Dragon Fire Academy 1 First Term an RH academy romance - Rachel Jonas Page 0,17

that had just been set on the ledge of the whiteboard hovered. Having made his point, he lowered his palm to the table and let the marker rest in place again.

“Vanishing Twin Syndrome,” he blurted. “My sister was the one with powers, but when she died in utero, I absorbed her … and her magic,” he explained. “So, here I am.”

You could have heard a pen drop. I, for one, couldn’t wait to write home and tell Aunt Hilda about this. If I had to guess, Tristan was the only warlock walking the Earth.

“Yes, here you are indeed,” Ms. Audrina smiled. “In that case, allow me to welcome you to Intro to Sorcery.” There was no missing the intrigue in her expression as she tore her gaze away from Tristan and addressed the entire class again. “As I was saying before Mr. Montgomery joined us, please reach inside the drawers on your workstation. There, you’ll find two wooden boxes, one for each of you.”

I intended to wait until Tristan retrieved his before getting my own, but he’d gotten both, handing one to me.

“Thanks,” I said quietly.

“No problem.” A crooked smile flashed my way when he spoke.

The boxes were small, smooth and darkly stained. On top of the hinged lid, an emblem had been etched into the wood. As soon as I placed my fingers on the sides to see what was in it, Ms. Audrina cautioned us against being too curious.

“Before you start investigating,” she said with a smile, “place your hands over the carvings.”

There was a brief pause while we all did like we were asked.

“Now, close your eyes and repeat after me,” she instructed. “Vinctum Infinitum.”

The room echoed with the phrase, and when I spoke them myself, a strange energy pulsed from my fingertips.

“Open your eyes.”

My lids lifted with Ms. Audrina’s words, and when my gaze landed on my box again, the markings had changed. Not much, but the emblem that had been there all along, was now enclosed in a dark circle.

“Now, this piece is yours forever, bound to you for life,” Ms. Audrina explained. “It only contains basic ingredients at the moment, but we will add to it weekly, as you’re taught new incantations, and as you become more skilled.”

“May we look inside now?” The eager question had come from Tristan, and once again, a large portion of the girls in class turned to look at him.

“Of course,” Ms. Audrina nodded. “Get familiar with your box’s contents.”

The room was filled with the clatter of our boxes shuffling across the tabletops, and then quiet chatter followed. I peered inside, eyeing the small navy-blue satchel, several colorful stones, two vials of clear liquid, and four tiny packets with strange powders inside.

“Sweet,” Tristan beamed. “Can’t wait to find out what all this stuff does.”

When he turned to me, I returned the smile he offered. “I just hope I don’t start any fires.”

He laughed at that, but had no idea I was one hundred percent serious. Before being given my ring and learning to harness my magic, I was the queen of miscalculating my own abilities.

Glancing up, Tristan made sure the instructor wasn’t paying attention, and then removed the packet that contained a fine, purple powder. Checking one last time to make sure he was in the clear, he opened it and leaned in to sniff it.

“Whoa!” He reared back quickly, and it was hard to hold in a laugh as I watched him rub his nose profusely. “That certainly wasn’t what I expected. Here, smell.”

Still laughing, I frowned and leaned away when he held it close. “Absolutely not. I’ll take your word for it.”

With a shrug, he replaced the powder and reached for one of the vials next. As soon as he popped the cork that sealed it, a shadow darkened our area.

“I see you’re not shy about getting acquainted with your box, Tristan,” Ms. Audrina observed. When Tristan just about leapt from his skin, she softened her expression. “It’s perfectly fine to poke around. Just don’t get ahead of yourself and start mixing substances. Deal?”

“Deal,” Tristan echoed with a nervous smile.

He and I both watched as Ms. Audrina reached for the vial Tristan had just removed.

“Here, I’ll show you something cool,” she said quietly as she removed an eyedropper from the pocket of her long skirt.

Tristan and I kept our eyes trained on her as she let a small dot drip onto her fingertip. At first, it was only clear liquid on her skin, but when she breathed