Chapter 9
After breakfast, Marsh and I walk together in silence to the combat training arena.
I’m so nervous I’m nauseous, and I can feel through the bond that Marsh is too.
It’s one thing doing the assessments when you're sixteen since no one really expects much out of you. Here, you are expected to learn complete control of your magic. For witches like us, you find out if you’re a core or an anchor and find your circle–if you have one.
Most importantly, you figure out what you want to do with your life.
I know I want to follow in my mom’s footsteps and open an apothecary like she had, but the thought of potentially finding a circle scares me.
Shifters have mates, and normally it’s just one, but sometimes it can be more.
Most types of supes have their own form of the mate-bond.
For witches with a circle, a core and their anchors help balance each other out but there is no set number of members.
Having a core and one anchor is rare, as it normally means neither have a lot of magic, Having a core and two anchors is the most common.
Less common but still regularly heard of is a core and three anchors.
It’s rare you hear of there being a core with more than three anchors.
According to what we learned in school they can share powers, pull on each other’s abilities in dire situations, and any number of different things depending on the power of the circle.
My parents were a circle with my mom being the core.
They only had each other, but both said they always felt like there was someone missing.
With how powerful they both were, I think they were missing at least two anchors.
My grandparents were also a circle, but their third passed away–and after hearing about our history, now I’m betting it was during the war.
How you find your circle members is different for everyone.
Some know by first look or touch, others by special marks…
there are probably as many ways as there are cores.
Since those kinds of marks normally show up after your magic reaches full potential, Marsh and I have both been checking constantly.
We finally reach the combat arena, and at first glance it resembles a football field without all the yard lines. The stands are thankfully empty, but it seems like it is just us here, which seems odd to me. We walk a little ways in toward the middle, looking all around just in case.
I don’t see anyone, do you? This was where we were supposed to go, wasn’t it? I ask him telepathically.
I don’t see anyone either, but this is where the email said our assessment would be… Wait, here comes someone, and fuck I hope he’s not a proferssor, because he’s hot.
I whip my head around to see who he is talking about.
Marsh is right, this guy is drop-dead handsome.
He’s about the same height as my brother, but has a deep ebony skin tone and ember eyes, almost like a young Idris Elba, who happens to be my brother's biggest celebrity crush. Marsh actually looks like he’s trying not to drool right now.
I’d wipe your mouth, if I were you. Maybe pick your jaw up off the ground while you’re at it.
Shut it, wench. He bumps me playfully with his shoulder, giving me a side-eye stare.
“You must be the Sutherland twins. Welcome to Saperra, I’m Professor Barlow.
I’ll be doing your power assessment today.
Now, the process is a little different than the one when you were sixteen, since we will also be testing to determine your core power.
How this will work for the core power testing is rather simple.
I have a quartz sphere containing a single drop of every type of magic ever known.
There are five of these magical devices still in existence.
At one point there were more, but they were destroyed and now the five spheres are shared among the universities.
Our classes here start earlier so we can pass this on to our cousin school to use and so forth.
I will activate the quartz and hand it to each of you.
You’ll feel the magic from the sphere and your own magic mix together.
When it pulls back, there will be a symbol projected on the quartz.
We will do this step first, then we will do the power assessment so we know what type of powers to test for.
For example, if it shows you are a Water witch, we will see if one of your powers is healing and so on. ”
Wow this guy likes to talk, and his British accent definitely makes me want to listen. I know I’ll most likely be a green witch or elemental like my parents, so I’m ready to get this over with. Marsh is making googly eyes at the hot professor as they talk quietly while I’m zoning out.
“Mags, do you want me to go first or would you like to?” Marsh’s voice brings me back to the moment.
Taking a deep breath, I look at my twin. I guess it’s time to stop hiding behind him. “I’ll go first.” I step up to where Professor Barlow is standing with the opaque stone. He mumbles something quietly and it flashes and lets out a small pulse of magic.
“Okay Magnolia, all you have to do is stand there. I’m going to hand you the sphere. You’ll feel it heat up and your magic will connect, so don’t fight it.” He stands in front of me, and holds the crystal ball-like device out. “Ready?”
I nod my head, holding out my hands, and he lowers the sphere into them.
The heat coming off of it hits me immediately, almost like stepping into an oven.
I feel the magic wrap around me, and it feels comforting, like coming home.
