Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 245 Ava: Magic Boot Camp

Magister Orion keeps me in the training room for an entire week.

Eating. Sleeping. It doesn't matter; I do it all there.

At first, it's weird. I'm always rushing, wanting to go back, to see if we've heard from Sister Miriam or Selene, but Magister Orion points out every time—enough time hasn't passed in our world.

It's weird. I don't think it'll ever feel right.

"How long has it been? Didn't you say it changes?"

"It changes from time to time, but stays stable for long periods." He rests in a hammock, swaying from two palm trees in the middle of our weird, metal training room. He looks like he's on vacation.

Marcus is watching in silence, as he always does.

Vanessa's asleep in her own hammock. They've been taking turns.

Me?

I'm drenched in sweat, but there are three different flames, about an inch in size, floating in the air in front of me. It's little more than candle-strength, but I'm proud of it.

Maybe it doesn't sound like much, but it's massive progress.

Instead of pestering Magister Orion for a more concrete answer, I try to pull the three flames together and merge them into one.

It all falls apart after that.

One flickers out of existence. Another bounces off, and I cut my trickle of magic as it dives straight for Magister Orion's face.

It, too, disappears.

end, I'm left

cutting my

Magister Orion announces on the heels

surprised. "How do you

at the wall behind me. "The

on the wall. One displays a countdown for our

use digital clocks?" I

gives me an odd

with numbers," I explain, gesturing to the

"We've always used clocks with numbers. What

never seen one? "They have

to confusion. "A circle? Why? Why do you need hands? Is it to move

actually needles that

nose

I nod.

you tell time

The big needle is for minutes and the short needle is for

only have

And then there's P.M.,

inventions can be so very strange. This

on the clock explanation, I just

have no idea how elementary teachers can throw knowledge at children;

run for the hills and give up

fire once more; the power

"Focus on gathering your magic inside of you until it's stable. Your control

"Why didn't

would I know