Unlike the drama of her magical theory lesson, classes in Oak House were subdued, primarily focusing on understanding animals before they learnt spells for communication. Talla, who people referred to as the Hearthmaster, believed animal minds were too sophisticated for beginners to be playing with – she wasn’t willing to do anything until Ayliah passed word they were ready for more advanced lessons. However, the Hearthmaster maintained that familiarisation was the key to Oak House, resulting in all students attending the Island’s farm to work with animals of all varieties – feed them, nurse them, groom them as necessary. While having nothing to do with magic, Elvie loved every moment of it.

Her own house continued to be a source of frustration. Alistar showed no interest when she visited for a second time, barely saying hello before disappearing around a corner to become lost within the house. If not for the fact that he was the adult, Elvie would have sworn Alistar deliberately hid from her.

She’d managed to track Callum down on the same visit, but he was preoccupied with his studies and asked that she come back another time. Elvie was dismayed but tried to hide it, at least until she got back to Ash House.

That night she vigorously complained to Rilla as they prepared for bed.

‘How am I meant to learn anything about Elder? I know nothing. Nothing at all. And we’re talking about the things I want to know! I’m certain that’s the only way for me to get home.’

Rilla’s blank look revealed she didn’t understand.

It was all too much for Elvie, and she threw herself onto the bed.

The problem with the past was the uncertainty. Elvie always felt like she was one step behind on everything. Inside her burned a desire to return to her parents, friends, and the safety of the future. Now that they were gone, Elvie missed them so much.

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and changed subject to a question she’d wanted to ask for a while. Distracting yourself could be a great idea when you were sad. She’d usually do it with a tv show, but that was not something you could do in the past!

‘Have you ever noticed any strange doors in Ash House?’ she asked Rilla,

‘What doors? Are you sure you’re all right tonight?’

‘I think some of the Great Houses have magically locked doors. I’m guessing that, at least.’ Rilla’s blank look remained. ‘Of course, I’m talking about one house in particular – Elder. That first time I visited, Alistar gave me a ‘self-guided tour’. He doesn’t seem to do anything he’s supposed to, so I went exploring. It’s an endless maze, but I found a plain old locked door in this one place, deep in the hill. I instantly knew it was special; there was this feeling of magic about the lock, and, well, if you put a lock on something, don’t you always want to have a peek to find out what’s inside?’

‘I don’t know; it all sounds a bit dangerous.’ Rilla wasn’t one for risks.

‘But why would it be locked?’ Elvie queried.

‘If you want to know so badly, why don’t you ask them?’

Elvie frowned, then sighed. ‘You mean Alistar, right?’ The idea sounded rational, but in her short experience, people never wanted to give up their secrets. ‘I hate secrets… When I was eleven, my grandmother was dying of cancer. But Mum and Dad decided that I didn’t need to know because of how bad it was. So every day, one or the other would go for a long time and I’d ask them where, but they’d make up any old excuse. I don’t even think Dad put much effort into his excuses sometimes.’

‘Oh no, I’m so sorry!’

‘It wasn’t a nice time. But the worst part was that I had to figure it out for myself, to put the pieces together on their secret – the sneaking out, the crying at night when they thought I was asleep. Then, when I wasn’t allowed to see grandma and grandpa one day, that’s kind of when it all just clicked together. Mum and Dad didn’t have many options but to tell me the secret. Since then, I’ve hated any secret – and the worst part of everything is that I’m in a place with endless secrets. Why can’t I learn what I want to know? Uhh!’ The frustration returned, and she lashed out at the bed, her ankle thwacking into the timber of its frame.

With a howl, she leapt off the bed, hopping up and down on one foot while cupping the other and fervently wishing she was somewhere else.

Rilla wrapped her arms around Elvie and smiled hesitantly. ‘I’d like to learn about Elder too…’

At that moment, it occurred to Elvie how painful her behaviour was for Rilla and Flynn. They were Ash House, meaning they too could draw from Elder too. Yet, as far as Elvie was aware, Flynn and Rilla had never been inside Elder House, and nobody was even talking about them having the option. Elvie was allowed the privilege, even if it wasn’t much to write home about. Alistar slapped Rilla away on Elvie’s first day on the Island – and she’d never come closer!

