Mina climbed onto Pixit’s back and settled between his wings, and the old doubts and worries began to creep back in. What if she failed, spectacularly, in front of her teacher and her friends? Pixit murmured words of encouragement and optimism in her mind, but they couldn’t penetrate the swirl of panic.

It was blue sky again, of course, except for one carefully curated thundercloud. It had been delivered by wind guardians and fed by more experienced lightning guardians, in order for students to practice. At Vira’s command, the four pairs of guardians and beasts, plus their teacher and her beast, took to the sky.

Mina felt her stomach clench as she looked at the thundercloud. Pixit.

«We’ve got this.»

Do we?

«Maybe?»

He was nervous too. She could feel it in her mind, his emotions skittering past hers. With the others, they circled the cloud.

Vira shouted to them. “Here’s the test: one by one, I want you to enter the cloud, gather up lightning—​no wimpy sparks, people, I want a fireball—​and then come out. Then I want you to throw your lightning back into the cloud so it’s there for the next one of you losers. Ferro, you’re up first.”

Mina saw Ferro gulp hard. She wasn’t the only one who was nervous. She wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse. Hanging back with Jyx and Zek, she watched as Ferro guided his beast, Brindle, into the cloud.

At first, they looked blurred within—​Brindle’s sparks lit up the wisps of cloud on the edges—​but then they disappeared entirely. The cloud itself brightened, then darkened, as if someone had switched an electric light on, then off.

Mina realized she was holding her breath. She made herself exhale and inhale again—​and then Ferro and Brindle popped out of the cloud. Ferro pumped his fist into the air. His hand was encased by a white sparkle of energy.

“Great!” Vira called. “Don’t lose focus!”

He twisted in the air, Brindle’s wings flapping hard, and then, concentrating, stretched the sparkle into a skinny bolt. He hurled it like a javelin toward the cloud.

It hit the gray wisps and was devoured.

Ferro whooped and punched the air. Mina, Zek, and Jyx clapped and cheered. His face bright with victory, Ferro flew back to them.

“Jyx, next!” Vira called.

“Wish me luck,” Jyx said to her friends.

Mina watched with just as much nervousness as if she were the one diving into the cloud. But she didn’t need to worry. Jyx performed the test perfectly, emerging with a bolt and then hurling it back into the cloud. All of them congratulated her enthusiastically.

Zek was next. He too successfully completed the challenge, though Ferro noted that his bolt was not quite as impressive as Ferro’s. Less sparky.

“Mina!” Vira shouted. “Show us what you got!”