Precious slammed a paw down on the roach that dared to cross before him. The mice had been exterminated years ago, after the monster left the room, and so he had only an occasional insect to play with when the lady was busy. At least there was sunlight now. The lesser ladies had cleared out all the baby furniture, changed the swing-n'-slides, and revamped the entire fourth floor about a month after the thing escaped. It had since become much more suitable to Precious’ tastes.

* * *

Chapter 2

Kyle returned from the Academy during the last week of December, wearing the brightest smile Ladd had ever seen. He ran over and Ladd caught him, pummeling him to the ground in what might have resembled a hug if Noe hadn’t jumped on top of them. In huffs and puffs, they disentangled from one another.

“You’re home early.”

“No? School let out yesterday. It’s really close by, actually. Only a few hours in the train.”

“Hm, I thought you were gonna stay there longer.”

“Huh? Why would I?”

“The way it sounded in your letters, you were gonna come home after graduating, maybe. Or not even then.”

“Hahaha, what? You want me to stay there five years -” 

“Or even longer.”

“- or even longer! Man, come on. Don’t . . .” Kyle broke out into laughter. Ladd stuck his tongue out.

“Me, too. Me, too!” Noe tackled Kyle, and Ladd got up, dusting off his pants. He extended a hand to each.

“Let’s go eat.”

“Isn’t it too early for dinner?”

“So? Let’s just spoil your appetite then.”

“I have a secret stash,” Noe offered.

Kyle tugged Noe under his arm and whispered, “Has he been keeping up with his studies?”

“In exchange for letting him wrestle with me,” Noe nodded.

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Ladd actually sucks at fighting. I had to teach him a few moves myself.”

“You -”

“Careful walking in. Ladd and I aren’t the only ones who missed you.”

A smile began to form on Kyle’s face, only to be smushed by the arms of two older kids, Jackie and Fey. Ladd trekked back to rescue him, but the pair moved swiftly and dragged Kyle to greet the rest of the children before Ladd could help it.

It was only by the time everyone else had fallen asleep that the boys were able to reconvene. They snuck out to the yard behind the classroom, with snacks, of course. Kyle shivered from the cold night air, but the excitement in their eyes was irresistible. The two huddled close to him.

“How much of your letters was made up?” Noe started.

“I didn’t make anything up.”

“Is Professor Wibble really that pretty?”

“Yeah. You said she’s cuter than the students in fifth year,” Ladd chimed.

“Oh. Well, that...”

“See? I knew you were lying.” Noe crossed his arms.

“I haven’t seen any fifth years. It’s mostly just first and second years in the areas I was allowed in.”

“Ha!”

“But she’s really pretty, no joke. You guys will see when you get there. Even if you aren’t mages. She goes to the student libraries a lot.”

“Really?” Noe unfolded his arms to grab Kyle’s and shivered against him.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t have seen her otherwise. I only got to go to the Water wings and the MSM building. Wibble teaches Terrain.”

“Right. The MSM building. You wouldn’t shut up about that stupid MSM building.” Kyle giggled. Ladd pushed on. “How could you take five out of seven pages just to gush about math? Geez Louise!”

“To be fair, the bio labs do sound cool.”

“Shut up, Noe. You have your own bio lab right here.”

“Oh?” Kyle turned his head to get a better look at the little guy.

Noe pointed at the bare trees across the yard. “The ones further back have more bugs moving in them. I’ve been collecting them seasonally.”

Kyle blanched. “And doing what with them?”

“Any number of things. Dissecting, cross-breeding-”

“Cross what?!” Kyle interjected.

“Doesn’t work. At least not yet.”

“Ugh. You can be really creepy, you know that?”

“And pranks,” Noe finished coolly.

Ladd tapped Kyle’s shoulder. “What about magic?”

“What about it.”

“You said you’re able to use it.”

“Well, yeah. That’s why I was admitted so easily.”

“But you won’t tell me how?”

“Oh, that. I don’t know why but it feels like mages are trying to keep it a secret or something. It’s stupid, really. But I was worried my letters wouldn’t send if I said it.”

“What, are they spying on you?”

Kyle smirked. “You never know.”

Noe had his chin in his hands, elbows on knees. “This guy thinks he’s in an action fantasy novel or something.”

“Shut up, Noe.”