‘No, it’s me that should be sorry.’ Tears escaped the corners of her eyes. How selfish she’d been! ‘Rilla, can you forgive me? I didn’t stop to think!’

The corners of Rilla’s eyes crinkled when she smiled, giving her face a warmth. ‘It’s okay, Elvie, you’re new here and caught up in everything. I know how overwhelming my first few months on the Island were.’

‘You’re too nice. I really don’t deserve to have you around.’ She hugged her friend in return. ‘Next time. I promise you’re coming with me, and we’re definitely going to get some answers!’

As they separated and sat on their respective beds, Elvie had her second moment of clarity. ‘This is why they dislike me, isn’t it. Larcen, I mean. He hates me because I represent something he cannot have. And Alistar doesn’t care to teach them – or anyone. What is Callum doing? I don’t understand it at all. What is going on with Elder House?’

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‘It might be,’ Rilla replied, ‘but I honestly think Larcen is just a horrible person.’

Elvie’s new knowledge made one thing abundantly clear; it was time to confront Alistar and Callum.

So the following day, Elvie awoke early with the desire to skip breakfast. One of her father’s favourite adages had been ‘there’s no time like the present’.

She would confront Alistar, or Callum, if she did nothing else for the day.

Despite Elvie’s promise the night before, Rilla insisted she go alone, saying she would get more information without her there. ‘Let’s start with you and worry about me after,’ Rilla reasoned. ‘I still have plenty of my Ash lessons to learn for now.’

Elvie traipsed on her own to Elder House, trying to muster the courage to confront her supposed teachers. Callum was the better option to start with, and she resolved to seek him out. He was likely to sprout less rubbish than Alistar.

He was easy enough to find in his study, where he read a book while absently chewing on what once could be described as a cake. The depth of the crunch arising from it said it was now more than a few days stale.

‘Morning Callum,’ she greeted.

His forced swallow took an unusual amount of effort. ‘Hello, Elvie. What brings you back around this morning?’

She deliberately hesitated over her reply. ‘I was wondering some things and didn’t know who to ask?’ She gave him a small smile.

Callum pushed himself straighter in his chair. ‘It’s natural you would have questions. You can ask me if you’d like. I’m not sure where Alistar is at the moment.’ He meant out of bed but sought to allow him to retain some dignity.

‘Well, I realised I don’t know any spells for Elder House – at all. In all my studies, I’ve learned some basic water moving spells for Ash and some for becalming the sea or a river. I’ve worked with the animals for Oak and had the basic principles explained to me. But there has been nothing for Elder. So I was hoping you would help me change that, seeing as I am Elder House after all.’ She made a vague gesture at their matching purple cloaks.

He scratched at his face absently. ‘Well,… Yes. You are Elder.’ Then he sighed in a resigned fashion. ‘The problem is, that there isn’t much to tell.’

‘What do you mean?’

Slouching in his chair, he replied. ‘We have two spells, Elvie. Only two. That’s the sum of our knowledge – our shame and our embarrassment rolled into a sticky mess that is difficult to swallow. The two spells – one is some form of summoning spell, but it only works on metal. I could summon that spoon beside my cup, and it would instantaneously appear in my hand.’

‘That’s impressive,’ Elvie protested.

Callum shrugged off the praise. ‘In a way it is, but the inevitable questions follow. Why only metal? Why not any item, why not wood, or organic material? Why not a person? But no. The only element that the spell works on is metal.’

‘Okay,’ Elvie considered. ‘What’s the second spell.’

‘It’s a ward.’ Callum chuckled mirthlessly. He waved his hands articulately in the air, so quickly Elvie struggled to follow. Ash used soft flowing gestures, but Elder appeared to use harsh and abrupt motions. Elvie could see flickers of his movements as Callum placed his fingers just so, before they danced away in a cascade of sequences.

‘Arosfa!’ he declared.

A haze of magic materialised, six feet across, hanging in the air, slowly spinning, like thrown chalk dust undergoing a controlled descent to the ground. Patterns interlaced the design, but nothing about it made any sense to Elvie.

‘Ah, what’s that?’

