“No problem, my prin— I mean, Charlie.”
I headed to Ivy’s group next and listened in.
“I don’t feel anything,” a girl said. “I don’t really get it.”
“Let me show you, Samara,” her friend said.
A few moments passed before the girl sighed. “Never mind.”
“Maybe I can help,” I offered. “Samara, right? Have you ever cast an illusion?”
“Sure. A few,” she said.
“Great. What does your magic feel like when you cast an illusion?”
“Um… it’s hard to explain,” she said. “It’s like a sixth sense. I can justfeelit. It kind of feels like a vibration in my chest. Like I just think about it, and it’s there. I don’t have to worry about conjuring it, because I justknowit’ll happen.”
“Right. You’re looking for a similar feeling in Ivy,” I told her. “Take that vibration in your chest, and reach it outward, until it starts to change. When you feel something new, then you know you’ve connected with Ivy.”
“Okay…” She sounded unsure. “I’ll give it a try.”
“It’s okay, cupcake,” Ivy said. “I don’t bite… hard.”
I frowned. “Come on, Ivy. Don’t scare the poor girl.”
“You’re right, you’re right. I’m a friend. I promise,” Ivy sang.
Samara tried again. Several minutes of silence passed, and I was getting impatient, but I didn’t say anything.
Finally, she gasped. “I think I feel something.”
“I’m ready whenever you are,” Ivy said.
Samara drew a deep breath. “I think I got some of your strength.”
I held up my palms. “Test it out on me. Punch me.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said timidly.
“I’ve seen it all before. Show me what you’ve got.”
Samara punched me, but there was almost no strength behind it. It felt like being hit by a wad of paper. If anything, I would’ve thought someone siphonedherstrength.
She gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth. “I’msosorry. Did I hurt you?”
“Not a bit,” I replied in disappointment. “Keep trying. You’ll get it.”
The problem was, I wasn’t quite sure shewould. As I made my way around the room, it became more and more evident that these young Elves had almost no magic to speak of. They’d grown up in Forevermore, a paradise that required no aggressive training. Sure, they believed they’d be attackedoneday, but they obviously didn’t think it would happen so soon— or they thought their escape plan was foolproof— because the Elves hadn’t trained their kids in anything worthwhile. A few of them could cast minor illusions, but that was it.
My teeth gritted as I thought of my dad and grandfather. It was their job to prepare the Elves to defend themselves, and they’d dropped the ball. Now I’d been left to clean up their mess. I clearly had my work cut out for me. I really wasn’t sure if I could train these people.
“I did it!” Eddie squealed in excitement when I reached his group.
“I could feel it,” Alistair said. “That was a pretty nice battle orb.”
“Well, I have a strong warlock to draw from,” Eddie cooed. Thank the ancestors I couldn’t see, because I was pretty sure Eddie was batting his eyelashes right now.
“You two have been practicing in private, haven’t you?” I asked.
