I found Esau’s field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau’s neat hand.
In the morning, Irys scrunched up her nose when she entered my rooms. “Perhaps I’ll show you the bathhouse first. We’ll send your clothes to the laundry and get you some fresh ones.”
I laughed. “Bad?”
“Yes.”
Irys and I went to another marble building with blue columns all around. The bathhouse had separate pools for men and women. Washing the road grime from my skin felt wonderful. The laundry mistress took my tattered and stained clothes. Nutty’s outfit, my white shirt and black pants all needed mending.
I borrowed a light green cotton tunic and khaki-colored pants. Irys told me the Keep had no particular dress code for classes and everyday events, but special functions required an apprentice robe.
After I combed and plaited my hair, we walked to the dining room for breakfast. Gazing around the Keep, I could see a pattern in the inner layout. Paths and gardens wound their way past marble buildings of various size and shape. Barracks and student housing ringed the main campus. The stables, laundry and kennels lined the back wall of the Keep. Horses grazed in a large fenced pasture next to an oval training yard.
I asked Irys about the four towers.
“The Master Magicians live in them.” She pointed to the one in the northwest corner. “That one is mine. The one in the northeast corner near the stables is Zitora Cowan’s, Third Magician. The southwest one is Roze Featherstone’s, and the southeast one is Bain Bloodgood’s, Second Magician.”
“What if you have more than four Masters?”
“In the history of the Magician’s Keep, we have never had more than four. Less, yes, but never more. It would be a wonderful problem to have. The towers are huge so there would be plenty of room to share.” She smiled.
Three people sat in the dining room. Rows and rows of empty tables lined the long room.
“When school starts, these tables will be filled with students, teachers and magicians. Everyone eats here,” Irys explained.
She introduced me to the two men and one woman eating breakfast. Gardeners on break, they were just a small part of the vast force needed to tend the landscaping.
We ate, I pocketed an apple for Topaz and Irys took me to her chambers. After climbing what seemed like a million steps and passing ten levels of rooms, we emerged at the top. The circular room’s windows stretched from floor to ceiling. Curtains, long and lacy, blew in the hot breeze. Colorful cushions and couches in blues, purples and silver decorated the bright area. The place was ringed with bookshelves, and the air held a fresh citrus scent.
“My meditation room,” Irys said. “The perfect environment to draw power and to learn.”
I walked around, looking outside. She had a magnificent view of the Keep and, through the northeast facing windows, I could see rolling green hills pockmarked with small villages.
“That’s part of the Featherstone Clan’s lands,” Irys said, following my gaze. She gestured to the center of the room. “Sit down. Let’s begin.” Irys sat on a purple cushion, crossing her legs.
I perched on a blue pillow across from her. “But my bow …”
“You won’t need your bow … I’ll teach you how to draw your power without relying on physical contact. The power source surrounds the world like a blanket. You have the ability to take a thread from this cloth, pull it into your body and use it. But don’t take too much or you’ll bunch up the blanket, warping the source and leaving some areas bare and others with too much power. It’s rumored that there are places where there are holes in the blanket, areas of no power, but I haven’t found any.”
I felt her power spread from her like a bubble. She raised her hand and said, “Venettaden.”
The power slammed into me. My muscles froze solid. I stared at her in a growing panic.
“Push it away,” she said.
I considered my brick wall, but knew it was no match for her strength. Once again, I drew down my marble curtain and severed the flow of power. My muscles relaxed.
“Very good,” she said. “I took a line of power and shaped it into a ball. Then, using a word and a gesture, I directed it toward you. We teach the students words and gestures for learning purposes, but really you can use anything you want. It just helps focus the power. And after a while you won’t need to use the words to perform the magic. It becomes instinctive. Now, your turn.”
“But I don’t know how to pull a thread of power. I just concentrate on the feel of my bow’s wood and then my mind somehow detaches and I project it out to other minds. Why does that work?”
“The ability to read thoughts is another thread of power linking two minds, forging a connection. Once the link is made, it remains there and reconnecting is easy. For example, consider the link between us, and between you and Topaz.”
“And Valek,” I said.
“Yes, Valek, too. Although with his immunity to magic, I think your link with him must be on a subconscious level. Have you ever read his thoughts?”
“No. But I haven’t tried. Somehow I always knew what he was feeling.”
“A survival instinct. That makes sense, considering his position in Ixia, and since he decided if you would live or die on a daily basis.”
“That survival instinct saved me a few times,” I said, remembering my troubles in Ixia. “I would find myself in a tight spot, and suddenly it seemed another person had taken control of my body and impossible things would happen.”
“Yes, but now you have control and you can make those things happen.”
“I’m not so sure—”
Irys raised her hand. “Enough of that. Now concentrate. Feel the power. Pull it to you and hold it.”
I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes for good measure. Feeling a little silly, I focused on the air around me, trying to sense the blanket of power. For a while nothing happened. Then, I felt the air thicken and press against my skin. I willed the magic to gather closer. Once the pressure grew intense, I opened my eyes. Irys watched me.
“When you release it toward me, think of what you want the power to do. A word or gesture will help and can be used as a shortcut for the next time.”
I pushed the power, and said, “Over.”
For a moment nothing happened. Then Irys’s eyes widened in shock, and she fell over.
I ran to her. “I’m sorry.”
She peered up at me. “That was odd.”
“Odd how?”
“Instead of pushing me over, your magic invaded my mind, giving me a mental command to fall.” Irys settled herself back on the pillow.
“Try again, but this time think of the power as a physical object like a wall and direct it toward me.”
I followed her directions, but the results were the same.
“It’s an unorthodox method, but it works.” Irys tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Let’s work on your defenses. I want you to deflect my power before it can affect you.”
In a blur of motion she aimed a ball of energy toward me. “Teatottle.”