Ladd tugged at Kyle’s coat and attacked him with puppy eyes. Kyle beckoned them to move in closer. He spoke in hushed tones.

“Don’t tell anyone I told you.” The boys’ eyes glittered. “To use magic, all you have to do is... want to use it.”

Ladd sat up. “Huh?”

Kyle straightened his back, too. “It’s so dumb. You just have to think that you want to do something, and, if it happens, ...boom. You’re a mage.”

“Are you being serious right now.”

“So serious. I’ll show you.” Kyle got up, then remembered to warn them. “You guys can’t tell a soul. If I’m caught doing magic outside of school, I’ll be expelled.”

“Yeah, yeah. We know,” Noe gestured for him to go. Kyle went inside and came back with a glass of water. “It’s even colder out here once you’ve been indoors.” He passed the cup to Ladd and stared at it.

The water in the cup began to jiggle. A tiny wave rose on the surface and slid over the top of the glass into the air. Kyle squinted in concentration, and a vertical line formed in front of Ladd’s face. It held for three seconds before splashing back into the glass. Ladd let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Noe spoke first.

“You don’t have to do anything special at all?”

“Nope. I just look at it and ask it to do what I want.”

Ladd came to. “How do you ask it?”

“Like telepathy, kind of? You imagine sending a signal that the element is gonna receive. And if it likes you, it’ll listen.”

“So,” Ladd frowned with worry. “There really is no way to learn it? Either it likes you or it doesn’t.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Ladd sulked.

“Come on, don’t be like that. You don’t even know if you can do it or not. You have to wait until you’re ten to be all dejected.”

Ladd had a sudden realization. “Wait, why?”

“Huh?”

“Why do you have to wait until you’re ten?”

Kyle pondered. “I’m not sure. I only know they don’t test before a person’s tenth birthday. Maybe it’s something that has to manifest at a certain time? Like a coming of age?”

Ladd looked down at the water in the glass.

Is that how it works? I have to wait two years to know if you’ll like me or not? Ladd continued to stare, wondering if the Water was listening. If It could hear his thoughts. If It didn’t care to have anything to do with someone who wasn’t a mage, like him. Ladd didn’t know why, but he felt like he would burst into tears any second now. Am I not good enough for you as I am? Will I ever be?

Something stirred in the water. Or, perhaps, Ladd had imagined it. A trick of the light? A willful hallucination?

Do you... want to try?

The water was still. Kyle called Ladd’s name, concerned at his silence.

Will you move for me?

A ripple blossomed in the center of the water’s surface. Ladd felt a sudden rush of excitement, anticipation. His hand trembled, losing the movement.

Please. One more time. Ladd steadied the hand carrying the glass. The water was still moving. Ladd focused all his attention on the slight shifts. Please, please, please, please, please. Please!

The water in the glass in Ladd’s still hand swished like it was being rocked. For some reason, Ladd had an inkling that the Water might need some kind of clearer instruction, a way to answer his call.

“Up.”

The water jumped out of the glass and fell on all sides, landing in soundless drops on the freezing ground. Ladd dropped the glass, and Kyle dropped his jaw. They looked at each other.

Kyle tried to formulate his thoughts into a sentence. “I... I-”

Ladd ran to him and swooped Kyle into his arms, lifting him up for a split second. He would twirl him around if he could. Instead, he jumped up and down, still holding on, until Kyle got his bearings back and told him to set him down. Ladd let go and spun off, letting out a loud whoop that had both Kyle and Noe running over to him to silence.

Kyle stuck his face very close to Ladd’s.

“Listen to me.”

“Listening, but can I have breathing roo-”

“Shut up and listen.”

“Okay.” Ladd pressed his lips together into a tight line.

“The punishment for practicing magic outside of school before graduating is expulsion, but it goes up to imprisonment. You hear me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I don’t want you going to jail.”

“Same here.”

“So, you better not do that again until you get to school.”

Ladd’s face fell.

“Are you gonna tell on me?”

“What? No. Of course not. I just said I don’t want you in jail.”

Ladd turned his head to the side.

“What about you?”

Noe, who was standing behind Ladd with his arms clasped around Ladd’s waist, shook his head. “Me, neither.”

“Then we just have to not get caught.”

Kyle looked genuinely terrified.

“Ladd, you can’t. You really can’t.”

“I swear! I’ll be really, really good. Just keep teaching me. Please.”

