Page 44 of Magic's Dawn

Tris runs a shaky hand through his sandy-blond hair. “Cool, so I can…blow up balloons?”

Mel winks at him. “Circus clown, here you come.”

“Ginny, please come forward,” Aspen calls out.

I raise my hand as Tris walks toward me, and he gives me a high-five as he passes.

One by one, each witch comes forward to hold their hand over the bowls, and each witch steps away with at least one affinity. Many receive a secondary one, like Tris, and Ambyrlynn gets earth, with a minor in both fire and air.

When Aspen calls Delilah forward, I make a move to stand, but her hand on my arm keeps me seated. Bracing herself against the table, she rises and shuffles to the table, where she pauses.

Without touching the bowls, the water sloshes, the earth roils, the fire rises, and the feathers swirl.

Shock widens my eyes. Based on what I’ve already experienced of her magic, I knew Delilah must be powerful, but she’s so quiet and unassuming that I never expected her to resonate with fire.

A smile spreads over Aspen’s lips. “Wonderful, Delilah. Harper, you’re next.”

Delilah’s steps wobble as she returns to our table, and I stand to offer her my arm for balance as she sits.

“Thank you,” she murmurs.

“That was amazing.” I lean closer. “I figured you for air, since you can speak in my head, and water for obvious reasons, but wow!”

She shakes her head. “The ability to speak mind to mind is only a minor part of my witch power. It was my vampiric bond with Ambros that allowed me to reach you over such a great distance.”

I frown in confusion. “You mean the three-bite thing?”

She nods. “Yes. Bryant was able to block the bond in the beginning, but after he moved us, I started to sense Ambros again, though he showed no sign of hearing me. When I pushed harder, I broke past our bond and found your mate bond, which my brother did not become aware of until you met in person.”

A dozen questions fill my mind, but before I can ask one, Harper returns to our table, and Aspen calls out, “Rowe, it’s your turn.”

Dread fills me as I stand and walk toward the bowls.

Expectation fills Aspen’s eyes, and even Mel looks eager. I’m the great Wendall witch and the heir to the missing Rothaven coven. If Delilah could trigger all four elements, then what amazing magic will I be capable of?

But when I stop in front of the bowls, the water remains still, the dirt looks like dirt, the fire shrinks back, and the feathers remain still.

“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt,” Mel whispers in encouragement.

She holds out her hand to demonstrate, and I reluctantly lift mine to hover over each bowl. But none of the elements call out to me.

Frowning, I focus on the water. I’ve used it to talk to Delilah. Surely, we’re at least minorly compatible.

But not a ripple crosses its surface.

I’m an elemental dud.

KITCHEN HELPERS

Tris stands behind me and rubs my shoulders. “It’s okay. Not having an element just makes you special.”

I turn my head on the kitchen table, where I’ve been sitting with my forehead against the wooden surface and wallowing since the rest of the coven left an hour ago.

Resting my cheek against the cool surface, I look up at Tris from the corner of my eye. “I don’t want to be special. Why can’t I just be the same as everyone else?”

Haut passes us with his arms loaded down with groceries. “Because you’re the Wendall witch.”

“A little sympathy here,” Tris hisses. “Can’t you see she’s sad?”

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