(Alex, 16)

"Good job," I tell my crew, glancing over as Elise and Adam enter the warehouse. "Now focus on your magical control training, as we've been doing."

"Yes, sir!" They say.

I walk over to the couple, who greet me.

"Hello," I greet them. "Finally decided to join us, Adam?"

Jason purchased this warehouse and enchanted it so that I can train with my crew and with Elise here. The first day we were at university after Sage Alyssa began to stay in Varil City, she did further enchantments on it so that it could be resilient enough and multipurpose enough for Slayer training.

Which is nice.

We have only been training here the last few days, however, since it hasn't been all that long. It's nice, however, as it gives us some extra privacy for our training as well. Elise has come the last couple of days to train, too, but Adam was resistant to it, she said.

It seems he had some hangups with training with a former street crew.

"Yes," he responds. "Elise suggested I give it a try, even though you all train more in weapons than magic."

"We welcome all," I smile at him. "And I train in both. Why don't you spar against me?"

"With a sword?" He asks cautiously.

"No," I answer. "I will fight with a sword, you use your magics."

I lift my sword and walk into the 'ring' marked out by a purple ring on the floor, which outline the protective circle that Sage Alyssa and Jason created. The ring itself is thirty feet in diameter, giving us plenty of space.

Adam joins me in the ring, and we face each other on opposite sides. I draw my sword, readying it for battle.

"Begin!" Barry calls.

Adam shoots several concentrated bolts of fire at me, and I deflect them with my sword, which I've sheathed in a thin layer of quickly-moving water while simultaneously enhancing it with a greater resistance to magic and might alike.

If Adam's abilities are as accelerated by being a reincarnated Magus as Elise's, then I can't do half-measures with my sword. I would rather use Ocean's Bite, but that would raise questions from the crew, questions I don't want to answer just yet.

As I deflect his firebolts, I steadily move closer, the only speed in my movements being my arm as I deflect his attacks.

For his part, Adam does not stay in a single location, moving in a ring around the arena. After a few minutes of him ensuring there is a safe distance between us, despite my attempts at closing ranks, one of his firebolts is different.

I realize it when it plinks against my sword rather than slams into it. Well, it does that, too, but the firebolts before weren't plinking. I sense the difference a moment later as my water begins to freeze, the ice concealed within the flames melding into them.

Clever. Making it so that the ice wouldn't melt in the flames was a nifty trick, too.

I accelerate the movement of my water to prevent it from freezing, breaking off the parts already ice, and continue to deflect his strikes, all of which try to freeze the water protecting my blade. Because of that, Adam increases the rate at which he shoots firebolts at me, making it more difficult for me to keep up and block them all.

It's easy to tell he's pushing his limits, but at the same time, he's pushing mine. I can't get close to him because if I move too quickly, his attacks will strike me.

Another ten minutes pass, and I'm about to drop, but then Barry calls the end of the match.

"I call that a tie!" Barry says as Adam and I both collapse onto the ground, breathing heavily.

"Gimme five," I tell them, and Elise laughs.

"Better than me," she says. "I lost against you in the first fight."

"If we had better terrain," I say. "I could have easily overwhelmed Adam."

"If we had more space, I may have been able to take you down quickly," Adam grins at me.

"Save the flirting for your lovers," Barry rolls his eyes, causing the rest of us to laugh.

Once I recover, I work with Elise and Adam on swords combat and a little bit of magic, though Adam helps both of us with that one as well. The crew joins in, ready for more lessons, and when it all ends, I gather everyone in front of me.

"So for the Festival of Spirits," I say. "Jason is taking his training group out to the usual area, so I will be gone the entire time. He told me to extend the invitation to all of you. The camp will consist partly of training, partly of proper Festival of Spirits activities. If you wish to go, meet us at the entrance to the Royal Magic University after lessons on Friday."

"Where is it at?" Barry asks. "You said the usual area, does that mean-"

"Unwild lands, yeah," I nod. "He'll open a gate there for all of us, I think he and Niko are setting up the actual camping area right now. They disappeared as soon as Jason's lesson with the Marran men finished."

