Page 70 of The Tribes of Magic
He nodded. “Indeed. But no matter how someone reacts, they always remember. That’s how I know you didn’t bewitch me. I would remember. The General is wrong, Seven. You never put me under a spell. Everything I did, I did because I wanted to.”
“Good to know.”
His eyes glimmered, but it wasn’t magic doing it. It was…well, I wasn’t sure what it was, but whatever it was, it made my pulse quicken. I stumbled back another step.
I laughed uncomfortably. “You know, it’s getting late. And I should be getting back to my cottage. I should have just enough time to catch a quick breakfast before I have to head off to today’s training.” I snatched my backpack off the ground and tightened it around my shoulders. I didn’t even look at him as I turned away. “Thanks, Kato.”
I jogged across the Hex. I jogged all the way home. I quickly changed and sat down for breakfast. It was then, as I munchedon my toast-with-cheese, that I found something very, very interesting.
I had the Paragons’ spellbook open on the table beside my plate. I’d just come across a spell that allowed two people to combine their magic, which opened up all kinds of possibilities.
Orion had told me no one person had enough magic to create a portal between realms. He said it required way too much power. But what if it didn’t have to be just one person casting the spell? What if two people—or more—could pool their magic? That would allow them to cast spells they could never cast alone.
If I could figure out how to combine my magic with someone else’s, then I might have the power I needed to find and rescue Kylie, Asher, and the other missing Apprentices. Yeah, I knew there were a lot ofifsandmaybesandmightsin there, but at least now I had a plan. At least now I had a chance.
CHAPTER 2
TIDAL WAVES
Today’s agenda was Nymph magic. My team was paired with Nevada’s, something I was really, really happy about. I hadn’t seen much of my best friend lately.
“Nymph magic is about balance. It’s about existing in total harmony with the planet and all living beings on it.”
Eris was training us today. She’d brought us to the Park, which worked out perfectly. The kind old woman from the kitchen who’d asked me to find her grandson said he was last seen in the Park. I could kill two birds with one stone: practice Nymph magic and find the missing man.
The Knights had reclaimed the Park district from the Cursed Ones only a few days ago, and it showed. The Park was beyond wild; it was feral. The bushes were overgrown, the ground littered with fallen branches, many of them as tall as me.
And then there was the enormous patch of blackened, burnt grass around the new Spirit Tree, courtesy of the Brotherhood of Earth and their psychotic plan to destroy all travel between realms. Thankfully, their plan had failed, but we still had to deal with the mess they’d left behind. The recent rainstorms hadturned the big dry patch into a big wet patch. The Spirit Tree now resided at the edge of a very large swamp.
“Today, we’ll be doing some elemental balancing,” Eris said.
We stood at the edge of the swamp. It had only been here a few days, but had already attracted the attention of the local birds, frogs, and, undoubtedly, mosquitos.
“The natural element of the day is water. Do you think you can find any?”
Most of the Apprentices laughed at Eris’s joke, but not Dutch. His gaze narrowed as it panned across the swamp that lay before us.
“You want us to removeallthat water?”
“No, of course not. I want you to preserve the swamp.”
“Why? It’s a swamp.”
“Wetlands serve many key functions. They help control flooding, purify water…”
“That water doesn’t look very pure to me, Bronte!” one of the Apprentices laughed.
“…not to mention, wetlands are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They’re home to a wide variety of plant and animal species.”
“I don’t think I want to meet any of the creepy crawlies that live there!”
A few of the other Apprentices called out in agreement. I was with them on that one. I’d had more than my fair share of encounters with the local creepy crawlies.
Eris lifted her hands, silencing the crowd. “What you want doesn’t matter, Apprentices. Skye, the Nymph Knight Commander, has ordered us to preserve the swamp, so that’s precisely what we’re going to do.”
“How do we do that?”
“Thank you so much for asking, Dutch. I was just about to tell you. Now listen closely, everyone, because this is important.Yes,everyoneincludes you too, Cindy. You can gossip with your friend later.” Eris’s smile didn’t falter. “First, you need to check the water for pollution and other contaminates. After that, you will use these—” Eris shook a clear bag packed full of potion vials. “—to filter out all the bad stuff until the water is free from poison and other contaminates. Along the way, maybe a few of you might find you have an affinity for Nymph magic.”
