Page 32 of Bonds of Magic
Manifest a new one. As if it were that easy. Except itwasthat easy, for everyone else in class. I was the only ‘witch’ who couldn’t do it.
“I’m not sure I can,” I said, but she shook her head firmly.
“Of course you can. You remember the steps. Empty yourself. Find your center. Lower your walls, find the field, and bring the power into the shape you desire.”
She made it sound so simple, but my every attempt at this had been like a fish trying to ride a horse.
“I’m not feeling that great today,” I said, putting a hand to my head like that might make my lie less obvious. “Maybe I should—”
“Nonsense,” she interrupted with a stern look. “I’ll talk you through it. Begin by closing your eyes.”
I stifled a groan and did as I was told, well aware that my face was tomato-red by now. It was embarrassing enough to be talked through this like a toddler, but in front of the whole class? I heard another laugh and Iknewit was Sean.
I tried to do what Kazansky said. It wasn’tthatdifferent from how Noah described entering the dream world. At least at first. Get rid of distractions. Try to get in touch with a part of yourself that can sense another world, another power.
And for a second, when Kazansky told me to reach out and touch the network of magic that surrounded me, I thought I felt something. Like a part of me had stumbled forward, jerked by some invisible string, though my body hadn’t moved.
But then the string disappeared and whatever was moving inside me went still. I shook my head. Maybe it was just the dream part of me trying to fall asleep and enter the dreamworld. Noah had said that eventually I would be able to do that standing up.
I sighed and tried to follow Kazansky’s instructions from the top, but no matter how many times she walked me through it, Icouldn’t do it. Finally, after what felt like an hour, she let me go to the back of the line. I wanted to sink through the floor.
When the bell rang, I was almost out the door when Kazansky said, “Cory, hold on a second. I want to talk to you.”
“We’ll wait outside,” Felix said with a sympathetic smile, following Ash out to the hall.
I turned back towards Kazansky, my stomach sinking. I didn’t know if I was going to get a lecture, a lesson, or an accusation, but whatever it was, I wasn’t looking forward to it.
“Rekha, you too,” Kazansky called, motioning for Rekha to approach her desk as well.
Rekha gave her a suspicious look, and me an even darker one, but she sighed and walked over to join us.
Kazansky didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “Rekha, you’re going to start tutoring Cory to get him up to speed.”
“What? Why?”
It took me a second to realize Rekha had said the exact same thing, at the exact same time as me.
“I’ve been making allowances,” Kazansky told me, “since you missed your first semester. But frankly, I’m worried about your lack of progress. You need to apply to a haven at the end of the semester, and interviews are coming up sooner than you think.”
My stomach fluttered. Interviews? I’d known we had to apply to havens, but no one had mentioned interviews before. It sounded like one more thing for me to fuck up.
“Students who aren’t admitted to a haven at the end of their freshman year have to repeat the year or leave Vesperwood,” she continued. “You don’t have any time to lose, Cory.”
She turned to Rekha. “You’re the strongest student in our class.”
Rekha’s face went from annoyed to pleased.
“Especially after Erika’s unfortunate loss,” Kazansky added. Rekha’s face went sour as Kazansky kept talking. “I certainly don’t have the time to give Cory additional lessons, but I don’t want to see him sent home. You’re the best chance he has.”
Rekha’s eyes narrowed. “The best chancehehas, sure. But why should I have to do it? What’s in it for me?”
“Helping a fellow student isn’t enough?” Kazansky arched an eyebrow. But if she expected Rekha to wilt under her gaze, she went unsatisfied. Rekha crossed her arms over her chest and glared.
Kazansky sighed. “I will make sure that any havens you apply to are aware of your extracurricular activities. I expect you’ll be applying to Hex, yes? This will certainly help your chances of admission.”
“I’m the strongest student in the class,” Rekha retorted. “I think my chances are already pretty good.”
“Then you’ll do it because I’m telling you to,” Kazansky said, staring back at her. “It wasn’t a request, Rekha.”
