Feet scuffled as everyone gathered near the bar. There weren’t as many Elves here as there’d been before. Our numbers had dwindled by half, and that terrified me. It meant that for some of the Elves, it was already too late. I hoped this worked, because our last few sessions had been a disaster. If we didn’t start teaching these kids something, they wouldn’t make it through next semester. I hoped we could save the rest of them.
“Tell me you have something new for us,” a kid named Leif said. His voice was distinct, and he was the loudest of all the Elves. He was obviously getting peeved at me that we hadn’t made any progress.
I’d been trying to get them to siphon magic from other supernaturals all semester, but so far, Eddie and Reid were the only ones who could do it. We’d started too far above their pay grade, and we had to try something else. The Elves here could conjure their own illusions, but couldn’t do much else.
“We have a theory,” I said. “A good one. Ava and Kallie came up with it, and I think it may be the key to unlocking your powers.”
“What is it?” a timid girl with a high-pitched voice asked. That must’ve been Lorie.
“It’s called simultension,” Ava said, stepping forward. “I learned about it my first semester, in Supernatural Behavior Science. My team and I used it to place second in the Darke Games.”
“It’s a magical technique that allows supernatural races to combine their powers,” I explained. “It differs from Elf magic, in that both parties have to be willing participants.”
“How does that help us?” Leif asked. “No guard is going to hand over their powers willingly.”
“How’s that any different from what we’ve been practicing?” Felicity added.
“Simultension is universal to all races,” I pointed out. “It should be easier. But it’s close enough to your powers that once you learn simultension, you’ll gain a better understanding of your own magic. Eddie, would you like to help me demonstrate?”
Eddie scampered up to the front eagerly. “What do you need, Charlie?”
“An illusion,” I said. “Can you create a pistol?”
“I can give it a try,” he replied.
As Eddie formed the pistol with illusion magic, I infused my Air into the illusion. The weight of a pistol appeared in my hand, though it felt light as air. Eddie’s illusion magic wasn’t strong enough to make it solid. There were too many parts, and it was a complicated illusion. But combined with my Air magic, I was able to feel it in my hand.
I pointed the pistol at the ceiling and pulled the trigger. Air blasted out of the barrel, and concrete cracked.
Several Elves clapped, but Ivy gasped. “My ceiling!” he cried.
I winced.Whoops.
I ignored Ivy and continued my lesson. “Simultension is an artform. It requires creativity and imagination. Once you can meld your illusion magic with another supernatural, you will learn how to make their power your own.”
“Who wants to give it a go?” Ava asked. “Samara? Can you make a goblet?”
“Sure,” she said.
I heard the crackling of fire moments later.
“Well done,” Ava said kindly. “I like how we made the flames part of the goblet itself. It would certainly keep your hot cocoa warm. How did it feel?”
“It was much easier to combine my powers with yours than to try taking them,” Samara said. “I actuallyfeltyour powers. I’ve never done that before.”
Good. We were making progress.
“Does anyone else want to try?” I asked.
“I’ll give it a go,” Felicity offered.
She stepped forward. We made a pop-up storybook of plants, with real flowers that grew out of the pages.
“Impressive,” I told her as I stroked the sunflower’s petals, before turning the page and smelling a rose. “Who’s next?”
“I want to try,” Reid spoke up.
“What do you say to a crown?” Ava suggested.
