses. I want you to deflect my power before it can affect you.”
In a blur of motion she aimed a ball of energy toward me. “Teatottle.”
I jumped back and put my hands up, but I wasn’t fast enough. My world spun. Streaks of color swirled around me before I could position my defenses. I was flat on my back, looking up at the sloped ceiling of the tower. An owl slept on a nest in the rafters.
“You need to keep your defenses up at all times,” Irys said. “You don’t want to be caught unaware. But then again…” Irys smoothed her shirt. “You kept Roze from going deep into your mind.”
I shied away from that subject. “What does Teatottle mean?” I asked.
“It’s a nonsense word,” Irys said. “I made it up. No sense alerting you to what I planned to do. I use those words for attacks and defensive moves. But for practical matters like fire and light, I use real words.”
“I can make fire?”
“If you’re strong enough. But it’s tiring work. Using magic is draining, some types more than others. You seem to be able to connect with other minds without a lot of effort,” Irys said. “Perhaps that is your specialty.”
“What do you mean by specialty?”
“Some magicians can only do certain things. We have magicians who can heal physical injuries and others who can help with mental trauma. Some can move large objects like statues, while others can light fires with minimal effort.” Irys played with the tassels on her cushion. “Sometimes, you’ll find someone who can do two or three things, or a hybrid talent like Leif who can sense a person’s soul. For you, we’ve discovered that not only can you read minds, but you can also influence a person’s or animal’s actions. A rare talent. That’s two abilities.”
“Is that the limit?” I asked.
“No. Master Magicians can do everything.”
“So why is Roze called First Magician and you’re Fourth?”
Irys gave me a tired smile. “Roze is stronger than I am. We can both light fires. While I can only make a campfire, she has the ability to set a two-story structure ablaze.”
I thought about what she had said. “If a magician only has one talent, what do they do when they finish their training?”
“We assign magicians to different towns and cities, depending on what is needed. We try to have a healer in every town at all times. Other magicians cover several towns, traveling from place to place to help with projects.”
“What would I do?” I asked, wondering if a useful place for me existed. But, at the same time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted a useful place in Sitia.
Irys laughed. “It’s too soon to tell. For now you need to practice collecting power and using it. And practice keeping up your defenses.”
“How do I keep my wall up without draining myself?”
“I imagine my defensive wall, which resembles this tower room. I make it solid and strong, and then I make it translucent so I can see out of it, and then I don’t think about it anymore. But when magic is directed toward me, my barrier solidifies and deflects the attack before my consciousness is even fully aware of it.”
I followed her instructions and created an invisible barrier in my mind. Irys tested it at unexpected times throughout the morning and it held. The rest of the time I practiced gathering magic, but, no matter how hard I tried, my magic could only affect two things. Irys and the owl sleeping in the rafters.
Irys’s patience amazed me, and, for the first time since coming to Sitia, I felt hopeful that mastering my powers might be within my abilities.
“That was a good start,” Irys said as lunchtime neared. “Go eat, and then rest this afternoon. We’ll work in the mornings and you can practice and study at night. But tonight you need to see the Stable Master and pick out a horse.”
Did I hear her right? “A horse?”
“Yes. All magicians have horses. Occasionally you’ll be needed somewhere fast. I had to leave my horse, Silk, here during my mission in Ixia. When you called for help, I had to borrow a horse from May’s father. How else do you think I got here so fast?”
I hadn’t even thought about it. I had been so wrapped up in my own misery at the time. Following Irys’s directions, I located the dining hall. I ate lunch then went back to my rooms where I collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
That night after dinner, I sought out the Stable Master. I found him at the end of a row of stalls, cleaning a leather saddle. A small stocky man, his wild brown hair fell past his shoulders like a horse’s mane. When he glared up at me, I suppressed my smile.
“What do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy?” he asked.
“I’m Yelena. Irys sent me.”
“Oh, right, the new student. I don’t know why Fourth Magician couldn’t wait until everyone’s back to start your lessons,” he muttered to himself as he put the saddle down. “This way.”
He led me past the stable. Topaz poked his head out of his stall.
His big brown eyes looked hopeful. Apple? he asked.
Irys had been right. I reconnected with Topaz without any conscious effort. Or had he connected with me? I would have to ask her about that. I gave him the apple in my pocket.
The Stable Master turned around. “You just made a friend for life,” he said, snorting in amusement. “That horse loves food. I never saw a horse take such pleasure in eating before. You can train him to do just about anything for a peppermint.”
We went past the hay barn to the pasture. The Stable Master leaned against the wooden fence. Six horses grazed in the field.
“Pick one out. Makes no difference which one, they’re all good. I’ll go find your instructor.”
“You don’t teach?” I asked before he could go.
“Not in the middle of the hot season when everyone but me is gone,” he said with annoyance. “I’m too busy mucking out stalls and fixing tack. I said to wait, but Fourth Magician wanted it right away. Good thing one of my instructors came back early.” He mumbled some more as he headed toward the stable.
I studied the horses in the field. Three were dark brown like Topaz, two were black, and one was copper with white on the legs from the knees down. Knowing nothing of horses, I guessed it would come down to color. The copper-and-white horse looked over at me.
