Anticipation bubbles through me. It’s been a while since something magical surprised me, but the only Raven I ever knew was my dad’s friend Salem, so I know about as much as Colin does now.

Uncle Roy cracks his knuckles with a grin. “We’ll start with the basics. The main weapon in any Raven’s arsenal is the ability to fight. We’ll begin with some drills and see what you know; then I’ll turn you over to Elaine to practice with the journal.”

“What can I do?” I ask.

“Don’t you have chores?” Aunt Elaine asks suspiciously.

“It’s Saturday!” Still, the question deflates my excitement. Even Aunt Elaine’s first thought when it comes to me is chores.

Uncle Roy and Colin are already off to the side going through a warm-up. I try to think of something useful to say or do, but I feel like a toadstool in a bed of roses and just end up standing there with the journal clutched to my chest, feeling more useless by the second.

Colin does everything Uncle Roy asks without breaking a sweat. He runs almost twice as fast as Uncle Roy and barely seems to notice the push-ups. Whatever physical strength and stamina his Raven powers granted him, it’s no joke.

When they move on to walking through moves—Colin throwing jabs at the air while Uncle Roy evaluates him—I creep closer to get a better look. Maybe I can learn something, too, and next time we face Kaden, Colin won’t have to do it alone.

A hand hauls me back, and I peer up to see Aunt Elaine shaking her head. “Don’t get in their way,” she warns. “They could hurt you on accident.”

The last of my excitement fizzes and dies, and I give up, settling into the grass with Max and my now-cold cup of hot chocolate to watch from the sidelines.

Colin and Uncle Roy break into a sparring match with Aunt Elaine officiating. Uncle Roy’s easily three times Colin’s size, but he doesn’t hold back as much as I expect. When Colin knocks him to the ground with a kick to the ribs hard enough to send up a puff of grass, I understand why: with Colin’s powers, he might be even stronger.

A flicker of unexpected jealousy warms my chest as they touch fists for round two. Colin’s been magical for all of five seconds, and he’s taken to it like a crow to flight. Meanwhile I’ve lived in a family of psychics my entire life and had my powers for months, and all I’m good at is dodging people in crowded rooms.