I hobbled up the rugged stone path, wishing that Master Magnus hadn’t taken my wand away—again. It hadn’t been a big fire. Just a small one—one that burned down half the garden. OK, maybe it wasn’t that small. But still, having my wand would have made this sudden trip for oregano much faster. I could have dried the mud puddles, distracted Big Bully Brooks, and convinced the merchant to give me the herbs for a cheaper price. But instead, I was returning to the cottage with mud-splattered robes, a split lip, and an empty coin sack.
The cottage door swung open more easily than I expected, but I didn’t think much of it as I slammed the oregano jar on the first surface I encountered.
“Master Magnus,” I called into the cottage, my eyes scanning around the entrance hall. My eyes soon crossed as I adjusted to the wobbly floors and wibbly walls. I muttered again about the master wizard’s harsh rules. I didn’t see why he couldn’t just fix my spell. I’m sure he didn’t like living inside a kaleidoscope any more than I did, and it had been his idea for me to try a new spell.
After hopping over a stool that I realized was actually still three feet away, I let out an exasperated grunt and shouted again for Master Magnus. I waited, but I didn’t hear an answer. My heart skipped a beat, but I immediately swallowed my initial concern. Maybe he was in the garden. I fumbled through the cottage but managed to avoid knocking down potions. I did smack a figurine to the floor, but my toes gave it a soft landing. I wish I’d broken it instead. Now I could add a throbbing foot to my list of magically avoidable injuries. Thanks, Master Magnus.
When I reached the back door, I tripped. That’s when I noticed the crack. Once I saw it, I couldn’t believe that I’d missed it before. I abandoned my search for the wizard and went back through the cottage now that my senses had adjusted to the haphazard layout. A deep and jagged purple crack ran down to what I guessed was the center of the cottage. Smaller cracks had already started to branch from the main one, but I finally realized that everything was suspended slightly above the floor. Even my own feet didn’t actually touch the ground. Fear gripped my heart, and a chill ran through my whole body. I scrambled out of the cottage, more determined than ever to find my master.
The garden was empty. I strained to catch a glimpse of the wizard’s tall purple hat among the corn stalks, but there was nothing there. Then I thought about Zinta. I started calling for the cat, not really expecting her to appear. We may be mortal enemies, but that didn’t mean I wished her harm. I scared a rabbit or two out of the parts of the garden that were still green, but there was no sign of the Russian Blue. I threw open the doors to the shed.
Ivy immediately tangled around my ankles, but I kicked the strands off easily and searched the shed. It was bigger on the inside, with tall ceilings and several windows that weren’t visible on the outside of the building. I paused, sucking in an impressed breath. So, this is what that spell was supposed to do. Now I wish I’d been patient enough to do it right.
I snapped myself back to the situation at hand and rummaged through the shelves, but the cat was nowhere to be seen. As I reached the back, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I turned slowly, not wanting to lose it. It was a door—a small one in the center of the wall that I’d already searched. I approached it carefully, my eyes fixed on the door so I wouldn’t lose it again. I carefully touched the latch but recoiled in surprise as a burning sensation ripped through my body. I shook out my hand and checked my fingers, but the burning had already stopped, leaving my body cold and shaking. I glanced around the shed again, blinking hard. Had it always looked so colorful? I heard a rattling creak that made me jump out of my skin. Had it always been so noisy? My skin suddenly prickled as a gentle breeze rippled through the building, and I shivered. Had it always been this cold?
I bit my lower lip and winced. I’d already forgotten about my split lip. I shook my head furiously and rubbed my eyes. Sucking in a deep breath, I grabbed the latch again and ripped the door open. All I saw first was darkness. I had just enough time to think that there was nothing inside when a gray-blue blur rocketed into my chest. I fell backwards, my breath completely knocked out of me as my back slammed against the floor. I stared up at the sudden weight on my chest.
Zinta sat perched on my chest as if it were the best thing she’d sat on all year. Her green eyes sparkled as she tilted her head. She lifted a paw and started grooming herself. All I could do was stare. After a few moments, my senses returned—even if a little heightened—and I shoved her off. She hissed at me, but I didn’t really care. I jumped back up to my feet and left the shed with Zinta trailing behind me. Once I’d made it back outside, I thought I’d be able to come up with a plan. I’d assess my situation and come up with a logical explanation. Then I’d fix the problem. Well, I’d start on the list.