I can’t really explain it, but it feels like being wrapped in a hug.
I feel warm, protected. My hair is floating around me and I feel a burning on my shoulder blade.
Just as quickly as it started, the magic dissipates, leaving me feeling full but strangely empty simultaneously.
Professor Barlow lets out a gasp, staring at me with eyes practically bulging out of his head.
If we were in a cartoon, he would look like one of the Looney Tunes.
“Holy shit!” The symbol slowly fades into view as a hologram above the crystal; first comes the outline of the triple goddess sign, beneath an inverted semi-circle depicting the moon phases.
Centered below the goddess symbol is a dagger, blade down, with six dots along its length.
The most noticeable feature, however, is the crown in the middle of the goddess sigil.
“‘Holy Shit’? What the fuck does that mean?” Marsh demands, stepping forward so he's standing between me and the professor. From the glare in his eyes, he doesn’t seem to appreciate the gobsmacked look the professor is giving me.
Professor Barlow has the decency to look ashamed for his reaction.
“I apologize for my outburst. That symbol is extremely rare. I have studied the history of witches, even before the war, when we were still in Astrexus. It has only been seen a handful of times, and only within the ruling family. The old queen had that mark. It’s the mark of a nexus witch. ”
“What the hell does that mean? I’ve never heard of a nexus witch.” I pull Marsh back by his shirt so he’s standing next to me. We are both staring expectantly at the Professor who, it seems, is still in shock.
He glances between us both for a long minute before answering. “I promise I will explain everything, but first, Marshall, it’s your turn.” He mumbles the spell under his breath again, and the sphere pulses like before.
He places the orb in Marsh’s hand, and it lights up in his grip.
I can feel my brother's excitement through the bond.
His hair floats up and the magic dissipates.
The symbol flashes above the spear. It's almost the same as mine; however, the crescent moons are filled in, and the dagger only has three dots along it.
The biggest difference is that instead of a crown in the middle, there is a pentagram.
Professor Barlow is speechless again, his face ghostly pale–which is a feat considering how dark his skin is.
He sets the sphere aside and waves his hands, causing three folding chairs to appear.
“I promised you answers, and I’m sure you have plenty of questions, so let’s sit.
” Oh fantastic, this doesn’t look like there will be any good news at all.
As soon as I sit, my watch starts beeping; seventy double arrows down, my sugar is dropping. Marsh reaches over to where my bag was and grabs me an apple juice box.
Professor Barlow waits until I’ve finished and then lets out a sigh.
“Okay, here’s what I know based on your results.
You are both nexus witches. Magnolia, your symbol isn’t filled in, but Marshall yours is.
So we were right in assuming your powers are mirrored.
Nexus witches are the most powerful witches ever recorded.
They are said to be the closest thing to the fae or the Gods. ”
Marsh, I’m going to be sick. What is he saying right now?
It seems like our life is about to really change, Mags.
“I don’t understand, what would our core magic be though? What powers do nexus witches have?” Marsh asks. His knee is bouncing and I can feel his anxiety rolling off of him.
“In short, you both have the capability to access every power. It’s doubtful you master all of them because there are so many.
However, the core powers for a nexus are telepathy, telekinesis, and mental shields.
What I don’t know is whether your main powers will be the same or opposite.
In addition to those, you will have the elemental powers that all witches possess, but none will be stronger than another; all four will be at full power.
” I just wanted to be normal. I was the damaged witch with diabetes.
The one with the too-close twin. Now this?
“Psychic powers, time manipulation, healing, divination. Anything under these branches will be a possibility.” Holy fucking shit, this is getting insane.
“There isn’t a way to test for everything, but your magic will come to you as you learn.
” He pauses for a minute, waving at the field.
“Normally, I would test and see what your strongest ability is, but I don’t think I’m strong enough to test either of you alone.
I will ask around and see if anyone is willing to help, but unfortunately, there isn't a way to hide what your core power is. All professors get immediate access to test results to help prevent cheating. I suggest going to get some rest; things are going to be crazy for you both once everyone finds out.”
We pick up our stuff and make our way out of the arena, Marshall grabbing my hand and squeezing it. “We’ll be okay, Maggie. We have each other. Everything will work itself out.” His words don’t do much to calm the ever-building storm of anxiety I have. I just hope he’s right.