Calliope was grilling us, and I didn’t have any time to think about Ethan while trying to enchant powerful objects.
“Today we’re going to be learning about the art of transference— that is, the art of storing your powers within a weapon,” Calliope instructed. “This is not an ability specific to Arcanea, though our illusion magic makes it easier for us than it is for other supernaturals. Other magical races have the ability of transference using crystals or other objects such as wands. Since fae practice forbids the use of those items, we specialize in trapping our illusion powers into our weapons; mainly, our swords.”
Kiara shifted uncomfortably next to me. Underneath her shirt lay the crystal her sister had given her. Nobody else knew she had it but me. I knew the fae taught that crystals were demonic, only used by those who practiced dark magic, but I wasn’t convinced they were evil. I had to admit I didn’t know much about them to be sure.
Calliope held up her own sword at the front of the classroom. “Storing your magic is very important. Magic users only have so much energy inside of them at a time. If one is to run out of magical energy, they’ll be rendered unable to practice spells. Worse, if one pushes themselves past the limits of their own magic, they could kill themselves. Having magic stored in your weapon for safe-keeping provides a safety net for emergencies in either of these situations.”
She placed her long sword upon her desk. “To transfer your powers into your weapon, place your hands on it. You can close your eyes, or stare at it. You must keep your focus. Imagine funneling the power inside yourself into the weapon and tucking it there, to give it a safe place to stay. Magical energy can be transferred from one source to another merely by touching, but to truly transfuse your object, you must have intent. Begin.”
I looked down. The sword Ethan had forged for me, Lodburzan, lay on the velvet table in front of us. I’d been told to bring it today. On Kiara’s side was a dagger that she’d borrowed from Professor Calliope. She grasped the hilt and narrowed her eyes, working on transference.
“You don’t have a weapon of your own?” I asked her.
Kiara shrugged. “Weapons aren’t usually given to sorceresses until their mate has forged it for them. Like with you and Ethan.”
I wiggled my eyebrows. “So how long is it going to take for Alexei to make yours?”
She slapped me on the shoulder with her free hand. “Stop! We’re not even mated.”
“Not yet,” I teased.
She blushed. “Honestly, Emma. It’s like mating is all that’s on your mind.”
“Hey, spring is on its way,” I suggested. Which was very true. People were bonding left and right. After Valentine’s Day hit, there were a ton of couples cozied up around the school. Why none of my friends had bonded yet, when their mates were right in front of them, was still a mystery.
Or maybe not. Delmare knew she had bonded— she was just afraid of getting hurt. Odette didn’t realize she had bonded with Theo and was distracted by another alicorn.
Kiara... couldn’t quite say. Maybe she was still unsure. Something I understood. I’d walked around all last semester believing I couldn’t possibly be bonded to Ethan, when the truth was plain to see.
I skimmed my fingers over the blade before me, tracing the patterns of running wolves. I took a deep breath and focused on the powers nesting inside my belly. I commanded my illusion magic to rise. It fought me, refusing to leave my chest.
My magic had been weak ever since I’d gotten a cold, and I was still trying to recover. It’d been three weeks now, and I wasn’t completely better. I still had a cough and felt tired from time to time. As someone with CVID, it took me forever to feel normal whenever I got sick. I’d been to the doctor, but he insisted there was nothing left to do but give it time.
Give it time. Huh. Give it time until I caught something else, I bet.
My magic wavered, then finally, I felt it flow. It went through my heart, down my arm and into the sword. As I trailed my hand down the blade, I could feel the magic waiting there as it thrummed throughout the sword.
Lodburzan was an excellent weapon. I’d placed a large amount of my magic into the blade, and there was still plenty