Tangled

Unshift 235

Unshift 235

235 Ava: Magic Training (1)

235 Ava: Magic Training (1)

Magister Orion clasps his hands in front of him and beams in my direction. "And now, we have you, Ava Grey. The first wizard in a very long time."

Feeling the intensity of his gaze, I shift my weight, settling a little deeper into my chair as though that will somehow shield me from his excitement. "I don't want

you to see me as something special. I'm just me."

"You can't get away from being special, Ava Grey." He sighs. "It's unfortunate, but you'll never be able to escape that. Even without your magic, you're mated to an alpha, correct?"

I nod.

"Then you were already special to begin with." He spreads his hands with a little shrug. "Your magic is

like confetti on a cake."

Confetti?

Oh. He must mean sprinkles.

"Sprinkles are disgusting," I point out.

They are not. I like them. Selene's little whisper in my

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235 Ava: Magic Training (1)

mind has my nose wrinkling

Sprinkles are just crunchy wax covering delicious icing. They have no business being within a mile of a decent

cake.

"Yes, well, there are those who love their sprinkles."

Magister Orion claps his hands. "So. Fire was your first element. I'm a little surprised. I thought it would be

water."

Tilting my head, I ask, "Does it matter?"

"Matter? No. It's a simple bit of curiosity. A personal theory, I suppose. Have you had any success with

other elements?"

"Water," Vanessa offers.

"Oh?" That sparkling look in his eyes is back. "You

touched water?"

exactly. Nothing happened, but I could feel

when I finally stopped trying to

murmurs. "And were you having memories again, when

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Ava: Magic Training

"I did think about water and

Once I finally did, it came to me. It doesn't really feel like I'm in control of it, but that it's coming up

me on its own."

explanation

the words to use, or how to describe the feelings in my body. I

sounds like a partial activation. You felt your attunement with the element. This is still

His lips move, but the words are too quiet for me to catch. I strain my ears, leaning

this, he lets out a sigh so heavy I swear I feel the air move. "Red tape," he grumbles. "Always

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to ask what he means when he continues, his voice rising. "Florice can take her damn applications and shove them up her

eyes widen. It's jarring, like

swear.

apologize for my crass language," he says, noticing my expression. "I'm simply sick of how things are governed here. Did you

me, awkward

an exaggeration than it is," he mutters, confirming

this bizarre tidbit about Fae bureaucracy, Magister Orion's demeanor shifts. "Follow me," he says, his tone brooking

after him to the back of the building. He stops in front of a blank wall, and I'm about to

are magic. The wall shimmers and

nothing before

Ava: Magic

trees stretching up towards... I blink, trying to make sense of what I'm seeing. The ceiling-if you can call it that- cycles between sun,

once.

the air, in the ground beneath my feet. I can almost taste it, a tang on my tongue

training room," Magister

announces.

the room shimmers. The trees melt away, replaced by sleek metal walls. We're suddenly standing in what looks

just happened?" I ask, my voice barely above

of its owner," Magister Orion explains. "But it won't change at whim for

taking it all in. The level

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Ava: Magic

like a

trying to make sense of what I'm seeing. The ceiling-if

sun, stars, and wooden beams like a normal ceiling. It's disorienting

once.

air, in the ground beneath my feet. I can almost taste it, a tang on my tongue like ozone after a

training room,"

announces.

room shimmers. The trees melt away, replaced by sleek metal walls. We're suddenly standing in what looks like a giant metal

Magister Orion explains. "But it won't change at whim for

taking it all in. The level of magic surrounding us is staggering.

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Ava: Magic Training

my arms stand up, sends a tingle down

this room, you should be safe to