Page 53 of The Spell Caster

“I was… involved in the attack. My friend, a guardian, was with me, and we saw them coming. We somehow managed to stop them long enough to raise the alarm.”

“I did hear about that. That was you? Nice work for your first time casting.”

The compliment didn’t sit well. “I was terrified. I’m not really handling it well. I got really… upset when my friend had to go join the recent raid. I couldn’t sleep.”

Arbor frowned. “You’ll be joining a raid team soon too. I’m sure you’ll become less sensitive.”

Surprise hit me. Was I being too sensitive?

Maybe he was right. I was supposed to be a spell caster—it was my job to fight angels.

“I’m not sure I can go on raids yet. I don’t even have a guardian. And I’m having… a problem with my familiar.”

“What do you mean, a problem with your familiar?” His frown deepened.

“I can’t invoke it. I was able to cast a spell during the attack, but I haven’t seen my familiar at all.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that,” said Arbor skeptically.

My face heated in shame. “I was hoping you could help me find… well, someone who might know what’s going on? Calamus Grey is looking into it a bit, but—”

His face brightened a degree. “Calamus, the councilor’s son? He’s a good man. He inherited his father’s intelligence. I’m sure he’ll be elected to the Arcaenum himself one day. Someone like that, if you treat him well, he’ll be able to help you with a lot of things, if you understand me.”

I didn’t quite understand, but his words left me with an uncomfortable feeling. “Oh…” I grasped for a response.

“Listen, most of you Northern Sea witches seem a little… old-fashioned,” Arbor said. “Don’t forget that we spell casters are the reason all of this exists.” He gestured to the community beyond us.

“But… everyone in the Circle—”

“Of course everyone’s important. I’m not saying they’re not. What I’m saying is, you need to have a little perspective. Remember that you’re special.” He looked at me significantly.

“I’ll… try that,” I said, mystified.

“Good, good,” Arbor said, then focused on me curiously. “Does Sativa ever ask you to help her with anything?”

“Not… not really. Like what?”

He shrugged. “Just anything. If she asks, you should help her with whatever it is.”

“Okay,” I said faintly. “Thank you for meeting with me, but I think I have to go.”

Arbor’s eyes sharpened on me. “I can tell you think I’m being harsh, and maybe I am. But we’re in a new era now, and you won’t survive it being a sad, confused little girl.”

I sat back as if I’d been slapped. My mother had said something eerily similar. “I’m going,” I told him, standing.

“Think about what I said,” Arbor called after me.

Disconcerted, I made my way back through the Circle, even further from peace of mind.

Chapter 11

LAYLA

The day of Calamus’s spell circle, I dreamed of Costi. We stood on the shore of a bright blue sea. As he sang hauntingly, the sky turned storm dark, and the air filled with the sharp scent of lightning.

Lately, my dreams had been full of cryptic alarm.

I moved woodenly through getting ready, then passed the morning hours waiting for this to be over and done with.

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