“So the older souls, the ones stuck in the same echo over and over…they probably won’t attract demons?”
“No, there’s not much soul left in them at that point.”
“Is there a way to set them free? What’s left can move on, right?”
Maxon nods. “Yes, but honestly…it’s not worth it. They’re not harming anything or attracting demonic energy. Fresh souls, ones floating about with no clear direction…those are the ones that will attract demons. We have to get to them and guide them away before the demon gets them.”
“Hence the danger,” I say to myself.
“Exactly.”
* * *
Our next classis on the opposite side of the school, and we have to cross through a courtyard to get to it. Bright sunlight shines down on us, and a blue and purple sky stretches overhead. Students milling about in the courtyard, obviously on break, turn to stare at us, and I’m thankful for the brisk pace Maxon sets, which discourages people from approaching me. All this attention is a little overwhelming for someone who’s used to being shunned, and I need time to get used to it.
“Professor Balbina teaches spell casting. She’s head of Magi House.” Maxon opens a large wooden door, and we go inside. I close my eyes for a few seconds, helping them adjust from the bright light. A dozen black candles line the perimeter of the room, and red curtains are drawn over the open windows.
A slight breeze blows them in, billowing dangerously close to the flames. The desks are arranged in a horseshoe shape, and I sit at the center of the U next to Max.
Kaia sits at my other side, and other students slowly start filtering in. A few were in Demon Tracking with me, and a few I haven’t seen before. They all stop and stare, whispering to each other as if I can’t hear them.
“I heard she took out a demon all on her own.”
“She used to be human, how is it possible?”
“That’s not the way things happen. It’s so fucking cool!”
“Do you think she’d sit by us if we asked her to at lunch?”
They’re not mocking. Not laughing. They want to get to know me. They like me.
“For this class,” Max begins, pushing a book in front of me, “we usually alternate between listening to lectures and trying new spells.”
“How do spells work? Do we just say magic words? You did that thing with the light last night.”
He holds out his hand, whispers something, and conjures a ball of white light.
“We are made up of energy,” he rushes out, again acting like taking the time to fully explain something to me is the world’s biggest pain in the ass. He closes his fist, extinguishing the light. “I don’t really know how to explain it to you, but once you figure it out, it’s second nature.”
“Interesting.” I hold out my hand and stare at my palm. “Now what?”
“Solis,” Max says. “It’s the spell you say.”
“Solis.” Nothing happens. “Solis.”
“You need to have the intention,” Kaia tries. “Imagine it actually forming.”
“Huh. Guess all that Law of Attraction bullshit wasn’t bullshit after all,” I mutter to myself. I close my eyes, try hard to imagine myself holding a ball of light, and suck in a breath. “Solis.” My palm starts to warm, and a tiny speck of dust starts to flicker in my hand.
“Say it again,” Kaia urges.
“Solis.”
The speck doubles in size, and the strangest feeling goes through me. It’s like I’ve been hit with an electrical shock, but it feels good. It’s exhilarating and freeing and I’m actually doing fucking magic.
Holy shit.
“Solis.”