Then I saw Gail ride up to the gate.
All sense failed me for the third time that day, and I waved. As soon as she saw me, her eyes lit up. I quickly put my hand down and turned away, cursing myself for being so weak. I should have scurried under a bush. Hidden in the corn! Gone back into the shed! Anything so she wouldn’t have seen me. But it was too late. I could hear her footsteps behind me, so I turned around and gave her my best smile. I remembered my split lip too late, and pain pierced my face again. Gail’s smile turned to a concerned frown.
“Prentice!” she exclaimed, her pale blue eyes flashing. “What happened?”
“Oh, I—uh—well—”
I racked my brain for an excuse that didn’t sound completely pathetic, but each one sounded worse than what had actually happened. So, I changed the subject.
“So . . . what brings you all the way up here? Come to get a potion for your sick brother again?”
Well, that topic change was terrible. I regretted the words as soon as her face fell.
“Oh . . .well, no,” she answered quietly, the spark in her eyes dimming. “I thought you’d heard.”
I racked my brain, remembering too late that I had heard. Her brother died two weeks ago. How could I have forgotten that?! I tried stammering an apology, but I had to stop. I was just making it worse. Gail blinked back tears but interrupted me to tell me why she was here. Thank goodness.
“I found Artemis in our pasture, and I thought I’d bring her back for you,” she said. I glanced at the horse on the other side of the fence, my brow creased with concern.
“I didn’t even know she’d gotten out,” I said. Gail finally paused to take a look around the garden, her eyes widening at the blackened vegetation.
“Um, is everything OK over here?” she asked. “Where’s Master Magnus?”
“I wish I knew,” I admitted. “He’s not here.”
Gail stared at me, her face growing an alarming shade of white.
“He’s not here,” she repeated at a whisper.
“Did you need him for something?” I asked and then puffed out my chest a little. “Maybe I could help instead.”
Gail looked me up and down and stayed quiet. I started to wonder if I should have offered when she grabbed my hand and led me out of the garden. Zinta, my second shadow, followed so closely I almost tripped on her twice. Gail led me down the path she’d come up, and we both stopped halfway down.
My jaw dropped.
The once picturesque fields and flowers of Antalya now lay in ruin amidst the jagged purple cracks, identical to the ones in the cottage. Had I really been so deep in self-pity that I’d missed all of this? Surely, I couldn’t be that stupid.
“They appeared when I was in the pasture with my flock,” Gail was saying when I finally snapped myself back to the present. “Then I saw Artemis roaming, so I thought I’d bring her back. I thought I’d be able to talk to Master Magnus too, but—”
She broke off, sounding completely defeated. I scuffed my toe in the dirt, shivering when I felt another breeze. Gail didn’t seem to feel it. When I lifted my eyes, I found her staring at me in desperation. My heart skipped in my chest as I swallowed hard.
“Do you think you could fix this?” she asked me. I looked at the cracks again, knowing deep down I was not ready for anything like this. Not even close. I hadn’t even mastered levitation yet. I let out a long breath, hesitant to speak. I didn’t want to disappoint her, but I couldn’t lie to her either.
“We have to find Master Magnus,” I said, sounding more resolved than I felt. “He’s the only one who can make this right.”
Zinta rubbed against my leg, and I stooped to pick her up. To my surprise, she was trembling. The Zinta I knew wasn’t really afraid of anything. My gut wrenched. Something was really wrong. I could feel it.
“But where do we look?” Gail asked.
I looked around, completely at a loss. I didn’t know any more than she did. Zinta suddenly jumped from my arms and bounded to the nearest crack. She stopped in front of it and looked back at me as if waiting for me to follow.
“Well, I guess Zinta knows,” I said, sharing a look with Gail. We followed the Russian Blue toward the crack. She jumped over it and bounded to another one, looking back at us to make sure we were still coming. I felt uneasy hopping over the cracks, but I knew Zinta was our best option. Our only option, really, but that was basically the same thing. I occasionally stole glances in Gail’s direction, but she was too fixed on Zinta to notice. I hoped.
