Chapter 27: The Wand Ceremony

Today was the day. Our wands were waiting for us. Once the morning alarm went off, Celestria and I got ready and raced each other to the arena.

I felt as though a thousand years had passed since Master Bavol had given me the perfect score in this very arena. Once I received my wand, I was going to find out just how much power I really had. It was a little daunting because there was always a chance that my power wouldn’t kick in right away, or that something would go wrong, but I couldn’t help but be excited.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’d dreamed of having a purpose that had nothing to do with doing housework or taking care of the land. Of being useful and having the ability to protect the innocent. Despite all the heartache and loss, I was finally close to finding my path.

Master Sable went around the arena and did a head count. “One hundred thirty-six.”

Celestria’s mouth dropped. “Wait, doesn’t that mean that, like, half of the class is gone?” she asked in a hushed voice.

“I guess so.”

Before I came to Oswalda, I couldn’t believe that someone could get accepted and then decide to leave. It made no sense. But after getting through the test and watching people get seriously ill from it, attending the classes that were equal parts exciting and draining, and experiencing constant fear that my powers weren’t going to kick in or that they wouldn’t be enough, I finally understood where they were coming from.

If attending the academy and hopefully graduating required such a sacrifice, becoming the magical protectors of the kingdom was not going to be any easier. I was all in, but not everyone wanted or could handle the pressure and the danger, and I didn’t blame them for it.

“The Army of Knights probably got a lot of new recruits,” I said.

The path Kenley chose remained a mystery, but a part of me believed that she was in an arena similar to this one, sweat dripping down her face as she kicked someone’s butt in combat practice.

“Make a large circle,” Master Audrey instructed.

We did as we were told until the circle grew so large that we could hardly make out who was standing straight ahead of us.

“The academy has followed the same procedure for years. We don’t simply hand out wands to the first-years. They are expected to create their wands themselves.”

Gasps and murmurs spread across the arena.

“Settle down!” Master Bavol roared. “The wands you create will only be temporary. You will practice with them and learn how to use them properly. If by the end of next week, you are able to create a wand, pass the second test, and the masters deem you worthy of continuing to study at Oswalda next year, the Great Wand Maker will personally craft a wand for each one of the graduates. It will be yours to keep for the rest of your lives.”

Once she finished speaking, a giant block of wood appeared at our feet. Celestria looked at the one in front of her like it was going to eat her.

“Tap into your powers, get to the center of the block where the magical wand material resides, create any wand you want, and use whatever method you’d like. As you make your wand, your own magic will be poured inside of it,” Master Sable explained.

“We will be supervising, but we are not allowed to help you in any way until you either create your wand, you’re not able to create a wand and choose to tap out, or the time is up,” Master Bavol said. “Speaking of time, you have two hours.”

Just then, a giant clock appeared in the sky and started ticking loudly.

Up to this point, the masters had been all about getting us to follow rules. Now that I had complete freedom to do whatever I wanted, I suddenly missed having a clear set of instructions that if followed diligently, would’ve given me the results I wanted.

Celestria took a seat on the ground. “This is going to take forever,” she muttered.

Next to her, Johnny pulled out a dagger and began cutting into the wood, wood chips and purple sparks that had to be tied to his magic flying in every direction.

“Do you already know what you want?” Tanner asked.

“No, but I’m going to start shaping it, and I’m sure it will come to me,” Johnny said.

He did have a point. Unless we got started, the two hours were going to run out and we’d still be in the arena, wandless.

We followed his lead. The back of my neck started to hurt fifteen minutes in. I kept cutting and carving, but I was still nowhere near the center of the block.

After an hour of whittling down the wooden blocks with our daggers, Master Sinnie did her rounds and inspected our progress.

There were already students who had accidentally cut themselves. A few were missing fingers.

“The masters could easily fix us up with a spell or a potion,” Celestria said as bright-red blood trickled down her fingers.

Knowing that she was in pain hurt me. I could tell Tanner felt the same by the way he was wincing.

“Wait,” Hunter said. “That’s it—potions!”

I looked up and wiped sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. “What do you mean?”

