by D J DuMont
“Thanks for the save,” Willow said as she caught up with Sylvie, who was already walking briskly across a big lawn outside the building Willow had just left.
“You’re welcome. But you need to step up your game.”
Willow frowned at Sylvie’s serious tone. “It’s not my fault that Alexis wants to cling to me like a barnacle to a whale.”
“Perhaps not. But you need to have a game plan for how you’ll respond when someone asks you where you’re going. This top-secret thing isn’t a joke, and it’s your responsibility to not look suspicious to other students.”
Willow’s frown deepened, but she did not respond. Sylvie was right. Willow did need to have a better plan. But it stung a little to be so sharply reprimanded by her new friend. Willow couldn’t help but feel an old, familiar feeling creeping into her mind—the feeling of not being good enough for the task she was about to undertake. Willow had always been the one left behind: the last one picked for sports’ teams, the last one to get the punch line of a joke, the last one to turn in a test on exam day…she just never managed to be the best at anything. And despite everyone claiming that magical power was stronger in her than in anyone else here, Willow couldn’t stop thinking that they were wrong. Or maybe, they were just saying that to be nice. If she couldn’t even handle explaining to her roommate why she was going to be gone all evening, how was she supposed to surpass everyone else at practicing magic?
Sylvie must have noticed that Willow’s mood had tanked, because she gave her a playful punch and smiled. “Come on, Willow. Don’t look so glum. You’ll get the hang of things. Besides, we’re about to get our magic rings. You can’t look sad for an occasion like that!”
“We get our magic rings today?” Willow’s eyes widened. It made sense. After all, they would need their magic rings in order to do spells properly. But Willow had just assumed that there would be some training that needed to be done before the rings were given out. The idea of getting her ring today cheered her up.
Maybe this long day was going to turn out alright, after all. By the time Willow headed back to her dorm room tonight, she was going to be equipped to do real, powerful magic. Why was she worrying about Alexis, when the most wonderful day of her life—the day she officially swore into the Dragon Heart Program, was just getting started?
If only her father was here to see her now. Willow turned her face up toward the sky.
“I hope you can see me from up there, Daddy,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I’m going to make you proud.”
“Here we are,” Sylvie said, stopping in front of the building Willow recognized as the first one Anjali had brought her to when she arrived at Birch Point Academy.
“Time to get magical. Let’s do this.”
Chapter Nine
When Willow and Sylvie arrived in the Dragon Heart training building, a man Willow hadn’t met yet was there to greet them.
“Hello, I’m Sam,” he said, tipping his dark brown newsboy’s cap at them. “I’m the stable boy, if you will.”
“Stable boy?” Willow asked. She hadn’t seen any stables or horses around the Dragon Heart building, although she supposed she could have missed that detail. She’d been too sick to explore much the last time she was here.
“Yes, stable boy. I help take care of the dragons.”
Willow’s eyes widened. “Oh, right.” She looked over at Sylvie who was also gaping at Sam. Apparently, neither one of them had actually processed the fact that there were dragon stables nearby, which contained dragons. It had all seemed like such an abstract concept to Willow, but it was becoming more real by the second. Somehow, seeing Sam and knowing that he worked with the dragons made the dragons feel more real.
Sam frowned slightly at the two of them, then shrugged. “Right, well, I’m supposed to direct you to the main conference room. It’s down at the very end of the hall. Last door on your left. The other two trainees are already there, so you should hurry. Anjali doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Sam tipped his hat again, and Willow and Sylvie thanked him before rushing down the hallway. Neither one of them spoke, but Sylvie looked at Willow and grinned. Willow grinned back. This adventure was actually beginning.
The main conference room turned out to be the same large room where Anjali had shown Willow the video introduction to the Dragon Heart Program. Today, however, it didn’t look like Anjali was going to show a video. The projector screen was off, and Anjali was sitting casually on a barstool at the front of the room. On the first row of long, desk-like tables sat Locke and Cara, the other two trainees. Willow recognized them from the shuttle ride two weeks earlier. In some ways, that felt like a lifetime ago.