And by that, I mean he opened a gate, then he and Niko walked through, and that was right after he said the lesson was done. At least he had warned me in advance that he and Niko would be going out and to use the carriage if I wanted to.

Jason seems to forget things like that sometimes.

"Adam and Elise," I look at them. "His invitation extends to the two of ya as well. So if ya two are off work or able to take off and want to join us, ya are more than welcome to, just be there when lessons end on Friday. We'll be heading out then, and returning before lessons on Monday."

"We might be able to make that," Adam tells me, and the speed of which he responded and the look he shared with Elise before he did informs me that they, too, suffer from the issue the rest of us seem to. "But why is the trip starting before and ending after it ends? What if that makes all of you late for lessons?"

"Jason will ensure we arrive early enough to prepare and reach the universities," I say, then switch to the ancient tongue. "The real purpose is to move somewhere where the spirits aren't as prominent during the festival – in addition to being extraordinarily sensitive to magic and the natural state of the world, Jason is also the same for spirits. He's really just running away. He did the same on the equinox."

"Is Jason a Magus?" Adam asks. "He seems to fit the role of a certain one, being a prodigious instructor and magician-warrior hybrid."

Jason told me it's okay to tell them who he is.

"If you think he is the High Magus," I say. "Then you are correct, but try not to mention that to many. Things are even more dangerous for him if people find out than if they find out we are those who fought the gods."

"You guys can actually understand that?" Sarah asks Adam and Elise, who look at her in confusion. "We're pretty sure we know some of its swears because of things he's said when frustrated before."

I did have a tendency to swear in the ancient tongue. Its sharper words and quicker sounds makes it a bit more aggressive as a language.

"It's an old, but mostly-forgotten language," Elise tells Sarah. "Not many know it. Finding out that Alex knew it gave us an opportunity to speak with someone who did, keep our skill with it current."

"Back on the training camp," I say. "If you're going, pack enough for five days, maybe extra just in case, and pack warm. It will be cold there, the part of the Unwild Lands we'll be in are a fair bit more north than here."

"Got it," everyone says together.

(Niko, 16)

"There are two horses," I say as Jason dismisses his gate.

"Yes," Jason gestures to the one who is not Aurum. "This is Koricel, one of Aurum's sons. He's old enough and strong enough to be ridden, so I thought you could use him rather than Aurum."

"How will he handle the visit?" I ask.

"I've begun adjusting him to them," Jason answers. "I began bringing him out here a few weeks ago. He doesn't panic as much as he used to."

"Here he comes," I tell Jason, keeping my gaze on the horizon.

Jason turns his attention to where Steven flies from, and only a few seconds later is the dragon the closest he will move toward us. The dragon puffs out its fireball, and after it lands, I step forward.

"My turn," I say, since Jason counterattacked last time.

Holding up my hands, I summon a spear of stone, then push forward, launching it. It flies quicker than any stone its size ever should fly, and impacts against the dragon's grey barrier, turning into dust.

The dragon turns and flies away.

"Bye, Steven!" Jason waves to the dragon, and I am pretty sure that tail flick was out of annoyance. "He didn't respond."

"I do not think he will respond to your taunts like that," I tell him. "Have you ever tried asking him why he does this?"

"You mean going over to his mountain?" Jason asks, and I see an idea form.

He now wants to just go over there and attack the dragon, I am sure of it.

"Please do not anger the dragon."

"Let's do your riding lesson," he grins at me.

We saddle the two horses, then I climb onto Koricel as Jason mounts Aurum. This evening, he rides beside me as we travel for an hour. I am more comfortable riding horses now than I was before, but still have some issues with it.

When we return to his house, we brush down the horses and release them into the pen, then Jason puts a hand on my shoulder. Before I am able to protest what I know he is about to do, I find us on the mountain where we believe the dragon lives.

