Recipe for Magic by Agatha Bird Page A

love the sound of other people’s voices, too. When they’re chanting my name in adoration, for example.”
    Landyn laughed delightedly, as though he couldn’t help himself, and Connor’s giddiness increased like magic fizzing underneath his skin.
    He held his hands in front of him and focused on the spell, willing the magic up from the fire that burned inside him. Staggering as crackling red and orange flames shot from his fingers, Connor steadied himself and pushed harder, until color began to bleed from the flames as the intensity of the heat increased.
    His dragon swirled out from a spiraling core of white-hot magic, unfurling its jagged wings and tossing its head, its horns curling huge and ram-like above its large, leathery ears.
    Connor’s dragon wasn’t quite as well-formed as Landyn’s, and he grudgingly admitted to himself that there might be some benefit to Landyn’s constant wittering about practice and proper spell technique, but by the blazes, it was bigger.
    “Connor!” Landyn shouted.
    Connor looked over and saw Landyn’s hydra wavering, steam rising from its edges.
    “Turn the heat down!” Landyn said. “It’s too much, they won’t be able to touch.”
    “I’m trying to strengthen my barrier spell,” Connor grunted, tugging some of his power back. The dragon shuddered, its fiery claws raking the ground and leaving trails of glowing embers.
    Connor heard a noise and turned his head toward the door, which had been left ajar, in time to see the flash of a face as someone quickly darted away. With a rush of hot, desert wind, his dragon collapsed sideways into the hydra and both dragons went up in the crash and hiss of billowing steam.
    Connor was already halfway out the door. He’d recognize that shock of white blonde hair anywhere.
    “Elisa!” Connor called, and only barely registered the strange way Landyn said, “What?” after him.
    Elisa had already made it halfway down the hall, but she stopped and turned when he called her name.
    “Elisa! Wait!” Connor said, slowing to a halt once he’d reached her side.
    Elisa tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear and then folded her arms defensively across her chest. “What?”
    “Were you looking for me?” Connor asked, resisting the urge to smooth down his hair.
    “No,” Elisa said. “I saw the light from the spell and got curious. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
    Connor deflated. “It’s okay. Landyn and I were practicing for the Trial.”
    “Yes,” Elisa said with an odd gleam in her eye. “I saw the dragons. Very impressive.”
    “They’re still rough,” Connor admitted. “But we’re getting better at them. We’re going to have them fight.”
    Elisa made a noise of agreement. “I’m sure it will impress the Archmages next week. Don’t let me keep you.”
    “Right,” Connor replied, standing self-consciously in front of her.
    “Connor,” Elisa said softly. “Listen, I’m… I’m sorry for how we treated you, in the beginning. It was just such a shock, and I didn’t react well.”
    “Yeah, hey, no problem,” Connor replied. His palms started to sweat.
    Elisa took a step forward and put her hand on his arm. “I want us to go back to being friends. Just give me a bit more time. Can you do that?”
    Connor looked down at her hand. “Sure,” he said weakly.
    He heard a throat being cleared behind him. “Connor?” Landyn asked. “Do you need to go? We can practice some other time.” Landyn glanced between them, his gaze briefly dropping to where Elisa’s hand rested on Connor’s arm. He had a strange expression on his face.
    “No, no,” Connor said hurriedly, turning back to Elisa, who wore a calculating look as she watched Landyn. “Elisa and I were catching up. You and I can get back to practicing.”
    Landyn stared at the two of them a second longer, his face blank except for the slight curl of his damn smirk. Connor hated the expression; it was impossible to get a read on Landyn’s