(Lisa)

Lisa Waterlily had spent part of the morning with Rose, followed by a meeting with all the new teachers, and then caught up with old friends. The school had not changed much. There were some new faces, but everything else felt the same. Students ran in the corridors, teachers prepared for their classes, and the air was filled with the excitement of learning.

It was around noon when she finally made her way toward her chamber. There had been no new casting teachers within the last decade, so her chamber had not been reassigned. The musty smell of parchment, ink, and old books greeted her like an old friend as soon as she opened the door.

Everything looked exactly how she had left it and the building attendants had kept her chamber pristinely clean. There were stacks of books on top of her desk, neatly organized in different categories. The walls were lined with bookshelves from floor to ceiling. Her heart clenched as she saw the ornate tapestry rug, a gift from her sister Jassie.

She walked over to her desk and sat down. In front of her, there was an open botany book. She remembered the research that she had been doing on healing plants before receiving her urgent summons to the capital. It had been such a long time ago, yet it was still vivid in her memory.

She smiled broadly as she studied a small tree bathing in the sunlight of the enchanted sky. It had doubled in size over the last ten years. The old scorch marks on its trunk were barely visible.

“Time to wake up,” Lisa said cheerfully. She reached inside her pocket and grabbed a blue drawstring bag. Inside the bag, she kept cubes of brown sugar. She picked up a jug from the bookshelf near the window. She walked over to the aquastone basin and waved her hand, triggering the enchant. She filled the jug with water and dropped the cube inside.

She grinned as she stirred the water. She approached the little tree, making soothing noises. She lifted the jug and poured the sugar water into the clay pot.

The tree trembled and the soil around it moved. Two sleepy russet-colored eyes opened near the top of the thick trunk.

“Lady Waterlily!” the little tree squeaked. “Brought me sweet water. I am happy.”

“Sapple, how are you?”

“I am sunny. The sky is blue. I saw a flutterby. A bug tickled me. I like sugar water. My lady is nice.”

“Oh, I missed you too, Sapple! You’ve grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you.”

“Sapple grows.” The tree puffed up its trunk. “Sprites came. Offered gifts. I yawned. Lisa is my lady.”

“You’ll meet more friends of your kind if you served one of the Sprite royals.” Lisa pulled another sugar cube from her drawstring bag. One of Sapple’s roots shot out and nimbly wrapped around the cube. “You and I have no binding contract.”

“Fire scorches. My lady saves. Sapple serves.”

It had been nearly twelve years since Lisa had saved the small tree from a raging fire. She had been flying from the Old Mountains back to Scar when she had noticed the rising smoke and flames. A tiny creature moving in front of the inferno had caught her attention. The flames had been at the brink of devouring the small wooden being when she had swooped down and saved it.

Sapple turned toward the door with a look of anticipation. A knock followed shortly.

“Come on in,” Lisa yelled at the door.

The door swung open and the first thing that she noticed was the big bandage wrapped around William’s head.

“What in Cea’Nia’s name happened?” she blurted as she rushed toward William.

“Well, I survived a dragon attack.”

Dahlia snorted. “It’s kind of true Lady Waterlily, though it sounds misleading the way he says it.” Lisa crossed her arms and looked expectantly at William.

“It’s true, Aunt Lisa. That beast was as big as the statues on top of the school building. It plummeted toward me from the sky and I’m lucky to have survived.”

Dahlia laughed so loud that she had to cover her mouth to muffle the sound. William grinned.

“Sorry about that,” Dahlia squeaked.

William recounted the events after the Bench Wars and how he had survived the falling statue.

Lisa breathed a sigh of relief, stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around him. “William, trouble follows you as closely as your shadow.” Turning toward Dahlia she added, “Thank you so much for accompanying William up to my office.”

“It was my pleasure,” Dahlia said cheerfully. “He was absolutely amazing with that Levitation spell… and he’s so funny... I was laughing all the way up to your office.” She blushed and looked at William. “I’ve lived in Scar all my life and I know all the fun places around here. If you want me to show you around, I’ll be happy to do it.”

“Wow! Thanks, Dahlia. That sounds great.”

