Page 3 of Becoming D'Vaire
“It happens to the best of us.”
“Why do you have white hair? Are you very old?”
“No, I look old because I haven’t embraced my magic properly.”
“Why not?”
“It wasn’t best for our people.”
“Why not?”
“Because the other colors would feel left out if I chose mine without any High Arcanists to assist me.”
“What’s a High Arcnst?”
“Arcanist,” Vadimas corrected. “It’s the title you get when you reach the highest level of wizard magic.” Removing his jacket and rolling up one sleeve, Vadimas showed Delaney the ten white lines that wrapped around his arm. “Do you see these lines? I got one for each level of study I completed.”
Delaney traced a tiny finger over the marks that got thicker and more ornate toward Vadimas’s elbow. “I want circles like these. Will mine be white too?”
“At first, yes.”
“When will they be different?”
“When you reach High Arcanist, you’ll accept the color you’re drawn to and the lines will change.”
“I want to be High Arcanist.”
“I promise you that someday you will be.”
“What color will my lines be?”
“What’s your favorite color on the whole planet Delaney?”
The boy grinned widely, and it charmed Vadimas. “I like black.”
“In the future, they’ll call you Delaney the Dark, but you will have to work hard at school and practice your magic.”
“I want to!”
“Good. I think you’re exactly what the people of the Spectra Wizardry need.”
“I am?”
“You are.”
Delaney scowled. “People don’t like me.”
“You’re different, but that’s okay. Once in a while, people need time to accept someone who’s not just like them. Hold your head high, because the problem is them and not you.”
Delaney’s brow wrinkled, and Vadimas wondered if he was laying too much on the kid. “Okay,” the boy finally said.
“I think we should get your things packed so we can get you settled at school. What do you think?”
“When can I have my dragon?” Delaney asked after jumping to his feet.
Vadimas stood and slung his jacket over his arm. He reached out a hand to Delaney who immediately grabbed it. “It’ll be a few years yet, I’m afraid.”
“What if I wanted it right now?”