I suppose Jason judged the distance and found the actual nest, because we are standing in it.

"Hi!" Jason waves to the startled dragon, who looks a lot larger up close.

Then, Jason summons a spear of ice and throws it at the dragon, before hurriedly opening a gate and pulling me through it.

"Jason!" I protest. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"I intentionally missed," Jason laughs as I realize we ended up elsewhere in the Unwild Lands, but still within the dragon's territory. "He's chasing!"

"That is not funny!" I tell him. "What if he tries to kill us?"

"Nonsense!" Jason laughs. "He'd be more likely to turn us into something than kill us, since he hasn't already!"

"Fireball!" I call out, spotting it flying our way.

"It's gonna miss!" Jason laughs, and sure enough, the fireball does miss us. "You missed, you flying lizard!"

"Jason!" I exclaim. "That is a dragon, not something you can just harass!"

He opens a gate and shoves me through it as another fireball flies our way, and he passes through a few seconds later.

"You attacked it again!" I point at him accusingly.

"Yep!" He says, and I realize that we are still within the dragon's range.

"This is not funny!" I tell Jason. "What if the dragon kills us?"

"I already told you," he tells me. "The dragon is more likely to turn us into something than kill us, and I think he's enjoying the game. Hey! He's coming again!"

"Please do not keep antagonizing him!" I tell him. "This is not fun!"

"I find it fun!" He exclaims, then opens a gate and pushes me through it. "Have fun!"

He closes the gate after calling through it, and I look around. He sent me back to his house.

Shaking my head, I walk outside and begin practicing magical control. I am almost up to the next level, I believe. As I do, I watch in worry as fireballs form in various areas in the dragon's territory and out of it.

With the evening sky, it can be hard to make out the dragon, but the balls of flame are easy to identify.

When they stop and Jason does not return, I grow worried, but am unable to open a gate at all. I doubt anyone below a violet level of magical power could do such a thing. I want to go to where the last fireball was, but know it is unlikely I would ever see Jason's remains. They were probably turned into ash.

Though it would be teleportation, would it not? Since I have not been there, I would need to teleport, but a blind teleport is risky, especially if I do not judge the distance correctly, which I doubt I can do.

Why did he have to go and harass a dragon?

"He actually spoke to me!" A cheerful voice exclaims, and I turn to find Jason standing there, face red from his exertion in the 'game' he just played. He is breathing heavily, too, but other than his clothes and hair being ruffled, he looks fine. "I mean, he just told me that if I ever come into his den like that again, he will turn me into a toad, but he still talked to me!"

"Your eyes," I realize. "They are grey."

"They are?" Jason frowns. "That's strange, I haven't done anything that would turn them grey, and my magical power shouldn't reach that for another month or two. Whatever, they'll probably turn back soon. But that was fun, Niko!"

"That was frightening!" I exclaim. "What if it had killed you? Or something else? You said he might turn you into something, and he said he would!"

"I'd figure out a way to turn back," Jason shrugs. "It's not a big deal, Niko, I knew he wouldn't kill us, he seemed more intent on just harassing us."

"You and I define a 'big deal' in two different ways," I say. "That was a dragon."

"And if push came to shove," he opens up a spatial storage and withdraws a sword I recognize from my memories as Magus Benjamin. "I still have this."

"Harbinger," I say, and he nods. "Where was it?"

"In my dimensional spaces from when I was Nolan," he answers. "We can still access them, but it takes effort to sense them and access them, so it is best to erase them once you empty them."

Jason walks me through how to do that, and I start pulling everything out of them and sending them into my spatial storage. I figured out how to create that on my own. The name for it told me what to do to change it from a dimensional space to a spatial storage.

Jacob and Alex can both do it, too, but Jason said they had to be given hints, and Alex only learned how to do it on Sunday. I beat both of them, though I still use dimensional spaces around most people to avoid questions about how to do it.

"I moved what I could," I tell Jason, finding myself exhausted. "I think I cleaned out around half of my dimensional spaces from when I was Benjamin. I will have to do the rest when I recover. Sadly, I did not find my swords."