“Dahlia, I need you to take a message to Lady Summerbreeze on your way back.” Lisa quickly scribbled something on a piece of parchment and handed it to Dahlia without bothering to fold it. William noticed that the letters on the parchment instantly disappeared as they were being written.

“Sure, I’ll deliver it immediately,” Dahlia replied. On her way out she stole one last glance at William and quickly shut the door.

“So, you remember leaving your book near the benches at the front of the school and yet you found it near the east entrance. That’s odd. Most people avoid magic books since some of them have protective enchantments.” His aunt looked grim as she paced around the room. “Finding your book at the exact location where the statue fell…” Lisa’s brows knitted.

“Yeah, it’s kinda suspicious.”

“William, I want you to think carefully. Have you noticed anything else out of the ordinary since we arrived in Scar?”

“Well, actually, now that you mention it… the statue accident was the second mishap today,” William admitted reluctantly.

He then proceeded to tell his aunt about the accident with the tragon. “You know Aunt Lisa, Ivan inspected those brakes and thought that they had been deliberately cut.”

He paused for a moment as something stirred in his memory. “I can’t be sure, but maybe there was something else up on the roof.” He closed his eyes and concentrated. “When I saw the reflection of the wobbling dragon, I thought I saw a blur of motion.” He opened his eyes. “Like I said, I’m not sure ‘cause everything happened so fast.”

“Well, until we know more, we need to take precautions.” Lisa continued to pace around the room.

She was worried. Her initial hope that the falling statue might have been an accident seemed unlikely now.

To be on the safe side, it’s best to prepare for the worst, she mused. She glanced at William. Someone might have targeted him because of his unique magical abilities.

“I should’ve been more careful,” she muttered to herself.

Lisa turned toward the bookshelves. “Sapple, I need your help.” The small tree that had been camouflaged against one of the bookshelves appeared out of thin air, startling William.

“Always ready. What to do?”

“I need you to guard William’s brother,” said Lisa. “Ivan should be in his dueling class right now. Follow him. Stay hidden. Only interfere if he’s in danger. I’ll get Drake to help you after school.”

“Lisa is my lady. I protect.” Sapple skittered across the floor toward William. Its many roots formed rangy legs, which allowed it to move with surprising speed. Sapple examined William as closely as William examined the small tree. One of its roots snaked up toward a small bloodstain on William’s shirt and lingered there briefly.

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“Potent blood,” Sapple creaked. “Tracking easy.”

Without another word, the small tree pivoted around and darted toward the window. William’s mouth remained opened as he watched Sapple. The creature blended with its surroundings with every step that it took. The window swung open, and Sapple disappeared.

“Scraps, was that a dendrite?” asked William, wide-eyed. “I’ve seen drawings of them in books.”

“Yes, Sapple is a dendrite. He’s a member of the Dendro Kamilians, and he’s an old friend of mine. He’ll keep an eye on Ivan. He might be small, but he’s a formidable fighter.”

Bang!

Lisa and William jumped as the door swung open, and Rose barged in.

“A Tree Transformation and a healing spell all in the same day.” Rose clapped William on the shoulder. “Not to mention Levitating a statue that was about to flatten you. You’re making more ruckus than bickering badgers in a beer barrel.”

“Hey, how did you hear about the falling statue so fast?” asked William.

“I spoke to Dahlia after I read the note from your aunt. And then I went to investigate.” Rose’s expression became serious, and she looked at Lisa. “Let me tell you. The statue accident was no accident.”

“What did you find out?” asked Lisa.

“Follow me to the roof and you’ll see,” Rose blurted. She shifted into a raven and flew out of the open window before Lisa could raise an objection. She had forgotten how impulsive Rose was.

“Let’s see what she has uncovered.” Lisa transformed into a falcon and followed Rose out of the window. Soon, an owl flapped right behind her.

Lisa landed on the roof near a guardian statue and watched William’s approach. He shifted next to her, and she nodded in approval.

“William, that’s the first time that I’ve seen you fly. You’re a natural!”

“You should’ve seen the first time when I tried to fly. It wasn’t pretty.” He grimaced. “I kept smashing my face into the window.”

“I know what you mean,” Rose interjected. “I broke my nose twice when I was learning how to fly.”

