I gestured for our friends to sit in a circle around the room, before I said, “My grandparents taught me how to make a hearthfire today in Edinmyre, which is like a spiritual home. I want all of you guys to have the key to my hearthfire, so if you need to, you can visit it by spirit projection. I figure we should all try to go to my hearthfire together.”
There were nods around the room. All of them had been working on meditating to Edinmyre on their own since my grandparents had taught me how, but as far as I knew, none of them had achieved it— besides Ethan and I. We practiced the meditation, with me leading the exercise.
Almost instantly, I was transported to Edinmyre. Ethan appeared beside me. Odette had already arrived, and was frolicking through the flowers like she had always been here. She picked up a purple daffodil and twirled around, singing as Ethan turned to me.
It wasn’t strange she’d finally mastered it. She was a dryca, and therefore, was more powerful than most of the group.
“How long should we wait for the others?” Ethan asked.
I opened my mouth to speak, but just then, Kiara and Alexei popped up before us. Their expressions were astounded. Kiara fluttered her wings, testing them out in her spiritual form, while Alexei stared at his talons as if he was seeing things.
“This is incredible. I feel my body back on Earth, and yet, I’m here. I can’t believe it’s possible,” Alexei said.
“Yes, but it’s not the same as being there physically, like we were when we found the dragon stone,” I told him. “The only way I can transport our bodies here is if I make a portal, and that’s not very convenient for the rest of you if I’m not around.”
We waited a moment longer. I knew time moved differently in Edinmyre, but I felt like we’d been hanging around forever.
“I don’t think anyone else is coming,” Kiara said, breaking the silence. “Let’s head back.”
I ended my own meditation. When we came back to Earth, I saw that Theo had fallen asleep. Odette nudged him, and he came back to reality with a sharp start. Delmare appeared frustrated, and Stefan looked bored, playing with a rock on the wooden floor.
“This isn’t working.” Delmare opened her eyes with a frown. “I can’t seem to break through.”
“It takes awhile,” I told her. “Let’s try again.”
We did so, with the same results. At the end of the night, Theo, Delmare and Stefan still couldn’t manage the meditation, but at least we had a good start.
“You’re the Worldweaver. Of course it’s easy for you,” Delmare objected as we gathered to leave the clocktower.
“But it makes sense. Emma and Ethan have Unseelie blood, Odette’s a dryca, and Kiara and Alexei are empaths, whose magic specializes in emotional and spiritual connection,” Stefan pointed out. “It’s no wonder the rest of us can’t do it.”
“It doesn’t mean you never will,” Ethan said. “This is critical for all of us to learn how to do. We must not give up.”
My stomach clenched at Ethan’s dire tone. His dark ponderings from earlier came back to me, and they were disturbing. We were in a war. My friends could get hurt, and my hearthfire could be the only safe place for them if they ended up being in danger.
When, I reminded myself. There was noifabout it. One day, the time would come when my friends needed to go to my hearthfire in an emergency.
I just hoped it wasn’t anytime soon.
Chapter Eleven
Ethan
Iskated toward the goal, the puck hooked on my stick. I took aim— my one-timer shot was still wobbly, but it sank in the net nonetheless. Elijah skated around the net and knocked the puck back out.
“Wonderful shot!” Elijah knocked his gloved hands with mine. “We’ll make the other team eat the ice next weekend.”
We were the last few still on the ice. Even when practice was over, it was very difficult to get us to take off our skates. We were still out here, practicing our shots.
My favorite thing to do with Eli was skate and talk. Every day, we’d be out here for hours, discussing everything from hockey, to school, to girls. It felt nice to have someone to share your innermost thoughts with, and Eli knew each one of mine. There was nothing I kept from him.
“Boys, that’s enough for tonight,” Coach called from the boards. “You need to rest your muscles up for Saturday’s game.”
Elijah and I skated off. We joined the rest of the team in the locker room, most of whom were already packing up to leave.
Stefan was in the corner of the room, putting his skates in his bag and talking about how he’d taken his first flight just yesterday. Stefan had gotten his shifter abilities first, before anyone else on the team on his seventeenth birthday. His dragon form was impressive, and massive.
I knew the day when I received my magic was soon. Any day now, I’d be able to shift, and become a wolven. I couldn’t wait, because on that day, Stefan and I would duel together with teeth and claws. It would be grand fun.