"They may just be in others you did not touch yet," he tells me.

"Indeed," I nod. "What now?"

"After you rest," Jason says. "I am going to teach you how to open a gate."

"I can do that?" I ask. "It does not require violet magical power?"

"No," he answers. "But the range is dependent on it. Everyone just assumes it requires violet magical power because everyone who has done it so far has had violet magical power."

"…you do not actually know for sure if I can do it or not, do you?"

Jason grins at me, confirming that to be true.

"Why do you believe I can do it?" I ask. "I am only upper green."

"Manifest your magical power," he tells me, and I do, finding it to be blue. "You have a natural gift for magic, allowing you to increase it a little quicker than most people. You were only lower green at the start of term, but managed to go up two full color ranks, and enough of another to reach the next. You hit lower blue while accessing those dimensional spaces."

"I see," I examine my manifested magical power. "I did not realize I was that close to reaching the next level of it."

"I've avoided mentioning if anyone is close to advancing or not," he tells me. "Quite on purpose, too. Let's eat dinner, then I'll teach you the gate spell."

I follow Jason inside, and he prepares a meal of some sort of bird, noodles, sauce, and salad. Not all mixed together, but the meal itself is delicious, and we enjoy it with water. Even a couple of months after beginning to stay in Varil, I am amazed by how readily they can access fresh water without generating it through magic.

Sageson Magical Technologies' plumbing enchantments and magical technology is truly marvelous. Like most lands, Mar uses thinned ale for everyday drinking. Never something that one can grow drunk off of unless consuming in absurd quantities.

After dinner, I assist Jason in cleaning the dishes. This was something the servants always did at the castle, and still do at the mansion in Varil City, but I have found it to be something I do not mind assisting with.

Mostly, I just rinse and dry the dishes and put them away. I am not all that good at washing them yet.

We finish that, then Jason takes me outside and walks me through creating a gate. After hearing his explanation, I realize that it should have been obvious on how to do them – much like with the spatial storage spell.

I visualize a gate opening between here and the place Jason and I dug out recently and filled with posts and water, a doorway to allow us to travel there with only a step, and shape my mana into the spell I sense.

Almost ten seconds pass before a blue rectangle forms in the air.

"Hold that," Jason tells me, then opens a gate of his own and disappears through it.

Almost a minute later, a chicken is pushed through the gate, a note flying through as well. I catch the note and read it.

If the chicken is alive, bring it with you, the gate works.

I pick up the chicken and step through the gate, then close it, exhausted from that spell.

"It worked!" Jason grins at me. "Now you can open gates, too. I already keyed you into my residence and yours. The universities and palace, you will need to open them at their entrance – you'll be redirected there if you try to open them into the block range."

"Understood," I look at the chicken, then back to Jason. "Why did you push a chicken through?"

"It was safer than stepping through, just in case it failed," he answers. "The magic read as if it succeeded, but I wanted to be sure."

"No," I say. "I mean, do you not use the chickens for eggs? Why not grab some random animal from the Unwild Lands and send it through the gate instead?"

"I use the chickens for experiments all the time," Jason takes the chicken from me and opens up another gate. He strokes the chicken on the head for a moment, then tosses it through. I can hear squawking on the other side before he closes it. "That's the pen we keep the chickens in, which is why you heard what was probably several chickens. If the chicken dies and is still in decent enough condition, I just cook it up for food."

"You are strange sometimes."

Jason shrugs.

"And you owe me for frightening me with Steven."

"In that case," he says. "Why not let me teach you a super-secret art?"

(Alex, 16)

"What did you do this time?" I ask Jason once Sage Alyssa stops tearing into him. "She was going off in another language."

Jason scratches the back of his neck as he thinks over his answer.

"I taught Niko something I wasn't supposed to."

"What did you teach him?" I ask.