(William)

William watched Rose and Lisa investigate the area where the statue had been. Rose was as peculiar as ever. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were gliding through the air. He watched her with fascination. She reminded him of a blind woman that he had seen in Pike. His curiosity was piqued.

He tapped his aunt on the shoulder and whispered, “What’s she doing?”

“She’s looking for magical residue. Rose can sense magical remnants left behind after a spell has been cast. It’s sort of like arriving in a bakery shop as they’re about to close for the day. All the goods have been sold, but the air is still redolent with the smells of vanilla, fruit, syrup, and flour.”

Rose opened her eyes. “There are traces of Nature magic right here and here.” She gestured. “The dragon statue was Levitated. It’s one of the smaller statues.” She paused. “You only need to be about six stones to Levitate it.”

Lisa’s features darkened.

William’s mind roiled. Someone is trying to kill me… He looked around nervously. He took a few deep breaths and turned his attention to Rose. Her ability to sense magic felt familiar.

Hmm, magical residue…

His eyes widened as something stirred in the recesses of his mind. The old man at the river… The transfer of knowledge.

When he had been rescued by the old man at the Lonely River, he had glimpsed how magic worked and more.

I wonder if I can detect magic like Rose... Well, one way to find out.

He ambled over to the vacant spot where the statue had been. He squatted down and stared at the empty space.

Nothing…

He narrowed his eyes and concentrated. He slowly waved his hands, just like Rose.

Still nothing.

He focused on one of the places that Rose had pointed out. He squinted his eyes really tight and tried to tune everything out. Rose had told him that bits of magic were all around them.

I know there’s a way to see them. He let his hazy memories guide him.

Wait! What’s that?

He noticed something in his peripheral vision. He narrowed his eyes further until he was looking through his eyelashes. He had seen something, but it was fleeting.

Instead of focusing, he let his eyes wander…

Scraps, it worked… It somehow worked!

Threads of green light misted into view. They undulated and shimmered. Fascinated, William reached out to touch them. They were barely perceptible like delicate threads of silk.

“I can see them!” He turned toward his aunt. “There are glowing strings of magic right here.”

Lisa and Rose looked at him with astonishment.

“What are you seeing?” Rose knelt next to him.

He traced the lines of magic with his index finger. “I see shiny green strings right here and here. It’s like they’re alive. I can see them rippling. Is that what you see?”

“No, William. I can’t see magic. I can only feel the magical residue with my hands.”

“What about you Aunt Lisa?” asked William. “Can you see them?”

“No, I can’t. Detecting magic is a rare talent. Rose is the only caster that I’ve met with that ability.”

“Let me give you some advice.” Rose leaned in. “Don’t spill the salt about this ability. You’ll get banned from the Dicers Den.”

“Rose, he’s too young to gamble.” Aunt Lisa frowned.

“Yeah, yeah… Suuuure,” Rose instantly agreed with a gleam in her eye.

She sat crossed legged and started peppering William with questions. She wanted to know even the tiniest detail of what he was seeing. He was happy to answer her questions and explore his new ability.

In the back of his mind, he wondered what the old man had done to him. If abilities had been given to him, could they also be taken away?

I don’t want to lose my healing. He felt a moment of panic.

“Hey, Rose.” His aunt’s voice snapped him back to the present. “I found a footprint near the staircase entrance, but nothing else. Let’s examine the tragon next.”

“What tragon?” Rose tilted her head.

“Follow me and you’ll see,” William blurted out in his best impersonation of Rose. He shifted and flapped his wings. He circled over their heads and squawked while he waited.

“I like his style.” Rose grinned. “I couldn’t have done it better myself.” She shifted and flew up.

The trio quickly reached the entrance hatch leading to the tunnel. William backtracked through the passageway and descended several flights of stairs. The tragon was exactly where they had left it, lying on its side close by the rails.

“Ivan thought that the brakes had been cut.” William pointed at one of the lines. He then told Rose about the accident with the tragon.

After inspecting the line, Aunt Lisa looked troubled. “Ivan was right. All of these are clean cuts.”

Rose did her own investigation. Her hands floated above the tragon like swimming fish.