Like her, Topaz said. She go smooth and fast for Lavender Lady.
How do I get her to come over? I asked.
Peppermints. Topaz looked lovingly at a leather bag hanging near his stall. The Stable Master had disappeared. I went back to the stable. Taking out two mints, I gave one to Topaz, and took the other back to the field.
Show Kiki peppermint.
I held out the mint. Kiki glanced at the other horses, and then moved toward me. When she came closer, I could see she had a white face with a patch of brown around her left eye. Something about her eyes seemed strange. It wasn’t until she sucked the peppermint from my palm that it struck me. Her eyes were blue. I had never seen that before, but that didn’t mean much. I knew next to nothing about horses.
Scratch behind ears, Topaz suggested.
The mare’s long copper ears were cocked forward. I stood on tiptoes and rubbed my fingernails behind them. Kiki lowered her head and pressed it against my chest.
“What do you think, girl?” I asked out loud. I couldn’t hear her like Topaz. While rubbing her ears, I pulled a thread of power and projected my mind to her. Be with me?
She nudged me with her nose. Yes.
I felt Topaz’s pleasure. We go smooth and fast together.
I jumped when I heard the Stable Master behind me.
“Found one already?” he asked.
I nodded without looking at him.
“That one came from the plains,” he said. “Good choice.”
“She must pick another,” said a familiar vo
ice.
I turned. Dread curled in my stomach. Cahil stood next to the Stable Master.
“And why would I listen to you?” I demanded.
He smirked. “Because I’m your instructor.”
11
“NO,” I SAID. “YOU WILLnot be my instructor.”
“No choice,” said the Stable Master. He glanced at Cahil then me, looking puzzled. “There’s no one else and Fourth Magician insists you start right away.”
“What if I help you muck out the stables and feed the horses? Will you have time to teach me then?” I asked the Stable Master.
“Young lady, you already have plenty to do. You’ll be mucking and caring for your own horse, as well as studying your lessons. Cahil’s been a stable rat since he was six. No one, other than me…” He grinned. “…knows more about horses.”
I planted my hands on my hips. “Fine. As long as he knows more about horses than he does about people.”
Cahil cringed. Good.
“But I keep this horse,” I said.
“She’s a walleye,” Cahil said.
“A what?” I asked.
“She has blue eyes. That’s bad luck. And she’s been bred by the Sandseed Clan. Their horses are difficult to train.”
Kiki snorted at Cahil. Mean Boy.
“A silly superstition and an unfair reputation. Cahil, you should know better,” the Stable Master said. “She’s a perfectly good horse. Whatever’s going on between you and Yelena, you’ll have to work it out. I’ve no time to babysit.” With that, he stalked away, once more muttering to himself.
Cahil and I glared at each other for a while until Kiki nudged my arm, looking for peppermints.
“Sorry, girl, no more,” I said, holding out my empty hand. She tossed her head, and resumed grazing.
Cahil stared at me. I crossed my arms over my chest, but they seemed an inadequate barrier between us. I would have preferred thick marble walls. He had exchanged his traveling clothes for a plain white shirt and tight-fitting jodhpurs, but he still wore his black riding boots.
“You’ll have to live with your decision about the horse. But if you’re going to fight me every time I try to teach you something, let me know now, and I won’t waste my time.”
“Irys wants me to learn, so I’ll learn.”
He appeared satisfied. “Good. First lesson starts now.” He climbed over the pasture’s fence. “Before you learn how to ride a horse, you must know everything about your horse from the physical to the emotional.” Cahil clicked his tongue at Kiki, and when she ignored him, he approached her. Just as he came up beside her she turned, knocking him over with her rump.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Every time he tried to get near, Kiki either moved away or bumped into him.
His face red with frustration, Cahil finally said, “The hell with this. I’m getting a halter.”
“You hurt her feelings when you said she was bad luck,” I explained. “She’ll cooperate if you apologize.”
“How would you know?” Cahil demanded.
“I just know.”
“You didn’t even know how to dismount a horse. I’m not that stupid,” he said.
When he started to climb over the fence, I said, “I know the same way I knew Topaz wanted milk oats.”
Cahil stopped, waiting.
I sighed. “Topaz told me he wanted the treat. I connected with his mind by accident, so I asked him to go smoother because my back hurt. It’s the same with Kiki.”
Cahil pulled at his beard. “The First Magician said you had strong magical abilities. I guess I should have known it before, but I was too focused on the spy thing.” He looked at me as if noticing me for the first time.
For a second, I thought I witnessed cold calculation slide through Cahil’s blue eyes, but it disappeared, leaving me to wonder if I had seen anything at all.
“Her name’s Kiki?” he asked.
I nodded. Cahil returned to Kiki and apologized. I felt a sudden peevish annoyance. He should have been apologizing to me for all the pain he had caused. Spy thing, my ass.
Push Mean Boy? Kiki asked.
No. Be nice. He’s going to teach me to care for you.
