Page 24 of Spirit Storm

Every surface is covered with half-finished blades, coils of wire, and tools hung with the obsessive organization of someone who needs to know exactly where everything is at all times.

Mica gestures toward the workbench. “And this is where the magic happens… and when I say magic, I mean nothing at all. The furball Führer won’t let me do anything until I finish my freaking tutorials.”

“You came to me, kid,” the cat growled from where he’d curled up on his cushioned bed by the forge. “Do you expect me just to hand over the power of this forge without training you how to use it properly? Would you give a twelve-year-old the keys to your Lamborghini?”

Mica rolls her eyes.

"Going well, then," Asher says.

Mica grabs a stool by the workbench and sits. "The forging is fine—obviously. That's literally my affinity, and I could forge in my sleep. It's the imbuing that is tripping me up."

Wylder moves closer to the forge, his gaze scanning the racks of blade blanks with quiet attention. "Walk us through it."

"I can craft the weapon… a good, solid weapon with proper balance, quality steel, and a killer edge. Then I try to imbue magic into it, and it comes out—wrong.”

“Wrong how?”

“It won’t take the charge. I’ve tried banishment spells, disabling, binding, nothing will take hold. It feels like I’m pouring water through a crack in the stone. More of my intention ends up spilling onto the floor than ever gets into the blade.”

Wylder considers that for a moment. He picks up a half-finished blade from the nearest rack and turns it slowly in his hands. “When you're forging, where is most of your attention?"

“The blade."

"And when you're imbuing?"

"Also the blade." She pauses. "And the magic. Both, I guess."

"So you're trying to give full attention to the craft and the imbuing simultaneously."

She shrugs. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Maybe dividing yourself isn’t the right call. What has Brimstone taught you about imbuing?”

She snorts. “Absolutely nothing. He’s Mr. Miyagi and I’m stuck over here doing the whole ‘wax on, wax off’ routine.”

A long, low growl rumbles from the cat bed, but Brimstone’s eyes remain closed. The only sign that he’s even listening is the twitch and flick of his ears.

"What if the forging process and the magical imbuing need to be separate?” Wylder asks.

Mica frowns. “I hear what you’re saying, but I have a natural sense of when I think it’s supposed to be, and it’s during the forging process.”

“What if someone else does the imbuing while you focus on crafting? Could one of us help?”

Mica frowns. “You don’t think I can do both?”

Wylder holds up his palms. “In no way am I doubting you. I just think you're already doing a very complex thing by using an ancient, magical forge. Maybe asking you to do that at the same time as imbuing enough magic to banish a major demon is affecting the outcome.”

I shrug. “It’s worth testing. Isn’t it?”

She seems to consider that for a long moment. "Are you offering yourself up?"

Wylder shakes his head. “No. Actually, I was thinking it should be Poppy. If any of us has a counter to Tharuzel’s energy, it would be Poppy’s spirit affinity. I think the two of you are the answer.”

I meet his gaze and then look over to Mica. “I’m willing to try. What do you need me to do?”

The door to the forge castle swings shut behind us half an hour later, and the sound of the academy's grounds opens up. A warm breeze rustles through the trees and cools my heated skin.

After multiple attempts for me to imbue the steel with a spell while Mica forged, it became obvious we were missing something.