"That's a secret," Jason shrugs. "I can't tell you what it is, or Mama Alyssa might get mad again. Sorry. She decided to check on me while Niko and I were working on another of the training things, and saw Niko using the secret technique."

I smack him in the back of the head.

"Ya need to stop doing stuff that gets ya into trouble!" I tell him as he gives me an embarrassed look. "Ya need to learn how to help it!"

"I didn't think we'd get caught!" He protests. "And Mama Alyssa made it absolutely clear I'm not to even mention the secret art to anyone. She already made Niko swear he wouldn't before sending him to his home."

I sigh, then shake my head.

"I'm going to go get some work done before bed," he glances around, then gives me a quick kiss on the lips. "Good night, Alex."

"Night, Jason," I say, and he heads towards his workshop. I look for Sage Alyssa, locating her in the mansion's library. "Hello, Sage Alyssa."

"Hello, Alex," she greets me. "Concerned about me yelling at Alex?"

"Yes," I admit. "Ya were doing it in another language, which I take it's to do with this secret art he ain't supposed to tell anyone?"

"No, he isn't," she sighs, shaking her head. "He wouldn't tell me why he taught it to Niko, either. Neither of them would. Every time I asked, they both went silent. Did he mention to you why he taught it?"

"No."

"Or what it was?"

"He said ya forced him to swear not to," I shake my head. "I'm probably not gonna get an answer, but what's this 'secret art' that Jason ain't supposed to teach anyone?"

Sage Alyssa thinks on it for a few long minutes, before finally coming to a decision.

"You likely already know of it," she answers. "Though I have to ask, Alex: are you asking as a friend, a student of magic, or the Magus you used to be?"

So she does know I'm a Magus. That means she probably knows Jason is one, too. I was suspecting, after the incident with the god. Jason refused to tell me where he was or why he'd met a god, just that the god didn't hate us.

"A curious housemate and friend."

"The reason we don't want Jason mentioning it to others," she says. "Is because the technique is rare, but highly-sought. Just knowing it can result in criminals targeting you in order to exploit the technique. That is why I forced Niko into the magical oath as well, to ensure word of his ability to use the technique does not spread. If you want to know, you will need to swear a similar oath."

I frown. It sounds really serious. At the same time, however, I want to know, because it seems like it might be rather important, and it's best if I know important things regarding Jason.

When I agree to it, she gives me the oath to swear, and it's a rather lengthy one. Jason definitely learned how to do magical oaths from his mamas and papas. As soon as I finish giving the oath, Sage Alyssa stands, then walks through the table.

I stare in shock.

"The ability to phase through objects," she says, turning and facing me. "At the moment, Jason and Niko can only do their bodies, though with training, they will succeed with clothes and other things as well."

The thought of Sage Alyssa walking out of her clothes hits me, and I decide I'm glad she can phase her clothes with her. I'd rather not see any woman naked, much less an older one.

Wait, does that mean-

"They were phasing their hands," Sage Alyssa gives me an amused look, and I feel my face heat up as I realize that my expression must have betrayed my thought. "It is a difficult spell to guard again, and even the royal palace is not warded against it."

Why not? It seems like that should be something extremely important for the royal palace to ward against.

"Just how difficult is it to guard against?" I ask.

"Only ancient relic places have such a ward," she answers. "Such as the Tombs of the Kings and Queens of Power. There is no knowledge today on how to create such a ward. I have attempted to study the tombs, but using my ability to see and read magic has failed me in that regard. They were created with the intent on preventing people from doing such things, it seems."

"Because if someone can read magic," I think about Jason's ability to. "They might be able to deconstruct yours."

"Correct," she nods. "Which is why the patents are important – even if someone does have the rare ability to read magic, they cannot legally recreate them. It takes a powerful, trained magician to be able to. In some cases, it's innate."

"Like Jason," I say. "He's been able to read magics from birth, hasn't he?"

"Indeed," she responds. "I hear you have a long weekend coming up, Alex? Why don't you get some rest?"

