My first training session was with Asher at dawn in the Academy's gardens. I'd expected something more dramatic than meditation and breathing exercises, but he insisted we start with the basics.
"Spirit magic isn't like other elements," he explained as we sat facing each other on the dew-covered grass. "It doesn't come from outside yourself—it comes from the connections between all living things."
"That sounds very philosophical for six in the morning," I grumbled, still not entirely awake.
He laughed, and the sound made something warm flutter in my chest. "Trust me, Luna. Close your eyes and feel."
I did as he asked, trying to ignore how good he smelled—like summer sunshine and growing things. Gradually, I became aware of more than just my own heartbeat. I could sense Asher's presence like a warm glow beside me, but beyond that…
"I can feel them," I whispered in amazement. "All of them. Every living thing in the garden."
"Good," Asher said softly. "Now, don't try to control it. Just let it flow through you."
Power rose inside me like a gentle tide, connecting me to everything around us. Flowers bloomed more brightly, leaves rustled without wind, and I swear I could hear the trees whispering secrets.
"Beautiful," Asher breathed, and when I opened my eyes, I saw him staring at me with an expression that made my heart skip. "You're beautiful when you use your power."
The moment stretched between us, charged with more than just magic, until a cold wind swept through the garden.
"How touching," came Magnus's sardonic voice.
I turned to see him approaching, frost trailing in his wake. Even in the morning sunlight, he looked like winter personified.
"Your session is at noon," Asher said coolly. "It's barely seven."
"I wanted to observe," Magnus replied, his ice-blue gaze fixed on me. "To see if she's as powerful as last night suggested."
"And?" I asked, getting to my feet.
His eyes darkened. "More so."
The way he said it sent shivers down my spine—the good kind. There was something about Magnus that drew me even as common sense warned me to keep my distance. He was beautiful like a blizzard was beautiful—dangerous and captivating and potentially deadly.
"Careful, ice prince," came another voice. "Your obsession is showing."
Kai emerged from the shadow of an ancient oak, because apparently all my mentors had decided to crash my first lesson. He moved with fluid grace, and I noticed how the shadows seemed to bend toward him.
"I'm not obsessed," Magnus said stiffly.
"Right," Kai smirked. "That's why you've been pacing outside the infirmary all night."
Magnus's jaw tightened, ice crystals forming in the air around him. "I was concerned about the magical fluctuations."
"Sure you were."
"Are you all going to stand around arguing about me," I interrupted, "or is someone going to explain why I can suddenly sense every squirrel within a mile radius?"
"Because you're coming into your power," Zephyr said, striding across the garden with electricity crackling around his hands. "And it's going to get a lot stronger before you learn to control it."
Great. Just what I needed to hear.
"Which is why," Asher said diplomatically, "we should stick to the training schedule."
But as the four of them stood around me, I could feel something else awakening—not just my spirit magic, but something deeper. A connection that seemed to link all five of us together like points on a star.
From the way they were all staring at me, I wasn't the only one who felt it.
"This is going to be interesting," I murmured.
Kai's grin was pure trouble. "You have no idea.