He smiled. “Inside the building, I have hidden a valuable object. Once you retrieve it, you will have to find your way out of the building again. It will not be easy. Go.”
She nodded and used the door-opening spell that she had already practiced. So far, he had left her chocolate, a glass of water, and a happy kitten on a post-it note.
Imara moved through the rooms as quickly as she could until she found the valuable object. She scooped Mr. E up from the basket where he had been sleeping, and she turned to the doorway she had entered by. The wall sealed, and there was no trace of a doorway.
She winced. She had been afraid that this was that spell. She held the still-sleeping Mr. E tight to her chest, and she cast the pass-through spell. She stepped through the one wall, and all other walls were solid again.
She turned and looked around her, orienting herself to the tower she was in. She approached her chosen wall and passed through it, waiting until she was on the other side before she gasped. The air was fresh, and the green grass stroked her ankles.
Hyl applauded as he approached her. “Well done. The shortest distance was through the outer wall. The only problem lies in if you are on an upper floor, so that is where we will practice next.”
Mr. E disappeared from her arms, and she ran around to the point where she could sense him, and she climbed the wall before entering via the window. She grabbed him and was planning to go back out the window, but it had paved itself over.
His sleep wasn’t normal, so she made an executive decision. She stepped to the wall, placed them within it and used the molecular resistance to drop them to the main floor. When she felt solid ground beneath her feet, she forged forward along the line of the wall until she was outside.
Hyl nodded. “Right. Enough of that for today. Time for lunch.”
She smiled and breathed deeply. “In a moment. Emotion and spell casting don’t mix.”
Mr. E started to squirm in her arms, and Hyl nodded. “Right. Sorry, but it was necessary to see how you would do with a living being.”
She nodded. “I understand. It is also why I have the weight on my back the whole time.”
He shook his head. “You will see what a difference that makes when you are done with your training. If it makes you feel better, there are only two exercises left, and they can both be combined. Drawing shadows and hiding traces of your presence. After what you have been doing, they are mainly mental exercises. Once those are mastered, you can continue to come here to practice, but you won’t need me anymore.”
“Can I practice now? It is only two weeks to my exam.”
“Well, you are filthy, sweaty, exhausted, and reeking of magic. If you can walk back to the garden without being besieged by bunnies, I will consider you graduated.”
Imara looked at the sleepy kitten in her arms, and she nodded. “You are on.”
Chapter Six
Running the two spells together was difficult, and it meant she had to move slowly through the woods, careful to measure her steps. She might be in shadow with no scent of man or magic, but her footsteps still made noise.
Hyl was sitting with Adrea in the middle of a pool of light. Imara whispered for help to the space, and the lanterns dimmed. She stepped to the side and approached the chair she normally sat in, facing the herb gardens and the rioting rabbits. The moment she touched the chair, the spells dissipated.
Adrea laughed at Hyl’s expression. “Hooray! You spooked him. How did you get the lamps to dim enough to give you cover?”
“I asked. You have told me enough about Ritual Space over the last few weeks to know that as long as what I wanted wouldn’t affect you, it might just help me.”
Hyl poured her a cup of tea. “I consider you a very successful student. Well done, Imara.”
Adrea raised her cup. “Well done, Imara.”
She blushed and looked down at her grubby hands. “Thanks. I still need to practice.”
“And I am glad of the company.”
Hyl chortled. “I am sure that Argus will be happy if you can spend a few more days with him.”
Imara waved her hand through the air. “He knows what I am focused on. While he is right for me, I might not be right for him. If he changes his inclination, I won’t hold it against him.”
Adrea quirked her lips. “That is why you have kept it to a friendship.”
“Until I can afford for it to be more, yes.”
Hyl whistled. “You really do have a plan.”
“Yes, and I am very lucky to meet the right people at the right time.” She cupped her teacup in her hands, and she sipped slowly. For once, she wasn’t served from a separate pot.
Adrea looked at Hyl, and her expression softened. “To meeting the right people at the right time.”
They all toasted with their teacups over the table. Mr. E snorted into consciousness and stretched.
The talked softly of friends and families and how it was a great thing that you could at least choose one.
She scratched under Mr. E’s chin as they entered her room. She glanced back at the portal a moment before it closed. “I am guessing I won’t have it much longer.”
I would not be so sure about that.
“Technically, it would be dangerous for them to leave those stones with me.”
True, but it is Adrea’s choice. Her space, her choices.
She put him on the bed and grabbed her clothing for after her shower. “How do you think I did?”
I think that I only learned of your actions through your mind. You did very well. Hyl is a good teacher. He got the physical into your muscle memory and then moved on to the strategy.
“I know. I got lucky.”
His chuckle was in her mind while she headed for her shower.
Kitty was waiting in the common room when Imara came down. “Ready for coffee and gossip?”
Imara checked her watch and blinked in surprise. The sky was still light, though she felt like she had been at Ritual Space most of the day. “Of course. Sorry. I lost track of time.”
“You look exhausted. Even Mr. E looks sleepy.”
“I will get some coffee and be right as rain. Are we walking?”
“Yes. It’s a wonderful night.”
“Great.” Imara smiled. “I need some fresh, normal air.”
“I can’t guarantee normal, but it is definitely fresh. Get a coat.”
Imara patted herself down to make sure she had her wallet, beckoned to her familiar, and then slipped on a loose poncho. Mr. E popped his head out the neck hole, and he got comfy.
“Okay, ready.”
Kitty smiled and linked arms with her, hauling her out of the hall and down the street.
The restaurant was busy, but ordering quickly meant that they had time to chat while they waited for their food. Mr. E had his usual fans, so he sat at the edge of the table and let people stroke his chin.
“Okay, Imara, what have you been up to?”
Imara shrugged. “Working out, getting ready for the class exam. How about you?”
“My apiary is twelve feet tall, and I don’t have the nerve to harvest the honey for testing.” Kitty looked abashed.
Imara looked at her. “Do you need help? We could do it tonight.”