The Shadowseeker - Victor Kloss Page 0,35

what did and did not constitute willpower, concentration and vision, until Ben felt he could recite every definition of each word. When that was done, James spent another fifteen minutes telling them how to handle the spell (“Do not squash it; the magic could leak out and it would become worthless”) and even how to throw it (“If you spin the spell, it could lose its potency and perform in unexpected ways”).

“I think you're ready to give it a go,” James said, rubbing his huge hands together. “I've only given you a basic overview, but it should be enough to get started on the first spell.”

James had them stand opposite the two remaining targets, and placed a spell each in their hands, with surprising delicacy.

“Your first spell,” James said, with a solemn nod. “An important moment in any apprentice’s journey. The question is – will you be the first to successfully cast a spell on their first go?”

“Nobody has done it before?” Ben asked, holding the little spell up to his face.

“It takes, on average, two dozen attempts before you get one to cast,” James said. He stood back and folded his arms. “I will be counting for both of you.”

Ben felt a little rush of adrenaline. Jimmy had stopped throwing, and even the two girls, Emma and Debbie, had paused, to watch. James gave them a frown, but didn't tell them to return to practice.

The small pellet weighed more than he expected, enough to give Ben confidence that he could throw it a good distance. The target was no more than thirty feet away, a series of red and white concentric circles, standing just in front of the wall. Willpower. Confidence. Vision. James' booming voice kept running round his head, making it difficult to clear his mind. He could feel eyes on him and he had the sudden urge to look up. Little noises like James' annoying nasal breathing and occasional sniffs suddenly seemed difficult to ignore. What had seemed like the simple task of hitting a large dartboard with a pellet suddenly became infinitely more difficult. Concentrate! Vision. That was easy, at least. He wanted the spell to burst into flames in the middle of the target. Ben positioned himself in line with the target. He raised his arm, and threw, his whole body following through like a tennis player. The little red spell flew forwards and just missed the bull’s-eye. There was a tiny flashing glow and, for just a moment, Ben thought it was going to ignite. But instead it bounced off the target and hit the floor. He stared at the pellet on the floor with a mixture of disappointment and frustration, his confidence deflating like a popped balloon.

“Very good!” James said, breaking the silence, and clapping. Jimmy joined in enthusiastically, and the two girls gave him admiring looks before turning back to continue their training.

“Really?” Ben said, lifting his head. “It looked a bit pathetic to me.”

“Not at all. You achieved a minor glow on your first attempt. That’s rare – very rare. Your willpower is excellent and there was nothing wrong with your vision. But your concentration needs work. Go and get another spell.” James turned to Charlie. “Right, your turn. Remember, don't worry about throwing it as hard as you can. That isn't important.”

Charlie narrowed his eyes, and Ben saw a steely determination that few people knew existed. He threw the pellet; it hit the outer rim and bounced harmlessly away.

Charlie smiled brightly. “I'm quite pleased with that. Did you see me hit the target?”

“I've seen worse first efforts,” James said, glancing briefly at Jimmy. “Your concentration was good, but you need to work on your willpower. Believe that you can make the spell cast and it will.”

Ben hurried over to pick up his spell and get back into position. He was determined to make it cast second time. Has anyone ever managed that? he wondered. Ben took a deep breath, to relax his body. He wound his arm back, his eyes fixed on the bull’s-eye. A loud cough echoed in the small room just as Ben was swinging through. He jerked and the spell hit the target just to the right of the bull’s-eye. It glowed again, brighter this time, before bouncing to the floor.

Ben turned angrily, assuming it was Jimmy. But someone else had entered the room, leaning casually against the door frame with his legs crossed.

“I'm sorry, did I distract you?” Joshua asked with a smirk. “I had something