“Ladd -”

“I won’t do it when you’re not around. Only when you teach. Okay?”

“But that’s not-”

“You promised!”

“What? When?”

“You promised that you would teach us everything you learned at the Academy.”

Kyle thought back, grimacing.

“Come on, you can’t only do the boring stuff. You have to teach us everything everything.”

Kyle hung his head. Ladd planted a tiny kiss on his forehead, since Kyle’s hair was tickling him. Kyle realized how close he was and stepped back. He rubbed his forehead.

“Why do I bother with you weirdos.”

Ladd and Noe looked at each other, then back at Kyle, who threw his hands into the air and then dragged them down his face.

“Fine.”

Ladd squealed and Noe shoved him, pushing a hand over Ladd’s mouth.

“You’re gonna get in so much trouble if you don’t learn to contain yourself, you idiot.” Ladd giggled and kissed Noe’s palm. Noe whimpered in disgust.

“Look what you did to him, Kyle. He’s gone mad.” Noe wiped his hands on his pants. The cringe on Kyle’s face was unmaskable. “I know, right? I feel like I’ve let out one of the evils of the world.”

“The what?”

“Old World reference. Found a book in the Academy’s library.” A thought struck him. “They have a ton of really good books there, Noe. And I think they let people visit the library during breaks. Wanna go sometime?”

“Didn’t you say it was a three-hour train ride?”

“Yeah!”

“... then I’ll go after I finished reading everything in the City Library.”

“Hmph. Suit yourself.”

Noe did suit himself, holing up in the Library while Kyle gave secret lessons to Ladd. Kyle brought out a pail full of water to a grove in the trees.

“This is as much as I was able to Move by the end of the trial semester.”

“Does the amount grow with time?”

“Practice. You kinda have to get used to focusing hard and the more water there is, the more focus it requires.”

“Why?”

“It’s kinda like... hm... the bigger the element is, the more...powerful? But that’s not it, not really. It just feels like it won’t listen to you if it’s, uh, more...” Kyle left the sentence hanging. “I don’t know how to explain it."

Ladd kept looking at him, needing clarification.

“Look, just try it. You’ll see what I mean. Or feel it. I don’t know.”

Ladd shifted his focus onto the pail, which of course didn’t respond. It took a few seconds for Ladd to realize that the container was an obstacle he had to learn to ignore.

Think of the water. Think of the water. Think of...

Ladd envisioned bypassing the walls of the pail and diving into the pool of water that sat in them.

Yes, the water. Hi, Water.

There was no sign of connection. Ladd frowned.

Water? Hello? I’m talking to you.

Ladd felt like there was something heavy sitting in his chest, or maybe his throat. He closed his eyes, trying to get a better hold on the weight.

Listen to me. Acknowledge me. Do something.

Ladd remembered the need for instruction from the previous night.

Mm, can you... swirl around for me?

The water in the bucket did not change, and Kyle began to worry. Of course it was too much. He had only been able to Move a couple of syringes worth himself, at first. It was impressive enough that Ladd could command an entire glass on his first try.

“I think we should try with less. The whole pail is a challenge, even after I spent four months practicing.”

Ladd grunted, disappointed. He agreed to try a smaller amount anyway. They looked around the kitchens and settled on a glass bottle. Ladd had wanted to try a flower vase, but Kyle stopped him.

“Too much, you’ll hurt yourself.”

“How?”

“You’ll probably faint or something if you’re able to do it. Like pulling a muscle but in your head.”

Ladd thought about it, and it sounded correct to him. However, Kyle questioned his own reasoning.

“That makes no sense, though.” He was mumbling to himself, but Ladd caught it.

“Why.”

“Because it’s not really a muscle.”

“Right, it’s something in your head.”

“No, it’s not. It’s not up to the mage. It’s up to the element. You don’t really get to control it.”

“Huh? But then why would you faint.”

“I don’t know. I think I need to ask Professor Calfenowe.”

“But it’s gonna be a whole month before you go back to school.”

“Right.” Kyle scratched the back of his head. “Let’s just... do it safely and not try anything too hard. I can only teach you what I’ve already learned. Which, to be honest, is mostly just practicing how to keep your attention focused.”

“That’s it?”

“It’s a lot harder than it sounds.” Ladd narrowed his eyes. “Trust me.”