CHAPTERONE
~ KIMBER ~
S’Kir
Land of the Unseen Gods
“Wise and intelligent beyond our understanding, the protective magic raised the mountain and locked the gates, forever.”
The children followed the images in the book as they carefully turned in an arc so they could all see.
“Still, in the silent night, if you listen with your magic and your heart, you can hear the rocks whispering, love must awaken. Once love awakens, then our wisdom will shine, and two worlds will unite.”
I slowly closed the book and smiled at the children sitting in the half circle. They started clapping, and as young as they were—the applause was enthusiastic.
A bit too much so for a little one named Bershat. His joyful hands conjured the small magic he had started to show.
“Oh, my! Bershat!” I chuckled as he startled himself with sparks and little fireworks.
Placing the ancient book to the side, I took hold of the young boy’s hands in mine. Frightened, he quivered as tears appeared in the corners of his eyes. “No, no, Bershat. You’re fine. It’s just a bit of your magic. You’re nearly seven now, and it’s going to start happening. It’s a good thing!”
“Magic, Miss Raven? Like the story?”
“Oh, yes. Yes, just like that. Wise and intelligent, but magic is in all of us. And yours is starting to appear. It means you’re growing up.”
I glanced at the students—the oldest of the children at the temple and the joy of my day.
“Your parents have trusted me to teach you all you need to know before your magic appears. And when I see your magic, as I have in Bershat, I know that it is almost time to send you to the S’Kir Amphat School. There you will get different lessons. You’ll get to learn to use your magic and grow it.”
Holding my hand up, I pulled in a little of the magic. I spun a small, glittering tornado for all of them to see.
As the children were transfixed and enchanted by the whirling glitter, I smiled to myself as I looked around at these little minds. As one of the youngest acolytes—honored keepers of the Temple of the Lost God—my job was to teach the children until they showed their magic. Bershat would move to the school in a few weeks.
Dispelling the glitter, I clapped my hands to make sure the students were listening to me. “All right, everyone, I think we’ve had enough excitement for today. Let’s all get your jackets and head on home. Remember to tell your parents about your lessons and that we’ll have a recital next week.”
My little prodigies leapt to their feet and raced for their jackets and bags. Each of their items hung near the entrance of the temple classroom.
I kept an eye on them as they tumbled out of the brightly colored room onto the walkways of S’Kir Prime, our capital city.
“Miss Raven?” The youngest of this class, Tillini, stood sheepish, clutching a book to her chest.
“Yes, Tilli?”
“Miss Raven, will I ever get my magic?”
“Of course, Tilli. Why would you think that you wouldn’t?”
“Because I don’t have a daddy.”
I knelt down, my heart trembling with her innocence. “You do have a daddy, Tilli. He died on the Mountain Watch, remember?”
“Doesn’t that take my magic away?”
“Goodness, Tilli. Who told you that?”
“Griffin.”
Of course, Griffin. I would have a talk with him before class tomorrow. He was a storyteller, and I had been desperately trying to redirect his stories away from his classmates. He didn’t need to scare them.
