Including taking a job as a headmaster at the Academy when I had no interest or desire to teach.
I took a sip of my coffee, enjoying the way it scalded my mouth and throat on the way down. Pain made me feel alive. Unlike my current surroundings.
Aflora sat across from me, a pout on her full lips as she eyed the contents of our trays. I’d selected an array of my favorites for her to try, yet she didn’t seem keen on any of them.
Impossible female.
She didn’t belong here any more than I did.
I set my mug down and folded my arms on the table, leaning toward her. “Want a magic lesson?”
We hadn’t spoken much during the tour. Mostly just me gesturing at buildings and telling her what courses were held where, as well as pointing out the various residential units. She remained studiously quiet the whole time, probably because she didn’t plan to stay here long.
Given what I witnessed inside AcaWard earlier, she’d be here a lot longer than she anticipated. Because Shade clearly possessed a hold over her psyche, something that suggested their blood bond was a lot stronger than it should be.
Which meant their powers were going to grow together.
And that would very likely lead to their deaths.
A disappointing thought, but realistic.
“What kind of lesson?” Aflora asked, referring to my query.
“Well, as you don’t seem keen on the food here, I’ll teach you an easy spell for acquiring alternatives.” And in turn demonstrate why she needed to change her attitude about our sustenance offerings.
Acquisition spells required energy.
Something that would become quite evident to her in a matter of minutes.
I pulled out my wand and set it on the table. “As I mentioned earlier, wands are not the source of magic. We merely use them to help focus the energy. I’ll give you an example.” We had an entire table to work with, the other twenty chairs around it empty, therefore providing me with the room to exaggerate this lesson a little. “The spell for creating something edible is Tareero Tamida and then the item.”
Pretty simple, really. But her expression told me she didn’t agree.
“So I just say the two words and the food I want, then it pops up.”
“Well, you need to put some magic behind it. But yes, that’s the general idea.”
She frowned at me. “And I use the wand?”
“It’s not required, no. As I said, a wand focuses our magic.” Her creasing forehead told me she wasn’t following. “Here. I’ll provide an example. Give me a food item you’re craving.”
“Uh, I don’t know. A sandwich?”
Now I was the one frowning. “You have a sandwich.” I pointed to the ham and cheese melt on her plate.
“That’s not a sandwich.”
“It’s definitely a sandwich.”
“This has bread and meat and cheese. A sandwich is leafy greens baked to perfection with yammock filling, berries, and sometimes a sliver of hartmint, if you’re feeling gluttonous.”
Right. I didn’t know what any of those things were. “How about another loaf instead?” That I at least knew how to make as I’d eaten one before.
Her lips twisted as she shrugged. “Sure. That works. Can you make a coldberry loaf?”
“There are different types of loaves?”
After studying me for a long moment, she said, “A shroom loaf is fine.”