A suddencrackrang out, causing the three men to freeze mid-tussle. Smoke curled from the same target the men had fired at, only now it was skidding several feet backward toward the far end of the range as if struck by a cannon. It came to a stop before toppling onto its side with a groan. A smoldering ring where the bullseye had been hit glowed red.
All eyes turned to Juliette. Thin tendrils of smoke curled from her palms, like the drift from a freshly fired pistol, a grin playing on her lips.
Edmund’s mouth fell open. “What in the blazes—”
“Stop faffing about,” Juliette said briskly, brushing her hands together as if brushing away dust rather than flame. She then placed her hands on her hips. The stern pose was utterly ruined by the delighted smile on her face and the sparkle in her eyes. “Isla needs training time.”
George gave a low whistle. “Next time, Juliette’s on my team.”
Edmund snapped his jaw shut, the faintest muscle twitching in his cheek. He looked ... well,put outby George’s comment would be the polite way of putting it. Isla hid a smile.Okay,then. Time to move on.
George must have noticed too, because he said easily, “This time, why don’t you and Juliette take that target over there, Edmund? I’ll help Isla for a while.”
Edmund hesitated—just long enough for Isla to catch the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes—then trailed after Juliette, who had already set off, talking animatedly as they walked.
When the pair reached their spot, they alternated between the bright flash of lightning bolts and the dazzling glow of fireas they struck the archery target. Juliette cheered as she hit the target’s bullseye again. Isla looked away from them, her eyes bedazzled by the brilliant lights. There must have been some kind of protective barrier around the targets; though each hit erupted with a loudthud, nothing caught fire.
Her thought that this was part of the university’s secrets she hadn’t yet known were clearly accurate—this was definitely a place for Summoners to practice. Edmund and Juliette’s ease and success at summoning their elemental gifts and hitting the target made her feel behind, on edge. She liked to be ahead—that way, she couldn’t be left behind.
Squaring her shoulders, she turned her gaze on George, waiting for instruction. She felt Andrew’s hand slide to the small of her back—it felt reassuring.
“Okay. Before I can even hit a target, I need to learn how to summon plants and things.” She inwardly cringed. Her intellectual mind had been taking quite a beating lately.
Laughing, George motioned for her to follow him. “Andrew, you take that target over there. I’m going to work with you on your own for a while, Isla. You’ll be summoning things soon enough.”
“I’ve every faith in you,” Andrew said as he gave her waist a little squeeze. “I’ll be here if you need anything.”
Isla smiled at him, and he grinned back before letting her go. Turning, he unleashed a stream of ice from his palms, each bolt striking his target with deafening finality. For such a small man, he really did have a powerful arm.
Turning away from him, Isla followed George to a corner of the field where a dense patch of foliage grew. His limp slowed his pace, and she matched him step for step, wondering what could have happened to such an athletic young man.
George stopped. “Okay, Isla, let’s start with trying to wield the existing foliage first. I hear you’re beginning to get it but you need to work on control. If you manage that, then we can hopefully move on to summoning. It’s a lot easier once the wielding side of things has clicked.”
At her nod, he continued, “Remember, you already have an affinity to the earth. Now you just need to connect to it on a deeper level.”
Isla glanced briefly back at Andrew across the field. He was still sending bolts of ice flying, one after the other with effortless precision. She had failed so many times. Between lessons she had practiced in her room and had achieved a few little movements, but nothing significant.
George crouched by a thick vine, letting his fingers hover over the leaves. “Think of it this way—plants and earth aren’t separate from you. They’re part of the same flow of life. You’re not forcing them to move; you’re inviting them to follow your intent. Feel their energy, sense their rhythm, and guide it gently. The stronger your focus, the more willingly they respond.”
He straightened and let a vine curl slowly around his wrist; it responded to his subtle gestures. “It’s not power that bends them—it’s understanding. You guide; they obey.”
Isla nodded, focusing on a tired-looking chrysanthemum—a bold bloom often seen in English gardens during the autumn months. She wanted to help it survive, to thrive a little longer now that winter was fast approaching. The cold, gentle breeze wrapped around her, but nothing happened.
“I can’t do this!” she muttered.
“Patience,” George said. “It’s not a race. First, focus on your body—steady your breathing.”
She breathed deeply, returning her attention to the flower. Closing her eyes, she focused on all that she knew about it—its needs for survival, every fact she could recall. She poured in her love for the subject, her desire to learn more, to grow in knowledge as an individual.
She opened her eyes. Still nothing.
“Keep going—focus, Isla. Clear your mind of doubt, get out of your head—focus on your intent; precision of thought shapes the energy’s direction.Remember what we discussed during the pottery class.”
She heard George’s continued instructions, his voice soft and nonintrusive, kind and encouraging. “First, focus on your body, connect to the earth. Then focus your mind. Finally, open your heart to your emotional resonance. By opening your heart, you will feel the frequency that opens the channel to use your gifts.”
Closing her eyes again, she took a calming breath and reminded herself of his words in that class that seemed long ago. She felt the soft earth beneath her shoes. She focused on her knowledge, her thirst for understanding, her love for the nature surrounding her. She opened her mind to something that surprised her: humility. Humility in the knowledge that she wasn’t all knowing, that she didn’t have to control everything. Her drive to have order, to prove her worth, had been holding her back from accepting that even a woman with multiple degrees knew so little about the world around her. She needed to open herself to so much more.
She breathed again, trying to open her heart to accept the new wonders that she had yet to discover.