“I can sense two sets of magical footprints,” Rose announced. “The first set is probably from you, William. It runs along the rail tracks right here. The second set is concentrated around the tragon.” She turned to him. “What do you see?”

William leaned over the tragon. He concentrated and the threads of magic materialized. He saw two distinctive sets of magical residues. One of them looked exactly like what he had seen on the roof. The other was different.

Wow, those must be mine.

Luminous forest-green vines spiraled a few feet above the rails where he had cast his first Levitation spell. Some threads were anchored onto the tragon wheels and others extended further down the tracks. He was surprised by how radiant they were.

“Aunt Lisa, I see the remnants of my first Levitation spell.” He ran toward the back of the platform. “It’s starts way back there.” He pointed into the tunnel.

“What about the second magical signature that Rose mentioned?”

“Yeah, did you see that one?” Rose prodded impatiently. “Does it look like the one on the roof?”

William walked back to the tragon. “I see two sets of glowing strings around the tragon. One of them is mine. The other looks just like the one on the roof. Scraps, the two look so different from each other.”

“Different in what way?” Rose leaned closer.

“Mine looks like glowing vines that are almost as thick as my finger. It’s green like the other one, but darker.” William peered closer. “Mine is also smooth and the other one is kind of jagged looking.”

“Fascinating,” Rose remarked. “Let’s run some tests.”

William cocked his head and tried to figure out what she was going to do next.

Rose picked up a few small wheels. “The three of us can Levitate a few objects, starting with these wheels. I want you to describe the remnants from each one of our spells.”

“I can do that.”

After they cast Levitation, he confirmed the differences between their magical signatures. Rose scribbled some notes based on his observations. Their spells had a unique brightness, thickness, hue, transparency, and texture. He also noticed that the particles wiggled a bit.

“Ahh, I’ve got a scathingly brilliant idea! Follow me.” Rose shifted and flew away.

Lisa looked at William. “Let’s keep up. We don’t want to lose her.”

Rose led them to the magic training ground. The area was divided into sections and each section had a variety of objects strewn around. William saw bales of hay, wooden beams, rocks of different sizes, and pools of water.

“This is where we practice Levitation,” Rose explained to William. “Most casters in the city have used this area to practice their skills within the last few days. Let’s see if you can find the same magical signature that you saw on the roof and the tragon.”

William’s face lit up. “What a great idea!”

He headed toward the first section and began the inspection. He was examining the fifth bale of hay when he excitedly announced, “I found it… I found it! It’s right here.” He gestured. “It’s the same shade of green, the same thickness, and the same jagged texture.”

Lisa and William turned toward Rose.

“Well, who practices in that area?” asked Lisa.

Rose frowned. “That’s where Baza usually practices her Levitation. Though others use this area as well. I can tell you that Baza’s casting skills are advanced for her age. She’s on par with Lin.” Her jaw twitched and she grimaced. “Now that I think about it, Baza arrived late after lunch today.”

“Rose, where are your students right now?” Lisa inquired.

“I dismissed them right before I came to your office.”

“Wait, I don’t understand,” William interrupted. “That can’t be true. Why would Freckles try to hurt me? She likes me. She was nice to me all morning.”

“We don’t know anything for sure right now.” Lisa placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’re still trying to figure things out.” Lisa turned toward Rose.

“Rose, have you noticed anything unusual with Baza?”

“Well, she went through the Awakening early and started attending Tinbury over a year ago. During her first school year, she was quite gregarious and made a lot of friends. At the end of that year, she went back home for three months and when she returned, she wasn’t the same. She was more reticent and reserved. I even received a blood scroll message from her father that she hasn’t scribed home in the last month. Considering that she’s a teenager, I figured that she was going through a phase, but now I’m not so sure.”

Rose looked at William. “It looks like someone is after you.”

William blanched.

“Don’t worry, William.” Aunt Lisa placed her hand around his shoulder. “You’ll be with me and Sapple is shadowing your brother.”

“I’ll send Drake to find and tail Baza. We’ll get the city guards involved,” Rose added. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

William thought of Freckles and remembered the nasty bruise on her arm. His stomach churned. Things were looking grim.