1.Ignorance is Bliss
Persephone Flores
“Focus,” Heidi snapped.
I grumbled, irritated and held back the urge to snap back.
Heidi laughed. “You’ve been spending too much time around vampires—you’re practically growling. I thought you were sunshine, and she was dark and brooding?”
“You’re a terrible teacher,” Ana said.
The blazer of the servant uniform had been exchanged for large puffy jackets—identical in every way besides the crest of the House that you served on the right breast—for autumn and winter. Ana’s jacket was too big, and she looked comically small as she barked back at Heidi on my behalf.
“Excuse me?” Heidi’s hand flew to her chest in mock shock. “I’m the poor teacher? What witch do you know that can’t harness and store their power? What age were you when you mastered that basic magic?”
“Hey!” I raised my voice. “I might not be the fastest learner—"
“It’s not your fault, Percy,” Ana interrupted and smiled apologetically before turning back to Heidi. “Neither of us is a Flores witch. We don’t understand their power. Maybe Flores magic doesn’t use concentration; maybe they simply feel it?” Ana turned her attention back to me. “In Syngeneia, we feel the flow of magic, almost like blood. But you use your magic through your voice and hands. Let’s try something.”
She took her hands out of her coat pockets and removed her gloves. It was cold now and getting colder every day. Autumn was giving way to winter, with only a couple of weeks left of the term; exams were just around the corner. Heidi and Anahad been trying to help me gather and store my magic. If I had access to a larger source, I would be capable of accomplishing greater tasks— like bringing a whole field to harvest rather than just a few plants at a time. I had been practising improving my skills for nearly two months, and while I had seen significant improvement in my stamina, I had yet to master the ability to store my power. I hadn’t been able to store any of my power at all, despite my and my friends’ efforts. I was beginning to feel like a failure, even for a half-witch.
I nodded. “I’ll give anything a try. I don’t know why this is so hard for me,” I complained, ashamed of my lack of skill. All I knew about my magic was intuitive and came from my mother’s books. Selene had sent for them, and I had read over each twice since the summer term, but there was nothing within their pages about harnessing and storing magic.
“I still think we should ask Mable,” Heidi huffed. “She’s Flores.”
“Mable is an enchanter, and Selene said no,” I reminded her. But Mable was originally of Flores before leaving her birth coven to join the Enchanters Guild, and I was annoyed that Selene refused to even allow me to ask Mable if she would be willing to help me.
“Your mistress says no to everything,” she replied, sounding annoyed. “She should trust my judgment by now.”
“She cares about me, that’s all. And you know she trusts you,” I defended.
I knew Selene was protective of me. She had been almost unbearable since summer—mainly due to my abduction, imprisonment, and being hunted by the Vouna guard. Now, I could go nowhere alone. Even in classes, a royal guard would stand silently in the corner of the room, their gaze never leavingme. Only when with Heidi did Selene relent on her new rule of my being constantly guarded whenever I set foot outside the Royal residence of Sanguis Academy. Heidi had made a big fuss about her privacy being invaded, and when Selene informed her she didn’t have to socialise with me, Heidi changed tactics, assuring her that she was capable of defending me.
Still, I was aware of the Academy guard watching us intently near the entrance of the Noble Student Residence Halls. He had rarely looked anywhere other than in our direction. It wouldn’t have been odd or off-putting if it hadn’t been for Selene’s suspicions regarding how Valen and his men had made it onto Academy grounds during the night of the Summer Ball. She believed that he must have been assisted by the Academy guard that night. Previously, her security on campus had been a coordinated effort between her Royal Guard and the Academy Guard, but since my abduction in the summer, the working relationship had fallen apart. The Academy Guard seemed scared to even look in Selene’s direction when I was with her, but occasionally, I would catch them watching me. I would remind myself to stop being paranoid, but sometimes I couldn’t help it.
“She guards her interests,” Ana whispered, but loudly enough to hear. I looked at her, and she shook her head apologetically. “Here, Percy, give me your hands,” she said, holding her hands out to me. My fingers were almost numb from being out in the cold, standing in the middle of the Noble Student Residence Halls’ entrance garden. Ana’s warm hands were soothing. “You’re cold,” she said, squeezing my hands tightly.
“I know,” I replied as a shiver ran down my spine.
“Okay,” she said, glancing around.
She took one of my hands and, keeping a tight hold, placed our joined hands gently against the branch of a small azaleabush. The leaves were drained of colour by autumn and almost brittle to the touch.
“Now, I’m going to focus on feeling the flow of your magic through your hand.” I nodded. “Do your thing, flower girl,” she said, smiling mischievously at me.
I gave her a half-smile. The name ‘flower girl’ had become a bit of a joke between us since I told her about Remy. It was challenging to think of him. Selene had been unable to locate him, or confirm whether he was dead or alive. But the name he had given to Flores witches had stuck.
My magic flowed intentionally—well, as intentionally as breathing. I made it happen, yet I didn’t at the same time. It was such a natural part of me. I willed it—mostly—and that was intentional, but it also just happened sometimes without my conscious thought. I wasn’t sure if that was normal for other witches or half-witches.
The bush seemed to flow like a wave, pink—almost purple—returning to plump leaves. The branches grew stronger, the plant no longer prepared for a harsh winter. It would be a harsh winter this year. The weather was already frigid, especially for inland. My magic stopped as soon as I felt the bush in full bloom.
“Did it work?” I asked Ana. Ana smiled and nodded.
“I could feel it—your magic. It seems to flow a little like mine. Your heart rate sped up fractionally. You wouldn’t have noticed. Let’s try again—once I feel your heart rate increase, I’ll hold it there and pull your hand away from the plant. Focus on what you feel in your hands. Is it a pressure? Something building? Can you hold it there? If you need to stop, just pull your hands away or say something,” Ana explained. We walked a few steps to the next azalea bush.
I touched the plant and much like taking a breath, my magic flowed. Ana pulled our joined hands away before my magic could make contact. It was an odd feeling—a warm, then hot, sensation starting at my fingertips, like a slight burn, and soon encompassing my whole hand. It was painful, in a way, but not unbearable.
“I think it’s actually working,” Heidi said, surprise in her voice. She obviously didn’t think I was capable.