Cahil gestured for me to join him near Kiki. I clambered over the fence. As Kiki stood her ground, Cahil pointed to and lectured about the different parts of her body. Starting with her muzzle, he didn’t stop until he had lifted her right back hoof and showed me the underside.
“Same time tomorrow,” he said, ending the lesson. “Meet me in the stable. We’ll go over horse care.”
Before he could head back to the barn, I stopped him. Now that my annoyance that he was my instructor was gone, I wondered why he was here. “Why are you teaching me? I thought your campaign for the Ixian throne would take up most of your time.”
Well aware of how I felt about his quest, Cahil studied me, seeking for signs of sarcasm.
“Until I receive the full support of the Sitian Council, I can only do so much,” he said. “Besides, I need money to pay for my expenses. Most of my men are employed at the Keep as guards or gardeners, depending on what’s needed.” He wiped his hands on his pants, staring at the horses in the pasture. “When the Keep is on hiatus during the hot season, I focus all my efforts on gathering support. This season I thought I would finally get the Council’s backing.” Cahil looked at me. “But that didn’t work out. So I’m back to work and back to begging the Council to put me on their agenda.” He frowned and shook his head. “Tomorrow, then?”
“Tomorrow.” I watched Cahil as he walked to the stable. He had been counting on catching an Ixian spy to influence the Council. I wondered what he would try next.
Kiki nudged my arm and I scratched behind her ears before I returned to my rooms. Rummaging around for some paper, I sat at my desk and drew a crude sketch of a horse. I labeled the parts that I could remember. Topaz and Kiki helped me with the rest.
The connection I had formed with the two horses was odd yet comforting. It was as if we were all in the same room, doing different tasks and minding our own business and having our own private thoughts. But when one of us would “speak” directly to the other, we would “hear” it. I only had to think about Kiki and her thoughts would fill my mind. The same was true with Irys. I didn’t need to pull power and project it to Irys. All I needed to do was think about her.
Over the next week, my days fell into a pattern. Mornings spent with Irys to learn about magic, afternoons spent napping, studying and practicing my self-defense techniques. Evenings were spent with Cahil and Kiki. As I moved throughout the campus, I kept a wary eye out for Goel. I hadn’t forgotten his threat.
Not long into my magical training, Irys began testing me for other abilities.
“Let’s see if you can start a fire,” Irys said one morning. “This time, when you pull in the power, I want you to concentrate on lighting this candle.” She placed a candlestick in front of me.
“How?” I asked, sitting up. I had been reclining on the pillows in her tower room, thinking about Kiki. It had been a week, and I still hadn’t ridden her. So far, Cahil had spent every lesson teaching me about horse care and tack. What an annoying man.
“Think of a single flame before you direct your magic.” Irys demonstrated. “Fire,” she said. The candle flared and burned before she blew it out. “Your turn.”
I focused on the candle’s wick, forming a flaming image in my mind. Pushing magic toward the candle, I willed it to light. Nothing happened.
Irys made a strangled sound and the candle burned. “Are you directing your magic to the candle?”
“Yes. Why?”
“You just ordered me to light the candle for you,” Irys said in exasperation. “And I did it.”
“Is that bad?”
“No. I hope you know how to light a fire the mundane way, because, so far, it seems that’s not part of your magical skills. Let’s try something else.”
I tried to move a physical object with no succ
ess. Unless making Irys do it for me could be considered a magical skill.
She raised her mental defenses, blocking out my influence. “Try again. This time focus on keeping control.”
As I pulled in power, Irys threw a pillow at me. The pillow struck me in the stomach. “Hey!”
“You were supposed to deflect it with your magic. Try again.”
By the end of the session, I was glad Irys had chosen a pillow. Otherwise, I would have been covered with bruises.
“I think you just need to practice your control,” Irys said, refusing to give up. “Get some rest. You’ll do better tomorrow.”
Before leaving, I asked something that had been on my mind for several days. “Irys, can I see more of the Citadel? And I need to exchange my Ixian coins for Sitian so I can buy some items and clothes. Is there a marketplace?”
“Yes, but it’s only open one day a week during the hot season.” She paused for a moment, considering. “I’ll give you market days off. No lessons. You can explore the Citadel or do whatever you want. It’ll be open in two days. In the meantime, I’ll exchange your money.”
Irys couldn’t pass up the opportunity to lecture me on spending money wisely. “Your expenses are covered while you’re in the Keep. But once you graduate, you’ll be on your own. You’ll earn wages as a magician, of course,” Irys said. “But don’t give your money away.” She smiled to ease the reprimand. “We don’t like to encourage the beggars.”
The image of the dirty little boy rose in my mind. “Why don’t they have any money?” I asked.
“Some are lazy, preferring to beg instead of work. Others are unable to work because of physical or mental problems. The healers can only do so much. And some gamble or spend their money faster than they can earn it.”
“But what about the children?”
“Runaways, orphans or the offspring of the homeless. The hot season is the worst time for them. Once school starts and the Citadel is populated again, there are places they can go for food and shelter.” Irys touched my shoulder. “Don’t worry about them, Yelena.”
I mulled over Irys’s comments on my way back to my rooms.
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