“Sylvie, Willow,” Anjali said in acknowledgement as they entered the room. “Welcome. I imagine you all know each other, but just in case, this here is Locke, and next to him is Cara. Locke and Cara, this is Sylvie, and next to her is Willow.”
Anjali pointed first at Sylvie and then at Willow. Willow felt self-conscious when Locke and Cara turned around to look at her. Both of them had guarded, determined looks in their eyes. Willow knew they were the two who had come from a long line of Dragon Hearts, and she felt intimidated all over again. How would she measure up to someone whose family line consisted of nothing but Dragon Hearts? As far as Willow knew, her father was the only one in her family who was a Dragon Heart. And now, he was gone.
Willow didn’t have very long to feel sorry for herself, though. Anjali was pointing to seats in the front row and telling them to sit down so she could get started. Willow hadn’t even fully settled into her chair before Anjali started speaking again.
“As you all know, you are here for the Dragon Heart training program. Over the next four years, I will be training you all to use magic and work with dragons. You will work hard, and we will cover every possible branch of magic you can imagine, from alchemy to divination to enchantment—and everything in between. As a Master Dragon Heart, I will be able to teach you almost everything you need to know. I’ve proven my expertise in a wide variety of magical disciplines. Occasionally, we may have a specialist come in, though, when I deem it necessary to ensure you have a well rounded magical education. And if you need help with anything related to dragons, you can ask Sam, the stable hand. He may not look like much, but he is also a Dragon Heart Agent, and the foremost expert in the world on dragon training and care. We’re lucky to have him here.”
Anjali paused and looked around, smiling at each of them in turn. Willow felt strangely nervous under Anjali’s gaze, and she was glad when Anjali’s eyes moved on to Locke.
“Now,” Anjali said, standing up as she finished making eye contact with everyone. “Today is going to be an easier day than most. Rather than give you any official lessons, we are going to give you a full tour of the facilities. You’ll be able to see all of the classrooms, and the potions lab as well. I think you’ll be surprised at how large this place is on the inside. The outside gives off the illusion of a much smaller building, thanks to a shrinking spell that was actually cast by the father of one of our students here today. Willow, your dad always worked hard to make this place better and more secure.”
Willow felt her cheeks redden as Anjali beamed at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Locke glare at her. She got the feeling that he didn’t like it when praise was doled out to anyone other than him, and she quickly looked away. The last thing she wanted to do right now was make an enemy, although she had to admit that it did feel good to know that Locke and the others had all just been reminded that her dad was a great Dragon Heart Agent.
But Locke wasn’t buying it. As Anjali motioned for them to stand and follow her, Locke leaned in and whispered in Willow’s ear, “Guess your dad should have spent more time working on spells to protect himself. Then he might not have died.”
Willow whipped her head around toward Locke, ready to make a snide comeback, but Sylvie pulled her away.
“Come on, Willow. Don’t let
him get to you. He’s just jealous because your dad is the best Dragon Heart Agent of our time.”
Locke snorted at this, but a sharp glance back from Anjali kept him from making any further comment.
“Now, down this hallway are the main classrooms. You’ll see those first, then we’ll check out the potions lab, followed by the sick bay, fitness center and dining room. Last, we’ll head to the outdoor dining area, where you will enjoy a welcome dinner, and the ring ceremony.”
“Ring ceremony?” Cara squeaked out, unable to conceal her excitement.
Anjali looked back at them and smiled without ever slowing her pace. “Yes. It’s when you’ll really start to feel like a wizard, I promise you. It’s hard to wear a magic ring and not feel proud. Just remember, you still have a lot to learn.”
