He held out a hand and helped Yenni to her feet. “Did you get a tutor?” he asked under his breath.

“Yes, I did,” Yenni replied.

“Good. First quarter exams are coming up. You don’t need to make Magus, but you need to at least pass all your magic classes, or Mainard will send you packing.”

“Yes, Captain,” said Yenni, her stomach sinking. She slunk back with the others to watch the next student face off against Zui, who volunteered as a sparring partner for the Defensive Strategies for Dragon Combat class. Since she spit water, it made practice marginally less dangerous. As Yenni retreated, Zui gave her an apologetic bow, and though Zui had just given her a thrashing, Yenni couldn’t help marveling at how stunning she was, with her silvery-blue scales glinting like steel in the sun.

For the hundredth time Yenni wondered at the needless complexity of Creshen magic. Who had time to remember spells and theories in the heat of battle? If she’d been allowed to use runes she could have drawn down a torrent. Or she could have pulled on speed, and Zui’s jets wouldn’t even have touched her.

But she had to admit that the young man after her fought Zui expertly—using some spell that seemed to give him short bursts of quickness, he weaved and blocked and evaded Zui’s jets and got past her defense, bringing the point of his spear to the soft spot under her chin.

Captain Augustin nodded in approval. “Very nice, Moreau, but make sure to keep your shield up. You let it drop a few times.”

And so class went on. When the hour was up, Yenni hung back and waited for Zui.

“Yenni Ajani!” she said once she’d changed forms. “Sorry about earlier.”

Yenni waved a hand. “Never be sorry for defeating a foe,” she said. “I wanted to ask—if you have some time, could you help me with Yoben’s Rainfall?”

“Sure! I have somewhere to be soon, but I have a few minutes. Now, this might sound strange, but it always helps me to imagine the smell of the rain.”

“The smell of the rain?”

“Exactly—the way the world around smells fresher, cleaner, after a rainfall. Do you know what I mean? Try it.”

Yenni shook her head but she closed her eyes and tried to remember the way the jungles smelled during a rainfall, and the sound of the water pattering on the leaves. “Source-drawn rain here come and fall,” she said softly. A small shower started above their heads. Yenni looked at Zui and they both laughed.

“Nice job!” Zui said. They tipped their faces up to the rain and let it wash some of the mud off until the shower dried up a minute later.

“So, how are things with Weysh?” Zui asked cautiously. Yenni frowned. “Oh dear,” said Zui. “Well, I can’t say I blame you.”