Our awkward interaction was still weighing on my mind, and I felt increasingly guilty for my insensitive words. For being one of my only friends, Gail deserved so much better than that. I considered another apology, but I figured that would only make things worse. I didn’t know what to say anyway.
I jogged to catch up with Zinta and Gail. They were waiting for me at the edge of the forest. I swallowed hard. The Dark Forest was a place I’d never wanted to visit. Sunlight seemed to stop at the canopies, leaving the forest floor in eerie darkness. A large, jagged crack cut down the center of the forest, casting an ominous purple glow. It felt wrong. Unnatural. Evil.
Zinta swished her tail and looked up at me, her wide green eyes filled with terror.
“He’s in there?” Gail whispered and suddenly grasped my hand. “Prentice, do we really have to go in?”
I froze at the feeling of her hand clutching mine. I’d always hoped for this day. To be noticed as something more than a bumbling kid with no magical talents whatsoever. But I didn’t feel like a protector either. With Zinta pressed against my leg and Gail looking up at me for guidance, I felt grossly unprepared. Then one of Master Magnus’s sayings rushed through me like a breath of fresh air.
It’s not talent that wins the battle but sheer determination. One is granted, the other is forged in fire that winds of change can never snuff out.
I’d heard these words so many times before, but I never really believed them. Well, without my wand, I didn’t have much choice. Sheer determination it is. I looked at Gail, my grip on her hand tightening with a confident strength I didn’t know I had.
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. Go home to your family.”
“But what about you?”
“Oh, I’ll be all right,” I said, but my confidence wavered a little. I knew I’d feel better with company, but I wasn’t about to force her into the Dark Forest. Gail looked back into the trees and then returned her eyes to me, looking braver than she had before. Her grip on my hand tightened, and she stood a little taller.
“I’m coming,” she said. I didn’t argue. We headed into the forest with Zinta between us. Even after entering the darkness, Gail and I kept our hands together. I didn’t want to lose her, and I didn’t really mind the warmth of her hand in mine. As we walked, I couldn’t help but feel a little lighter.
Zinta pressed so close to me, I almost kicked her into the purple crack. She clawed her way up my leg, and I let her jump into my free arm. She huddled in the crook of my elbow, her head pressed into my chest. I’ve never seen her so frightened. I’d expected her to run and hide by now, but she seemed more content in my arms than back at the cottage, which I found odd. Sure, I’d saved us both from the clutches of Dolion last month, but she’d still played tricks on me when Master Magnus hadn’t been looking. This Zinta seemed entirely different, nuzzling me like her favorite pillow.
I returned my eyes to the path, careful to avoid the edges of the crack. It seemed to be getting wider the further we went, and I pulled Gail closer. I glanced back the way we’d come, but I couldn’t see the sunny fields anymore. Everything was black as midnight, save for the faint purple glow from the cracks.
We hadn’t gone much further when I heard a low rumbling. I stopped. Gail tugged on my hand, but I didn’t move.
“What is it?” she asked. I didn’t answer. I glanced down at Zinta whose ears were twitching. The rumbling grew louder, and I looked at the crack. It was getting wider. I pulled Gail into me and staggered into the foliage. The soil beneath our feet slipped down into the widening chasm, almost taking all of us with it. I flung Gail backward, keeping her away from the crack, but it was still growing.
“RUN!”
Gail didn’t have to be told twice. She ran, pulling me with her. I sprinted after her, still clutching Zinta with my other arm. But we weren’t fast enough. I could feel the ground vanishing under my feet as I ran. Gail fell first, her hand slipping from mine. I reached back, but the ground was gone.
I didn’t know I’d fallen until I hit something hard.
My vision blurred, my chest feeling heavy, like my lungs had forgotten how to breathe. I shook my head as I tried sitting up and realized that I was still holding onto Zinta. The cat scrambled out of my arms but soon retreated to my lap, trembling at our surroundings. I rubbed the back of my neck while air painfully returned to my lungs. I expected to see walls of dirt and rock on either side of me, so the lack of any barriers made my stomach jolt. I was sitting in the middle of a paved stone path, a sheer drop into darkness on either side. Gail was only two feet from me, still sprawled on the path in dazed confusion. I heaved myself over to her as she sat up.