‘As I said, and it’s our best guess mind you; this is a ward, or shield, of some sort.’

‘Against what?’

‘Hence the guess. That’s the problem, you see. Our knowledge is ridiculously thin. Searching for any information is like combing through a haystack, and even if we seem to find it, it comes in piecemeal dribs and drabs. We must weave it together and search the library's vaults for more vague references to build the tapestry of our understanding. Learning those hand motions alone took the better part of six years of almost full-time study.’

‘And you still don’t know what it does?’

His standard shrug returned. ‘We’ve figured out it wards against summoning. If I were to attempt the other spell now, I wouldn’t be able to summon the metal fork.’

‘Will you teach me these spells?’

‘In time we will. They are harmless and easy to cast. Look, Elvie, I’ll put your case to Alistar to begin some teaching, but while he’s not a Master at the moment, he does rule the roost here.’

Elvie was excited by what he said, but to receive lessons wasn’t her only goal. ‘Okay, but I wanted to talk to you about something else.’

‘Yes?’

‘Am I right that Alistar won’t let anyone into Elder House?’ He shrugged awkwardly, but she pressed on. ‘Is it because you’re embarrassed?’

Callum looked uncomfortable. ‘It’s complicated… too complicated…’

For a girl, was what he wanted to say. ‘Well, that’s not fair.’ She let a little of her frustration creep into her voice.

Callum coughed and cleared his throat. ‘Not fair, what do you mean?’

‘Both of you – you’re not telling anyone anything, and I haven’t even met the third one of you – of us. You’re not getting any help because you’re… you’re…’ Elvie wanted to say they were stupid but managed to control herself. ‘You’re too proud to ask for help. I wish this House had a Master who wanted to teach people!’

Not sure how to respond to the tirade of a thirteen year old, Callum kept silent, buying himself some time by chewing more of his rock-hard cake.

‘The others – like Larcen – at first I thought he was cruel, but he’s right! So many magicians have access to Elder House who could help you. So many more minds working together, but you won’t ask them in because you’re embarrassed about how little you know. So they’re the ones missing out.’ And they’re the ones blaming me.

He coughed again. ‘Wait, it’s not so simple!’

‘Wouldn’t more people mean more research, more skill and understanding?’

‘Well, yes – ‘

‘Why don’t you get them to help? Why don’t you help them in the process?’

‘She makes a fair point, you know,’ another voice said from the doorway. They both turned to where Alistar stood, idly polishing an apple on his purple robe. ‘You’re explosive when you want to be, aren’t you?’ Alistar eyed her askance.

‘Firstly, young lady, so many magicians in either Ash or Oak House have no real interest in learning anything about Elder. There are certain risks…’ Alistar sighed. ‘Is it time, Callum? We’ve borne this together for a long time. And I admit, I’ve enjoyed the pettiness of tweaking the other Masters’ noses time and again and again and again. Perhaps there is a need for a change… Perhaps then, Nina...’

Callum visibly restrained himself from saying anything. Elvie couldn’t tell if he was mad at the decision or the fact they hadn’t talked it over. He shrugged his shoulders yet again, appearing to release a great deal of tension. ‘If we must. I guess the arrival of this one has changed things.’

‘We will at least consider it.’ Alistar said to Elvie, then held up a finger. ‘But there is a lot you don’t understand. You’ve simplified things here in a way that cuts through, but that is because the truth is not in full view. The reasons for Elder House’s lack of spells, the absence of Elder magicians – all of this is more complicated than you are aware, and not instantly understood.’

She didn’t know what she’d expected, but he’d said yes! ‘Can I come to stay here?’ Excitement bubbled within.

He tilted his head. ‘If you like.’

‘And Rilla if she wants?’ Would Flynn want to come too?

‘Who’s Rilla?’

‘My friend from Ash House. I thought she might come – she doesn’t fit in well over there.’

‘Ahhhh, you’ll have every stray from Ash and Oak House descending on us if I’m not careful!’

Elvie grinned at the image.

‘Fine! But no more than you two. I’ll talk to the other Masters, and you can make your way here today. Don’t think you’ll be getting nice food, though; I’ve no idea how to cook!’ He pushed back through the door and didn’t see the grin marking Elvie’s face.