Willow chanced a glance at Locke, who still had a snide look on his face. He probably thought he knew it all already, but suddenly Willow didn’t care. Let Locke be absurdly proud of his knowledge and family background. Willow knew in her heart that what Sylvie had said was true. Her father had indeed been the greatest Dragon Heart Agent of this time. There was ample evidence of that all around. Her father appeared in the introduction video to the Dragon Heart Program, and in many of the paintings on the wall. Surely, he must be an important figure if he was so celebrated here. But it wouldn’t have mattered to Willow if no one else thought he was the best. In her own heart, she knew her father was the greatest man who had ever lived. It wouldn’t surprise her in the least if he was the greatest wizard who’d ever lived, too.
Anjali conducted the tour quickly, but managed to fit a lot of information into a small amount of time. As they entered each classroom, she told them what subject was taught there, giving a brief overview of the subject’s history and main spells. Willow’s head was soon spinning as she tried to keep up. She had never been much into fantasy stories before, so this was a whole new world for her as she discovered uses for magic she hadn’t even known existed. In the Alchemy classroom, Anjali actually did a demonstration for them, turning water into dark, crude oil and then back again. Willow could hardly believe her eyes. She’d always thought of alchemy as simply the ability to turn ordinary objects into gold. It had never occurred to her that it could be used for more than just a “get rich quick” scheme.
The classrooms themselves looked quite ordinary. They were modern and sleek, with whiteboards in the front of the room instead of chalkboards. Instead of individual desks, the classes all had several rows of long tables, just as the conference room had. There weren’t any signs of magic, anywhere, though. Only in the divination room, where a crystal ball sat on the teacher’s desk, was there any hint that these classrooms weren’t used for your normal, everyday high school subjects.
The potions lab, on the other hand, looked exactly as you’d expect a witch’s lab to look. It was filled with cauldrons, beakers, and large glass cylinders containing a variety of spooky sounding ingredients. Willow saw labels for “Frog Eyeballs,” “Essence of Raven Feathers,” and “Shadow Dust,” among other things.
Sick bay was all too familiar to Willow, but the others seemed interested in that portion of the tour. The indoor fitness center looked like a normal high school gym, with some additional equipment. Several broomsticks hung on the walls next to a shelf of basketballs, and Willow’s heart started pounding with excitement when Anjali told the group that they’d be learning to play broomstick basketball soon enough. Everything seemed too crazy to be real, and too good to be true. But the most fascinating part of all was yet to come: Anjali had promised them a look at the dragons, but only after the ring ceremony was over. And it was only to be a peek. She told them that a full meeting of the dragons was only done after a few months of magical training. The dragons reacted better to people full of magic than to those without it. A few months of training would strengthen the magic within them all, making the dragons more accepting of them.
Anjali took them outside to see the grounds, which at first looked like an ordinary lawn surrounded by trees. But then, Anjali raised her ruby magic ring high above her head and said, “Concelo deleo.”
Instantly, a long wooden table appeared in front of the group. On the table were several golden pitchers, plates that sparkled with inlaid diamonds, and forks, knives, and spoons made of some sort of shimmering black metal. Crystal goblets decorated each place setting, and several golden trays on the table held fruit, crackers, cheese, and chocolate.
“What in the world,” Locke said. “Did you just make that appear out of thin air?” Apparently Anjali had managed to impress even him.
“Not exactly,” Anjali said, laughing. “Unfortunately, none of our magicians have yet figured out how to make something out of nothing. If any of you can manage that, you’re sure to find yourself a place in the magical history books. This table in front of you has been there the whole time. I just had it hidden under an invisibility spell.”
“Cool,” Cara said, drawing out the word in an awe-filled voice. Apparently Anjali had managed to impress her, too. Willow was amazed as well, although she wasn’t a tough one to impress. Every single magical thing Anjali had shown them so far had caused Willow’s eyes to nearly pop out of her head. Even though Willow knew by this point that she wasn’t dreaming all of this, she still couldn’t help but feel like she was going to wake up and everything would be gone. It all seemed too wonderful for a mere human heart to take in.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Anjali said to her gawking students. “Sit down. The ring ceremony is scheduled to begin in less than ten minutes, so if you want to have time to munch on these snacks before then, you’d better get going.”
