Read Online More than Magic: Semester Aboard by Elizabeth Kirke - Free Book Online Page B

they hit twenty. You’re incredibly lucky it hasn’t
faded yet. You can never get it back once it does."
    Even though it had been less than twenty-four
hours since I had found out magic existed, that thought sent a
chill through me. "What do I do?"
    He laughed. "Use magic. Once you start using
it, it won't fade. Which, as I said, is why we're doing it as soon
as possible." He gestured to the sticks. "Now, think of your wand
as an extension of you. It's a muscle too, same as your magic. You
can't pick it up and cast powerful spells, it has to be trained and
stretched just like your ability. It will start to tailor itself to
you. The better you get, the better your wand will get. You could
take another witch's wand and use it about as well as her arm if
you chopped that off."
    "Why did I have to choose fire?" I asked.
    "Oh, right," Thomas said. "Just getting to
that. This isn't wave your wand and say ‘hocus pocus’ and make
stuff happen magic. All magic is derived from different elements.
Fire, being a great example. It's not just flames and sparks, it's
also a source of light, and heat, and sometimes destruction. It
represents a few other things too. All of which can be produced
with fire magic. The more complex you get, the harder the magic is.
Same with the stronger you get. Right now, you can probably make a
couple of sparks. In a few years you'll probably be able to start a
nice big campfire with a flick of your wand. It's easiest to learn
magic by starting with one element and getting confident in the
basics. Still following?"
    "Yeah, I think so," I said.
    "Every type of wood is different. Some react
better with fire, some with metal. Different woods work better for
different people. Some woods are easier to for beginners. It's kind
of a complex science," he laughed. "What we've got here are a
variety of woods, all from trees cultivated specifically with the
intent of making wands for fire magic."
    "Am I stuck using fire magic, then?" I
asked.
    "No, no. We're just going to do that to
start. As you get better you can upgrade to a wand that's good for
more than just fire or forget fire altogether. Most witches and
wizards find different types of magic they like to use and tailor
their wands for those. Jon has like, a dozen different woods worked
into his wand."
    "Ok," I said. "So, how do I pick one?"
    "Well," Thomas sighed, "that's why we have so
many. Ideally, you'd have some idea of where to start. A lot of
people are good with the same woods as their parents. My dad liked
oak for a base, and my mom loved chestnut and walnut. When my magic
first emerged I tried all three. Walnut ended up being my
favorite..." He paused and something in his voice made my stomach
clench. Why had Jon taken care of him when his father died instead
of his mother?
    "Your mother isn't...dead too, is she?"
    "Yeah."
    Oh god, poor Thomas. I wasn't sure why, maybe
I wanted him to know I understood, but I said, "I never knew my
mother. She ran off and left us when I was just a baby. Drugs and
rock and roll or something."
    "Guess we have more in common than I
thought."
    "Guess so. Seems like Jon really cares about
you though."
    Thomas smiled. "Yeah, Jon and Natsuki, his
wife, have been great to me." He frowned in concern. "But you said
your father..."
    "He remarried and after he died she took care
of me. Even though she was busy with the new baby, Rachel was more
of a parent to me than he ever was." I wasn't exactly bitter, but I
couldn't help but sound like it.
    "New baby?" Thomas asked. I was grateful he
went for the happy side of things.
    "My half-sister," I said. "Emily. She's nine
now," I added, giving him an idea of how long ago my father had
died.
    To my surprise, he took it a different way.
"Only nine years, huh? That's hard."
    I shrugged. "I'm ok. You have any siblings?"
I asked, getting off the topic.
    "No, but I've got Tethys. TS that is," he
amended. "He's always been there, wouldn't trade him for any real
brother in the world." He