(Jacob, 16)

This is one of those rare occasions I am with Tasha without too heavy of a guard, and for that, I am grateful. We are at the royal palace at the moment, with just my bodyguards and her 'escorts' accompanying us, a pair of women set to ensure that nothing inappropriate occurs with the unmarried woman.

Right now, we are watching the fish in the pond in one of the gardens, surrounded by a hedge maze. These fish are blue and orange with green whiskers. The moonlight reflects off the clear pond water, adding to the serenity of the moment.

Tasha is dressed in a dark orange dress with crimson accents, with jewelry to match.

"How are you holding up?" She leans her head on my shoulder.

There were several assassination attempts between when Lina and I returned from university until around an hour ago. Tasha hurried over as soon as word reached her that there had been an attempt and I was injured.

I know that the guards we have directly around us are not the only guards, as there are several on the roofs of the buildings and at every possible entrance to the maze – including a few extra patrolling its exterior.

That was the only way in which Papa would allow Tasha and me to enter the hedge maze.

"I am still shaken up," I respond. "It has been several years since I received a serious injury during an assassination attempt. I never realized before that there were hidden guards protecting me from anything I could not handle myself."

That was frightening to learn – that the assassins who actually made it to me were allowed to because the guards knew that Lina and I could handle them and would be fine. I talked with Papa about this after Sage Michael and Jason revealed the hidden guards to me.

Now that I know they are there, I notice them. Not all of them, but a couple. Men and women who look like regular civilians, but happen to be in too many places I am for it to be coincidental.

"You look better now than you did when I arrived," she says, and I take her hand into mine. "That was frightening, Jacob."

She arrived while I was still being looked at by the healers. I was a bloody mess with poison in my veins, and I would likely still be under treatment had Sage Elena not shown up to speak with Papa about something.

"It was," I nod. "I hope they find who was behind this, and how they succeeded in entering, too. There were far too many assassins for them to have been able to just enter unhindered. Something is not right."

"Indeed," she sighs, adjusting her position a little bit so that she is sitting right against me. "Does this mean you will not be joining us this weekend, to keep you under greater security?"

"Papa thinks the trip is excellent for that," I tell her. "Only a handful of people are able to go to where Jason is taking us, and while we will not be surrounded by powerful mages, there will be at least one powerful mage there who can protect us. In addition to that, we will be surrounded by gifted magicians and warriors. So if someone did, somehow, manage to arrive there, they would have to contend with some of Varil's top students."

Tasha nods lightly, and I rub her hand with my thumb as I tighten my grip on hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"I promise," I tell her in the ancient tongue. "I will be fine. We are Magi, Tasha. Even if we do not have our old power, we are not killed that easily. I am sure it is no coincidence that Sage Elena showed up before Papa was able to contact her and ask for her aid. Midlaris looks out for his children."

We fall silent again, watching the fish once more. I need to get some rest, as while the poison was cured, I still feel ill and weak from it. However, I do not wish to leave Tasha right now. Her being here comforts me, and I know she might panic if I do not stay with her a little longer.

Our silence is broken by approaching footsteps, and I turn my head to find Papa standing there with Sage Alyssa, who is dressed in a simple blue evening dress.

"Hello, Papa, Sage Alyssa," I greet them, and Tasha lifts her head to look at them.

"Jacob," Papa tells me. "Sage Alyssa here has agreed to give you and Lina a room for the night at her mansion, while we attempt to learn what happened. Sage Michael has arrived in Varil City once more to act as additional security. Until we find out what caused this incident and how to prevent it from occurring again, you will be staying with them. Our hope is to finish this before the training camp finishes."

"Thank you," I tell Sage Alyssa, then stand and help Tasha to her feet. "I take it we are leaving now, then?"

"Yes," Papa responds. "I already had servants pack your things, and Sage Alyssa has graciously sent it ahead."

"Thank you," I tell Sage Alyssa, and she inclines her head.

"Say your goodbye and goodnight," Papa tells me. "Then Sage Alyssa will take you to her house."