“Are you all right?” I asked. She didn’t answer me right away. She had a glassy expression as she looked straight above us. I followed her gaze and was just as dumbstruck. Miles high above us, a thick purple fog blocked any view of the Dark Forest. Lightning flashed, illuminating quick glimpses of our surroundings. The stone path led to a house. A house. More like a mansion, really. Not that a lowly apprentice like me had ever seen one before. Tall columns towered high, supporting a rigid structure that felt more like a prison than a home. Zinta bolted out of my lap and headed straight for the front door.
I scrambled after her, and Gail ran after me. I climbed the steep steps, swallowing hard at the gargoyles that guarded both sides of the heavy double doors. An image was carved in each of the doors, giving the impression of a fierce storm. I shivered.
Zinta sat in front of the doors, her head twisted back, so she could look at me. I looked at Gail. She looked pale in the dim light, and I reached for her hand. She laced her fingers with mine and let out a long breath.
“Let’s do this,” she said. A whistling wind breezed through my hair and fluttered my robes as I raised my hand to knock. I didn’t shiver this time. The wind felt warm and rejuvenating like the steam from a hot bath. And sucked in a breath and knocked.
The moment my knuckles touched the wood, the doors flew open like I’d kicked them open instead of tapping them politely. I stepped into the carpeted entrance hall, our joined hands bringing Gail in with me. Zinta entered casually, looking more confident than I’d seen her all day. The Russian Blue bypassed the marble staircase on our right and went straight toward another tall set of double doors. I followed, not really having a better plan.
More wind ripped through the entrance hall, pressing Gail’s skirt against my legs. This breeze felt different. Instead of warm and pleasant, it was cold and disheartening. Gail’s grip on my hand tightened as she released a huff of frustration.
“This is ridiculous!” she said, releasing my hand to smooth down her hair. “Whoever is behind this is toying with us, Prentice. I just know it.”
“I think you’re right,” I agreed. I stopped when I saw something dark and purple on the floor. “Master Magnus is here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
I started to walk toward the master wizard’s hat when it suddenly levitated. It flew towards my head, and I ducked to avoid it. Gail jumped to catch it, but it sailed out of reach, stopping just above her. An ominous laugh echoed around us as a cold wind circled the room, flinging me back toward Gail. I thudded to the floor and groaned while the next set of double doors opened. The hat flew through the opening, and Zinta dashed after it.
“Catch me if you can!” a booming voice laughed. I scrambled to my feet and ran after Zinta. Gail gathered her long skirts in her arms and followed as fast as she could. We ran down so many hallways, I lost track of where we were. And the hat stayed just out of reach. Sometimes, it floated so close, my fingers brushed the rim, but I could never quite get a grip on it. The voice kept taunting us with phrases I chose to ignore. Most of them were lame, and I was sure I could have come up with better insults if I were the one running the elaborate game of Keep-Away.
As we rounded another corner, we came to a lavish sitting room with plush sofas and bookcases on three walls. The hat stopped in the center of the room, and a sudden intrusive thought rushed through me. Without stopping to think anything through, I reached down, grabbed Zinta by the scruff, and threw her across the room.
The cat screeched through the air and rammed right into the elusive hat. Zinta crashed to the floor, the hat crushed underneath her.
“Not what I was expecting to see, but that was rather effective,” Gail huffed as she finally caught up. I hurried to Zinta, and I grabbed her and the hat before the wind could snatch it again.
“Where’s Master Magnus?” I called out. “I know he’s here!”
“This way,” the voice said. The breeze picked up again, guiding us to another room entirely. I held the hat so tightly it creased, but I didn’t care. This was Magnus’s magic hat, and I wasn’t going to let the shapeless villain take it again. We stopped in what looked like a throne room. The large doors we’d just run through slammed shut, leaving us in total darkness. Gail pressed closer to me, and I could feel Zinta against my ankles. A strong wind ripped through the room from behind us, and bright purple light exploded from the sconces that lined the walls.
A figure lounged on the throne set high on a platform with several stairs stepping down in front of it. I started to approach, but a sudden, fierce wind held me back.
“Not so fast, Prentice,” the figure said. I froze, my heart thundering in my chest. “Yes, I know who you are. I know—you’re grateful for your newfound freedom and you wanted to thank your newest ally.”