Locke lunged at the table, grabbing the chair at the head. Willow wanted to roll her eyes at his audacity. Of course he would think he deserved to sit in the most prestigious seat. She caught Sylvie’s eyes, and the way Sylvie arched an eyebrow in Locke’s direction told Willow that Sylvie had similar feelings about Locke.
Cara openly glared at Locke, then sat down next to him. Sylvie and Willow merely shrugged and took the two open seats closest to Cara. They were in a magical place, about to receive their magic rings. Willow wasn’t going to let anything get her down, not even Locke’s snobbish attitude.
Willow reached for one of the pitchers and was surprised to see it was filled with a dark red liquid that smelled like wine. She glanced at Sylvie, unsure of what to do.
“Maybe that one’s for the adults?” Sylvie whispered. “Check in the other pitcher.”
The other pitcher was the same, though. Locke had noticed their confusion, and he reached for the pitchers with a laugh.
“Seriously, do you girls really know nothing about magic? It’s just Snapdragon Sap. It’s only a juice.”
Sylvie still looked doubtful. “Then why does it smell like wine?”
“It’s because of the reaction of magic with the juice and its other ingredients. It gives off a fermented sort of smell, but it’s not actually alcoholic. It’s very healthy. Keeps your bones and muscles and joints all strong.”
Willow looked over at Anjali for confirmation that this was true, but to her surprise she saw Birch Point Academy’s Headmaster, Flynt Damon, walking up to the table.
“Locke is correct,” Headmaster Damon said. “Snapdragon Sap is actually not alcoholic. But it is delicious, and it is very good for you. Cheers,”
He picked up a goblet and quickly filled it with Snapdragon Sap, then held it up. Locke, who had already filled his goblet, clinked it with Headmaster Damon’s. “Cheers.”
Willow looked back at Anjali, wondering why no one was alarmed that the Headmaster of Birch Point Academy, who was not a Dragon Heart and had no magical capabilities, as far as she knew, was here in the middle of the Dragon Heart grounds.
But Anjali wasn’t worried either. She was smiling at Headmaster Damon, and reaching for a goblet of her own.
“Let’s get this ceremony started, shall we? I hope you’re all ready to receive yo
ur magic rings.”
Chapter Ten
As Headmaster Damon took his place on a small stage that, of course, seemed to appear out of nowhere at a few magical words from Anjali, Willow reached nervously for the pitcher of Snapdragon Sap and poured herself a glass. She took a small, experimental sip, and then smiled. Despite the strange wine-like smell, this drink merely tasted like the sweetest, most refreshing juice Willow had ever tried. Just as Locke had promised, she felt rejuvenated and more energetic within moments of taking a sip.
Headmaster Damon had cleared his throat and was beginning to speak. Willow, who was starving, reached for some of the fruit, cheese, and chocolate on the trays in front of her. She knew she should be careful not to stuff herself on appetizers, because they would be eating dinner soon. But the food tasted so delicious that she had a hard time not stuffing her face. The fruit was perfectly ripe, the cheese was soft and creamy, and the chocolate was sweet and smooth. Willow wondered if magic had played a part in the preparation of their dinner today. She had a sneaking suspicion that it had. Otherwise, how would anyone be able to prepare food that was this perfect?
Willow popped another strawberry into her mouth and turned her attention to Headmaster Damon.
“I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome each and every one of you to the Dragon Heart Academy at Birch Point. I know you might be surprised to see me over on this ‘special’ part of campus. And it’s true, yes, that I don’t have any magical abilities. The blood tests don’t lie, unfortunately. As much as I’d love to do magic, it’s just not in my DNA.”
Locke sat up a little straighter, and Willow resisted the urge to roll her eyes. That boy was way too proud of himself. It’s not like he’d done anything to inherit magical abilities. He’d just been lucky enough to be born with the correct genes. Headmaster Damon, however, didn’t seem to notice Locke’s proud demeanor as he continued talking.