I nod, then pull Tasha to me so I can give her a kiss.

"I will see you at university," I tell her.

"See you," she tells me.

Sage Alyssa, Papa, my guards, and I make our way to the front of the palace, where several Royal Guards are keeping an eye out, so that she can open a gate without us worrying about another attempt on my life.

We pass through it and I find myself in Jason's mansion. Well, I suppose it is the Sage's mansion, but I have come to know it as Jason's. We entered into the living room, though it seems everyone is still asleep.

"Michael is getting Lina settled into one of the guest rooms," Sage Alyssa informs me. "While you will be rooming with Jason. We only have so many rooms, and it seemed the main target of the attack was you."

By that, she means that Lina was completely ignored. That was an attack on me directly, not on the royal prince and princess. Whoever was behind the assassination wanted me dead, not both of us.

"And Jason will be able to protect me," I say. "Should someone manage to enter the room."

"Correct," she says. "Though it is doubtful anyone will, considering the wards Jason layered onto it in addition to the ones I wove into the building during its construction."

I am rather tired at the moment, but I feel like there is something off about that statement. Whatever it is, though, can wait for later. I thank her for the protection, then head to Jason's room and knock. He answers almost immediately, which tells me he was on the other side of the door.

He's wearing a nightshirt at the moment, his hair ruffled, dark spots beneath his worry-filled eyes. In addition to that, he is wearing a pair of silver cuffs with runes etched into them.

"New fashion statement?" I ask.

"They bind my magic," Jason tells me. "Mama Alyssa forced me to put them on before she would tell me anything. She said she will remove them once we wake up later if I've calmed down a lot, but she doesn't want me letting my anger get the best of me and hunting down whoever was responsible for hurting you. According to Mama Elena, you were in a bad state."

I realize that in addition to the worry in his eyes, there is a flame burning, an inferno of rage that is actually more than a little frightening to see.

"Yeah, I was," I look around his room. "You have just the one bed, I-"

"It's large enough for two," he interrupts me. "You can have one side, as long as you don't move around too much. I already wove a web of protection around the bed as well."

"A web of protection?" I ask.

"Yes," he lets me into the room, closes the door, then walks over to the bed, touching the air. A shimmering violet veil forms for a few moments, before fading away. "Only those I grant permission can cross it without a lot of effort, and that goes for magic and attacks as well. If someone unauthorized attempts to pass through, it will wake the entire house. I wove another one over the bed your sister is sleeping on."

"I did not know such a spell existed," I admit.

"I read about it in one of Papa Samuel's books when I was younger," he informs me, then climbs onto the bed and crawls to the other side, before crawling under the covers. "Try to get some sleep, Jacob. As much as I want to check over you for injuries, I already know you've been healed and are probably exhausted and tired of people asking if you're okay."

"Thank you," I tell him, then tap the crystal which controls the lights in here, so that it dims.

I change into a nightshirt, then climb onto his bed, staying on this side.

Being completely honest, I am jealous of Jason. His bed is larger than mine, and can probably fit three people between us, and we are not even on the very edges of it. It is a lot more comfortable than mine, too.

Maybe I should look into having my bed exchanged for one of these?

"Jacob?" Jason asks quietly after a few minutes.

"Yes?" I respond.

"If you want to really lose the formal sense with me," he says. "Just say 'yeah' instead of 'yes' in a case like this. And 'thanks' instead of 'thank you'. It's less formal, more casual."

"Okay," I chuckle lightly. "Is that really what you wished to say?"

"Yeah."

He falls silent for a few more moments.

"Jacob?"

"Yes?"

"How are you holding up?"

"I am unsure if I will manage to sleep at all tonight," I admit. "That has me shaken up quite bad."

"I don't think I will be able to, either," he admits. "Especially with these mana-draining cuffs on."

It is probably for the best that you wear those until you calm down, Jason.

"Do you want to talk about anything?" He asks. "To pass the time until we have to get ready for university?"