“They don’t exist. You are deceivers. You deserve to die.”

He splayed his fingers before her chest. She tried to shrink away, but the wall was hard against her back. If only it were possible to pass through it…

But of course I can! Drawing power, she sent it backward in a great blast. The wall gave way with a deafening crack. She saw the sorcerer’s eyes widen in surprise as she fell away from him. She braced herself for the impact of her shield meeting the ground outside.

But it didn’t.

She continued to fall. As she turned upside down she saw sand and rocks and water rushing toward her.

I must stop!

She felt magic channel through her, answering the command of her mind. The sensation of falling ended in one wrenching jolt. For a moment she was too stunned to think. She sucked in one breath, then two. Slowly, she opened her eyes, not able to remember when she had closed them.

A wall of dark sand lay within arm’s reach.

Not a wall, she corrected, but the beach. Looking around, she saw the cliff wall to her right and the sea to her left. She was floating.

How is that possible?

Thinking back, she considered the thought that had passed through her mind. I wanted to stop. To stop moving.

It was more than that. She had seen herself moving in relation to what was around her. Not specifically the cliff or sea. Everything. The world.

And I did. She shook her head in amazement. And I’m still doing it. Can I make myself move again by willing myself to change position in relation to the world?

She hesitated, afraid that by examining this new Gift she would lose it and drop the rest of the way to the beach. Not a fatal fall, but a disappointing one.

But, she reasoned, if this ability—this Gift—had taken a lot of thought I would have been aware of it from the start. No, this was unlike any Gift she had learned before. This was like learning to walk. Something she didn’t have to think about.

If learning a Gift is like learning to play an instrument, then this is like singing.

If she could move herself, it would be like flying. That thought sent a thrill through her body.

I have to try. Me in relation to the world. I want to turn over and face upward.

She rolled over sideways in three abrupt movements. Above her was the cliff. She thought about moving higher and began to rise. Slowly, then with greater speed, she lifted herself upward. To be vertical would be better, she decided. Slowly she pivoted until she was upright. She passed the edge of the cliff and stopped as she found herself looking down on the watch-house.