by D J DuMont
When the food was finished and the plates were cleared away, the speeches began. The banquet was being attended by many Dragon Heart Agency officials, since so many were already on campus because of the Dark Sparks incident. Sylvie and Willow both did their best not to act totally starstruck, but it was hard not to be impressed by the big names that surrounded them. As each one got up to give a short speech to the trainees, Sylvie and Willow hung onto every word. These were the stars of the Dragon Heart Agency. Locke and Cara managed to maintain a calmer demeanor, but Willow had no doubt that they were excited to have such important people here, too.
When the speeches were over, the time came to award the Golden Dragon Heart. Willow didn’t pay much attention to the long speech Anjali gave. The Golden Dragon Heart was supposed to be awarded to the student who had shown the best grasp of magic over the year, so it would probably go to Locke, just as he’d hoped. Willow held out a small amount of hope that it might go to Sylvie. After all, even though Sylvie wasn’t as vocal about her abilities as Locke, she was able to keep up with him or surpass him in most magical subjects. Cara was good at magic, too, but she still struggled with being too timid, so it wasn’t likely she’d get the award. And as for Willow herself, well, she often still struggled to do basic spells. There was no way she was going to get the Golden Dragon Heart.
At least, that’s what she thought. When it came time to announce the winner and Anjali said “Willow Ember” in a loud, confident voice, Willow almost fell out of her seat. Instead of standing to go accept the award, she laughed.
“There must be a mistake. I’m the worst in our class at magic spells.”
Anjali smiled patiently. “There is no mistake, Willow. Please come accept your award.”
Anjali’s tone was kind but firm, leaving no doubt that she expected Willow to obey her. Willow stood and walked forward in a daze. When she reached Anjali, Anjali held up a golden pin in the shape of a dragon’s heart.
“Willow Ember, this Golden Dragon Heart award is yours, for showing all the traits of a strong Dragon Heart. You have shown intelligence in learning magic spells, bravery in facing danger and difficult situations, and loyalty in not leaving fellow agents behind in battle. Most of all, you have shown kindness and an ability to work together with your fellow agents. This is the most important skill to learn in mastering magical powers. For together, we can accomplish so much more than we can on our own. Willow Ember, congratulations on winning this year’s Golden Dragon Heart.”
Cheers erupted from the crowd, and Willow managed to stammer out a “thank you” before stumbling back to her seat. She looked at Sylvie and shook her head in shock.
“I can’t believe I won this instead of you. You’re so much smarter.”
Sylvie laughed. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re a better wizard than you think, Willow Ember. I’m lucky to have you as a friend.”
Sylvie gave Willow a hug, and Cara shook her hand and congratulated her. Locke had a sour look on his face, but he managed to stammer out a brief congratulations. Willow hadn’t wanted to take the coveted award away from him, but she did have to admit it felt pretty good to be honored in front of so many Dragon Heart Agents. And it felt good to show Locke that yes, she, Willow, could be an important part of the Dragon Heart team.
Anjali said a few more words about how the other trainees had done well this year, too. Locke was praised for his mastery of alchemy. Cara was praised for overcoming her fear of riding on a dragon, and Sylvie was given high marks for her divination skills—no surprise, since she had been the one to figure out the Summatim spell during the practice mission.
Then the part of the banquet came where Anjali asked each of the trainees to demonstrate a magic spell for the attendees. Locke performed an impressive strengthening spell that allowed him to easily lift Yarrow up with one hand. Cara chose to do an advanced levitating spell, and lifted the entire banquet table off the ground several feet. Sylvie showed off a complicated shield spell, and even the most cynical of the Dragon Heart leaders seemed impressed that she could pull it off as a first year trainee.
As for Willow, she decided to do a spell that shot sparkles from her magic ring. The spell wasn’t necessarily useful for much. It was a fun spell, used merely to bring beauty to parties and other events. But it was a rather hard spell to perform, so it did a nice job of showing off her skills. And besides, Willow wanted to bring a little beauty into their banquet. After the year they’d had, it felt nice to truly celebrate.
“Splendeo!” Willow shouted, lifting her magic ring high into the air. She managed to perform the spell perfectly. Instantly, long streams of colorful, fiery sparks shot from her ring. It looked almost like a miniature fireworks show. Willow saw Cayenne roar with happiness, and then prance like a happy puppy under the light of the fireworks. Even Clove looked content. Perhaps her father’s dragon was happier these days, knowing that at least now everyone believed Willow’s father was alive. Everyone clapped, oohed, and ahhed as Willow’s magic continued to light up the outdoor banquet.
Willow herself looked up at the sparkling light and smiled. Although her father was still missing, she felt better knowing they were on their way to finding him. She would have a good summer this year, helping to search for him. And even through the challenges, her magic had grown strong this school year at the Dragon Heart Academy.
She was slowly growing into her mighty Dragon Heart, and that was a truly magical feeling.
* * * Thank you for Reading * * *
Ready for Willow’s next adventure? Book Two in the Dragon Heart Academy of Magic Series is available now! Follow the link below to get your copy!
BOOK TWO: WILLOW’S SECRET MISSION
Want to be the first to know when D.J. DuMont releases new books? Then sign up for the D.J. DuMont newsletter using the following link:
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No Spam, ever! Just fun updates and information on new releases!
Thank You For Reading!
Ready for Willow’s next adventure? Book Two in the Dragon Heart Academy of Magic Series is available now! Follow the link below to get your copy!
BOOK TWO: WILLOW’S SECRET MISSION
Want to be the first to know when D.J. DuMont releases new books? Then sign up for the D.J. DuMont newsletter using the following link:
https://www.subscribepage.com/djdumont
No Spam, ever! Just fun updates and information on new releases!
If you enjoyed this book, please take a moment to let me know by leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
About the Author
D.J. DuMont is the author of the Dragon Heart Academy of Magic series, a YA Fantasy series about dragons, magic, and the power of friendship. She lives in Northern California with her family, and can usually be found hard at work writing her next book. Visit her website at www.djdumont.com or find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authordjdumont/
