Lena approached the second table, her heart pounding. She read the paper of instructions, but the words swam the first time, and she had to read it again before she realized it was a spell to set the log on fire. She laid her hand on the log, noticing how her fingers were shaking. The wood was dry and brittle beneath her skin.

“By the power of Faul, I command thee to burn.”

She felt her magic, a curl of cold and damp, responding in the place at the base of her lungs. Lena suspected they’d chosen the spell on purpose, because she’d find it difficult. She probed her magic awkwardly, trying to feel out how she might manipulate it to set the log alight. How can this kind of magic burn anything? And yet there was—somehow—a flicker of heat deep inside.

“I command thee to burn,” she said again.

She couldn’t help feeling the weight of eyes on her, judging her as she grappled with the spell. Come on … just do it…

“I command thee to burn,” she said, more loudly this time. She pushed her power forcefully toward the log … and…

It was taking too long, she was sure. She frowned in concentration, dug deeper, and then something sparked in the palm of her hand, a jolt of electricity, and the log burst into flame so quickly she had to snatch her hand away from the heat.

She exhaled in relief. Emris was grinning at her from the side.

Grand Master Auris stood again, her face totally impassive. “Now we shall test your reactivity: defend yourself from attack and attempt to retaliate. Jolanta?” The red-clad mage stepped forward from the sidelines, bowed. “Ready yourselves.”

Lena and Jolanta sank into a fighting stance, one arm outstretched, feet squared. Lena felt jittery, nervous—but she knew she could fight too. Combat wasn’t tricky like a spell. It was aim and fire. Aim and fire. Jolanta was professionally composed, nearly bored-looking.

Master Auris spoke again. “The first attack to hit home wins the fight. Begin.”

A spark of red shot instantly from the woman’s palm, but Lena stepped aside and spelled her own attack. Gray cloud zoomed through the air so fast that Jolanta only just had time to deflect, a wall of red springing up to absorb the strike. She looked surprised by the impact. A murmur rose up from the onlookers. Lena followed up quickly with a ballooning shot of cloud, which Jolanta ducked, eyes widening. Lena deflected an attack from the woman, and another. Jolanta didn’t look so complacent now. After deflecting a third attack, Lena deftly spelled a small, subtle strike that took Jolanta by surprise, hitting her in the upper arm.

“Ow!” said the woman, rubbing her arm. The hall was alive with gasps of surprise, and even a clatter of applause.