“The masters said we could create the wands in any way we wanted. If there are potions strong enough to heal us, there must be—”

“A potion to cut the wood into any shape we want!” I finished, finally understanding where he was going with this.

Celestria momentarily forgot all about her cuts and clapped. “Yes! You’re so good at making potions. Do you think you can mix up something that could help us?”

The potions in our school textbook weren’t advanced enough. That being said, it wasn’t the only potions book I owned.

As soon as I jumped to my feet and started heading for the main building, my friends followed. We had to be quick because there was no time left to waste.

Our steps echoed in the empty halls until we finally got to the potions classroom. Luckily, Master Rhoslyn hadn’t locked the door, so we slipped right in.

“Teach us, master,” Johnny said.

I raced along the wall, grabbing different ingredients and handing them to Hunter, Tanner, and Celestria. They lined them up on the table while Johnny heated up the cauldron.

The potion I had in mind could eat through pretty much anything. It was easy to make, but we also had to be very careful because if even a droplet of the liquid could disintegrate wood, it would just as easily leave holes in our skin, muscles, and bones. Master Rhoslyn’s book didn’t mention an antidote, so I wasn’t sure if there was one. In any case, I didn’t want to risk it.

“This potion is very dangerous, so you have to be extremely careful when you use it,” I told my friends. “According to the book, it loses its power the minute it makes contact with a surface. The wood will be safe to touch once it eats through the block, but you cannot get even a drop of it on your skin.”

Johnny winced. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m going to be extra careful.”

Once everyone wholeheartedly agreed to pour the potion on the wood and nowhere else, I got started. There were so many ingredients, like purple rosehip, fish gills, lizard hearts, and even acid that was extracted from the most venomous snake in all of Berwick.

I measured, mixed, and waited until the beaker in my hand was full of silver liquid. It had the consistency of thick milk and smelled terrible. That was how I knew it was ready.

Hunter handed me a cork. Once I could move without the risk of spilling the potion everywhere , we ran out of the classroom and headed back to the arena.

Master Bavol said nothing when she saw us run back to our blocks. After all, we’d been given the green light to do the job however we saw fit.

“You made the potion, you do the honors,” Tanner said.

So I did. I poured a little bit of the silver liquid on every block, and watched the wood slowly disappear before my eyes.

“It’s safe now!” I said once a silver mist that hovered over the blocks vanished. “Get your hands in there and make those wands.”

As soon as I touched the wood that had begun to fall apart like a glass someone had broken, I could feel my magic seep into the soft wood in the center of the block. I grabbed my dagger and started cutting. I didn’t stop until an elegant beige wand lay across my palm, glowing from both ends.

Tears stung my eyes as I watched Johnny, Celestria, Tanner, and Hunter make their own wands too.

“Are you already done?” Master Sable asked, appearing next to us out of nowhere. Then, she took the wands and examined them one by one.

In an unexpected turn of events, the master took Tanner’s wand and whacked him over the head with it.

“Ouch,” Tanner said and patted his hair. “What was that for?”

“To activate it, examine it, and make sure it’s the correct fit for you,” Master Sable said sheepishly, although something told me it was payback for the prince not paying attention in class.

“What happens if your energy messes the wand up?” Johnny asked the master.

Master Sable took out an extra wand out of a cloak pocket and showed it to us. It had a long crack on one side. “This will happen once a master tests it.”

“And what if the wand doesn’t work at all?” Hunter asked.

“Impossible,” the master said. “If you possess any powers at all, then the wand will work. As long as you keep practicing and learn how to perform new spells using the correct technique, that is.”

By the time the master inspected all the wands, not one of them had cracked.

Master Bavol ushered a crying and wandless girl in the direction of the main building, then walked over to us. “Good news,” she said, looking undeniably proud. “If you pass your test, you’ll be invited to start your second year of studies in October.”

That night, Celestria and I lay in our beds. We were wide awake, but we didn’t speak. We just stared at the wands, mesmerized by what we had created.

But that wasn’t the only thing that kept me awake. I also couldn’t stop thinking about the way Hunter had pulled me into a secluded hallway after dinner and left a trail of kisses on my collarbone.