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His expression registers incredulity. “Are there man-eating fish in this part of the ocean?”
“Don’t bother arguing with her,” Tris advises. “She was traumatized for life by a movie about a killer shark.”
Reluctantly, I follow them down the sandy dunes, the ground shifting beneath my shoes, and step onto the beach.
Aspen takes in the surroundings and walks a little farther before setting down his potted tree. “This should be a good location. Tris, please place yours a few feet farther down the beach.”
As Tris walks past, Aspen shrugs off his duffel bag and drops it onto the sand. He crouches in front of it and unzips the bag to reveal a collection of metal poles.
Unwilling curiosity gets the better of me, and I shuffle closer. “What are those for?”
Aspen’s tone carries a note of enthusiasm as he pulls one out. “They’re lightning rods.”
Tris comes over and takes one of the metal poles, spinning it in his hands. “Do you think Rowe’s some kind of weather witch because of the storm yesterday?”
“No.” Aspen grins and looks up at me. “I think you’re an ethereal witch.”
Tris straightens. “Hey, the creepiest of Mel’s moms mentioned that.”
Aspen pauses. “One of the Trinity already identified you as an ethereal witch, and you didn’t think to tell me?”
“It’s not like they tested me or anything.” I lift my hands. “There was a lot going on, and it didn’t hold any meaning for me, so I forgot.”
Tris cocks his head to the side. “Funny that Mel wouldn’t tell you, though.”
Aspen clears his throat and focuses back on his lightning rods. “Yes, well, we have not been in agreement about how to perform the power tests.”
“Shocking,” Tris says dryly.
My brows pinch together. “So, what’s an ethereal witch?”
Aspen thrusts the rod he holds into the sand and grabs another. “An ethereal witch is one who connects to the very energy of the world. Crow–the creepy one,” he adds with a look at Tris, “is an ethereal witch herself. They’re not common. I’m surprised she didn’t want to take Rowe on as a student.”
“Oh, she did,” Tris assures him. “But Rowe said no.”
That gives Aspen pause before he shakes his head. “I came about this conclusion yesterday. When you were angry, the barrier around Hartford Cove responded. Those strings that connected the members of the coven together? That was you instinctively protecting the other witches.”
I stare at him in surprise. “You could see all that?”
Aspen’s chest puffs out. “As a witch of the Second Circle, I am trained to see all forms of magic.”
“You just really can’t help with the bragging, can you?” I say, completely unimpressed.
“It’s a great achievement,” he says stiffly. “On the same level as obtaining a doctorate. I am one of the youngest in my circle.”
“You know, only doctors brag about having a doctorate.” Tris folds his arms. “Put your wand where your mouth is, and you won’t have to wave your credentials around for everyone to see.”
Aspen lets out a long sigh. “Anyway, being an ethereal witch means that the spells you perform with other witches work better because your magic strengthens theirs exponentially.”
That seems to be counter to what he said yesterday about learning witchcraft. “But you said witches need to perform magic independently.”
He walks a few paces away and stabs another rod into the sand. “That’s still true. Individual magic use is about personal strengths, which must be exercised, much like working out. You need to exercise your muscles to build strength. But if you want to lift a car, it’s easier with several strong people.”
I study the lightning rods planted in the sand, their tips reaching toward the sky. “But what are these for?”
Aspen plants a few more as he speaks. “Ethereal magic is different. It’s not about the typical ingredients you might find in nature. It’s about connecting to the energies that exist in the world. Were there any ingredients you used in your wand-making yesterday that called out to you?”
I shake my head no, but then realize that’s not true. “When I used the moonlit water, it tingled a little, and I saw silver strings.”
