Bryce stared, then closed his eyes, wolf plush in a death grip. His brow creased with concentration. At first, nothing happened, just the slow, shuddering breath Eleanor had taught him. But then the air shimmered. Not much, a shift in light, as if the air itself was waking up.
The chalked rune glowed faint blue. The sparks in Bryce’s fingers drifted toward it, drawn like iron filings to a magnet.
Eleanor’s hand tightened on his shoulder. "Good. Now let it go. Don’t force it."
He exhaled, and the sparks collapsed into the center of the rune, igniting it. The chalk burned away, leaving a perfect circle of blackened residue. The three of us adults exchanged looks, shock, awe, maybe a little fear.
Bryce looked up, face bright. "Did I do it?"
"You did," Aurelia said, her tone edged with excitement. "That was perfect, B. Most adults can’t manage that on the first try."
He beamed, chest puffed out. "Can I show Dad when he comes home?"
I nodded, trying to keep my own field from crackling with emotion. "Absolutely," I said. "He’ll be so proud."
Aurelia caught my eye, her smile broad. "We’ll run a few more exercises, then take it outside. No use lighting the kitchen on fire if we can avoid it."
I nodded, grateful for the segue.
They worked through more runes, each one a little harder, a little more focused. Eleanor stayed behind Bryce, coaching him through every breath. Aurelia handled the technical stuff, angles, pressure, the tiny details that separated control from chaos. Their styles couldn’t have been more different. Eleanor’s was all soft encouragement and patience, a careful guidance that made every step feel safe. Aurelia’s was brisk, almost surgical, her corrections clipped but never unkind.
Bryce responded to both, matching his energy to whoever spoke. With Eleanor, he was gentler, letting the magic ooze out in slow drips. With Aurelia, he went for broke, launching sparks and testing the limits of what the crystals could take.
After half an hour, the table was scorched in three places, and Bryce’s shirt had a fresh burn hole on the sleeve. But the pride on his face was worth every bit of the mess.
Eleanor pulled out her phone. "I promised your mother we’d take pictures, remember?"
Bryce grinned, then posed with his hands splayed over the last glowing rune. The wolf plush peeked out from under his arm, singed but still present. Eleanor snapped a few shots, then scrolled through, showing him each one.
"Can we send one to Uncle Nathan?" he asked.
"Of course," I said, and Eleanor did, her thumb dancing across the screen.
Aurelia started packing up, but Bryce caught her hand. "Can we do the outside practice now? You said it’s safer."
She glanced at me, eyebrows raised. "If you’re up for it?"
"Let’s go," I said, opening the back door.
The yard was muddy, but the sun had burned off most of the morning chill. Bryce charged out, stopping at the first patch of grass dry enough to kneel on. He waited, eyes big.
Aurelia took a stick and traced another rune in the dirt. This one was more complex, looping back on itself. She stepped aside, letting Bryce study it.
"Same as before," she said. "But this time, aim for the ground. Imagine the energy sinking down, not out."
Bryce nodded. Eleanor stood behind him again, hands light but steady. He inhaled, held it, then exhaled. The grass around the rune shivered, and a pulse of blue raced along the lines, scorching the dirt but not the plants. The air filled with the smell of fresh earth and a hint of smoke.
Aurelia clapped, genuinely delighted. "You’re a natural. Seriously, Krystal, you couldn’t pay for better results."
I smiled, pride swelling.
Bryce looked at me, hope flickering. "Am I weird, Mom?"
I knelt and hugged him. "You’re amazing. And you’re exactly what this family needed."
He hugged back, wolf plush mashed between us.
Aurelia cleared her throat, then turned to me. "With proper training, he’ll be extraordinary. You have my word on that."
