Speaker 1: Magic is like a toddler with glitter, never unsupervised, occasionally brilliant,
and frequently sticky. Fernwood household notes. Henry always knew this
day would come, the day Silver's training would require a
second set of hands, preferably capable hands. Instead, Fate sent Colt.
Not that Henry disliked Colt. He just deeply resented how
competent Colt looked, while internally panicking. It set unrealistic expectations
for humans. Silver's training had begun peacefully that morning, birds chirped,
dew sparkled, and Silver hadn't caused property damage. Yet Henry
took it as a sign of impending catastrophe. He was correct.
The moment Colt arrived, unwilling participant edition, Silver was attempting
grounding again, breathing very seriously at a rock like she
expected it to breathe back. When the pendant around Colt's
neck flared in the forest, Colt staggered to it, What
not now? Oh? Come on? The magic yanked him forward
like a determined toddler dragging a reluctant parent. Henry perked up,
Oh good, the lumbering protector arrives. Silver spun just as
Colt stumbled out of the trees, slightly breathless, slightly confused,
and carrying an energy that hummed with quiet strength. Colt,
she said, surprised, but smiling. You came no, Colt said, honestly,
something dragged me. The pendant pulsed. Henry snorted, Yes, that
would be destiny. It has no manners training exercise one
grounding now with extra audience. All right, Henry announced, we
review grounding both of you. Colt blinked both. Silver folded
her arms. Because your magic wants to show up too,
Colt went, pale, I don't have magic. The pendant glowed. Henry,
you do, Silver, you absolutely do. Colt, I would like
to go home now. The hollow hummed as if laughing.
Silver demonstrated grounding, hands extended palms, low, breathing, steady. Colt
tried to copy her. Henry watched with intense judgment. Silver's
magic radiated outward, warm, expanding, while Colt's energy pulled inward, anchoring, steadying, protective.
The two magics brushed. Silver froze, Colt froze. Henry's wings flared. Oh.
Henry murmured, oh, that is interesting. Silver felt at first
like strong arms wrapping around her magic, not restraining it,
but safeguarding it. Colt felt it second, like stepping between
her and danger. He couldn't instinctual and absolute. A pulse
rippled across the garden. The earth brightened beneath their feet.
Then the rock Silver was focusing on shots straight upward,
like a startled pigeon. Colt lunged without thinking, hand snapping out,
and a shimmering barrier of golden light irrupted around them.
The rock bounced off harmlessly. Silver gasped. Colt stared at
his glowing hand in horror. Henry cackled, protect her magic,
Henry said, smugly, called it, Silver beamed. Colt looked faintly ill.
Training exercise two levitating objects now with safety net Colt.
Henry instructed, you will stand nearby with your shield thing.
Is it supposed to just happen on command? Colt asked yes.
Henry said no, Silver whispered. Colt sighed. Silk never raised
her hands toward a carrot. She had not learned from
last time. It lifted, hovered, glowed, dash dash. Henry tensed,
it's going to explode. Colt predicted, it is not going
to explode. Silver protested. It exploded. Colt's shield snapped into existence,
catching carrot shrapnel mid air. Silver blinked at him. Wow,
she breathed, that's really cool. Colt rubbed the back of
his neck, embarrassed. I guess. Henry rolled his eyes. Congratulations,
you're magical. Please do not faint. Training Exercise three, controlled
fire or how Colt discovered he is basically a walking
fire blanket. Silver pointed at a candle, just a spark.
She said, that's what you said about the tea cup.
Henry muttered, silver glare. She flicked her fingers. The candle
lit beautifully. Henry relaxed. Then it lit the other candle,
then the garden trellis. Colt moved instantly, stepping between Silver
and the flames. A curved dome of golden light burst
outward from his chest. Whoomph. Fire vanished everything and everyone
was untouched. Silver stared Colt. You you just extinguished spontaneous fire,
Henry finished, finally, someone useful. Colt looked at his hands again, dazed.
I don't understand any of this. You don't have to,
Silver said gently, you're doing wonderfully. Colt blushed. Henry pretended
not to notice. Henry lore interlude why protectors exist? As
Silver and Colt cleaned up charred trellis bits, Henry sat
atop the fence, studying them. Every fernwood which he knew
had two things, magic of their own and a protector.
Sometimes it was a familiar, sometimes a spirit, sometimes rarely
a person. But protector magic was old, older than rowan,
older than fernwood, hollow, older even than Henry. It didn't
choose randomly. It chose where devotion already lived. Henry sighed,
Oh dear, he murmured to himself, this boy is doomed.
Training exercise for stability spell. Now, with Colt acting as
magical seat belt, Silver steadied the candle flame. Colt stood
beside her shield at the ready, Henry prepared to leap dramatically.
The flame held steady, steadier, perfect. Colt exhaled, Silver smiled.
Then her magic surged. Colt reacted instantly, reaching for her hand.
His shield didn't appear around them this time. It wrapped
around her. A soft golden outline traced her shape, protective, warm, unyielding.
The unstable magic pulse bent around the shield and dissipated
harmlessly into the air. Silver opened her eyes. Colt, she whispered.
He looked down at their hands, still touching, then quickly
pulled away. Ears pink. I I didn't know it would
do that, Henry huffed. Protect her magic reacts to danger,
Henry said, or emotion. He studiously did not look at
either of them. Silver swallowed, thank you. Colt nodded, unable
to speak. A new problem emerges. The hollow shifted, the
air trembled. Something unseen rustled through the pines. Silver felt
the journal pulse at her hip. Colt's pendant glowed in answer.
Henry's wings flared wide. Oh no, Henry whispered, it's waking
faster than I thought. Silver's breath hitched. What is? Henry
stared into the forest, eyes sharp with ancient memory the
thing Rowan warned us about. Colt stepped closer to Silver,
instinctively forming another shield. Silver grabbed his arm. Henry's wings tightened,
and the hollow went quiet, too quiet, the calm before
something very loud. Silver exhaled shakily, Henry, what do we do?
Henry looked between his witch and her protector. Now, he said,
Now we train harder, and soon his wings rustled. Silver
and certain, you two will not be able to face
this separately. Silver and Colt exchanged a glance neither of
them fully understood, but felt deeply inevitable.