Once I found my voice, I squared my shoulders and stood taller.
“I’m here for Master Magnus,” I said, surprised at how bold and confident my words sounded. “Release him at once!”
The figure straightened at my words, and the light reached his face. He was an old man and was just about as wrinkly as a dried grape. Or a weather-beaten, gnarled, termite-infested, lightning-struck tree. I wasn’t sure, but I was certain he looked terrifyingly powerful.
“My, my. You have a lot of nerve speaking to me that way, boy,” he said. His voice rumbled low like thunder, shaking the walls. Gail trembled next to me, but I was determined not to show fear. So I stood straighter and puffed out my chest, trying to summon another wave of unnatural confidence.
“I’ll only ask once more,” I said. “Where. Is. Master. Magnus.”
I enunciated each word carefully, trying to sound commanding. I think it worked. The man stood from his black, twisted throne and came down the stairs, the train of his dark robe billowing behind him. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and lifted his hand. He snapped his fingers.
Master Magnus appeared between us, bound from head to foot in dark, glowing chains that snaked around his body. I felt the breath leave my body at the state my master laid in. His beard was tangled and littered with leaves, and his robes were torn to shreds. I held his hat tighter when he set his eyes on me. He looked old—really old. Like he aged thirty years in the last two hours.
“Now, here’s what’s going to happen,” the evil wizard said. “You’re going to give me that cat, and I’ll release your poor master from his chains.”
I stared at the wizard, wrapping my head around his demands.
“You want the cat?” I repeated. I looked down at Zinta who’d taken to cowering between my feet again. My robes covered most of her, and only her eyes shone out from underneath the green fabric. I couldn’t help but snort. “But why?”
“DON’T ASK FOOLISH QUESTIONS, BOY,” the wizard thundered, the room shaking again. A fierce wind rushed toward me, smacking me square in the face. I barely felt Gail’s hand being ripped from mine as the wind carried the maiden to the other side of the room. Before I could blink, she was standing in the wizard’s clutches. “Let’s try this again,” he drawled, running a hand down Gail’s bare throat. I clenched a fist, a fire igniting deep within me.
My eyes burned with rage as I clenched my fists at my sides. I was shaking again, but not from the cold or from fear. This time, I was in control.
“No,” I said, my voice suddenly deep and terrifying. “You tried taking my master. You tried destroying my home. And you tried to hurt the girl I love,” I said, slowly stepping toward the wizard. “This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to release all of us and restore Antalya to its former beauty. Then you’re going to disappear.”
“You’re quite the flurry of emotions, boy. You’re as groundless as the wind herself,” the wizard said, his dark eyes narrowing. “You reek of fear and devastation. But there’s something strange about your boldness. I wonder how you’d feel when it feels like your heart has turned against you.”
He raised his free hand toward Gail’s head and wrenched her backwards. She yelped in pain. I stormed towards her, forgetting I still held the wizard’s hat. The anger that burned deep within me seemed to ignite my surroundings. Flames licked the floor at my feet, causing Zinta to claw up my leg again. I held her close, my eyes never leaving the dark wizard’s face. With the fire came light. And with the light, the evil mansion seemed to melt away around us.
“NO! THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!” the wizard shouted, but his shouts of rage were soon lost to the flames. Then everything went black.
I startled awake, ramming my head against the post of my bed as I tumbled to the floor. I rubbed my head as my eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight pouring in through my small bedroom window. I was back in the cottage? Where did the mansion go? My thoughts jumped to Gail, and I scrambled to my feet. I burst out of my bedroom door only to trip again and land flat on my face. At least, I would have if a spell hadn’t caught me halfway down. As I was placed upright, I looked up into the kind and proud eyes of Master Magnus. I stared up at him at a loss for words.
“You’re safe,” I managed.
“Because of you, my boy,” Master Magnus replied.
“But how did we get back? Is Gail OK? Who was that guy, and is he gone for good—and why was there fire? Did I really do all that, because I—”
“Prentice.”
I stopped, gasping for breath.
“Did it all really happen? Or was it all just a dream?”
“If it were a dream, then would you have earned those?”
Master Magnus pointed at my wrists where two golden metal bands gleamed as bright as the fire I summoned.
“Come,” he said. “The next level of your training awaits.”