I went to speak, but she held up a paw, interrupting me.

"Let me guess," she said quietly. Her dark eyes studying my face. "You are new to magic, yet work in a very magical shop."

She leaned forward, reaching out with a paw. "Can you touch my paw?"

I glanced at the Cat out of the corner of my eye, and he nodded slightly. So, I reached out. Warmth blazed from the woman and rushed up my fingertips.

Then she suddenly jerked back, taking a step away.

"Dragons, Fates, Angels and Stones!"

"I'm a dragon," chirped Indigo, as she stuck her head out of her hideaway. "Teacher!"

The bookdragon launched herself toward Professor Eira, then at the last minute twisted in mid-air to land on the counter.

"You have a teacher, strange magic!" Indigo stared up at the Professor, whose eyes went wide.

"That's a baby dragon," she whispered.

"Bookdragon!"

"What type of dragon is she? You can't just kidnap dragons, you know," she said leaning forward and shaking her head. "The magic makes more sense now."

"I didn't kidnap Indigo, I am her aunt, and the Clan of Lore has blessed the arrangement." I picked Indigo up, pulling her close. "She can't understand dragon, so she doesn't know what you're saying," I said to the little dragon.

"Not fun," chirped Indigo. "Stories better."

"Yes, go get your homework done before your teacher shows up," I said, redirecting Indigo back to her hideaway.

She jumped and took off flying back the way she'd come.

The Professor watched her go. "So, that's where the dragon protection comes into play, and why you have dragon magic all over you."

"They taught me their language with magic, and I have a few magical artifacts from various people. The dragons, and a feather from an archangel."

The professor blinked a few times and motioned to the chairs by the fireplace. "How about we sit and chat?"

"Would you like some coffee?" I asked.

"No, thank you. I find caffeine can play with the flow of my magic too much." She turned and glided over to a chair.

I quickly followed, bringing my latte with me. The Cat crept along by my feet and jumped up to sit on the armrest of my chair.

"So, how have you used magic so far?" she asked.

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"Accidentally," I said, lifting the bracelet. "I sent a customer flying out the door on accident. I felt terrible."

"That's it?"

"Well, I've used it a little while experimenting with Indigo. My current instruction, just a few words, really, said magic is all about intention. I need to really want something, and then make it happen."

The Professor's ears twitched again, and she nodded. "Those are some early signs of what happens before a child's magic finds its place. Yet, you are old for that to be happening."

"Its place?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee.

"All magic comes from the leylines, I assume you know what those are?"

I nodded quickly.

"Well, from there different beings use magic differently. Dragons use leyline magic, just like Fey Lords. Usually, one species on each planet can use raw magic. From there, different species become more specialized. An example are healers, who can use healing magic to restore injuries, or Wind Walkers who can travel by air."

"Is that why Dragons and Fey Lords don't get along? They both use the same type of magic?"

The Cat's tail brushed the back of my arm.

"Fey Lords are complex individuals, and also places at the same time. They connect with their homes more than any other being. Almost all Fey Lords create other beings, companions that they think of as their children. My friend created elves to live in his towering forest. They… become protective of their people." She paused and shook her head. "It can be their downfall."

"Angels are similar," she continued. "They belong to different hosts, and each have abilities based on the host they come from. They draw power directly from the ley lines, too."

She motioned to me with a paw. "You have energy around you of many of the species that draw directly from the leylines, and your magic hasn't focused in one area, maybe because of that."

"What does that make me?"

"A mystery, and one I'm excited to solve. I've decided I will teach you how to use raw magic, the same magic that gathers around you."

I finished my coffee cup and set it on the coffee table. "That sounds amazing."

"You might not think that once we have finished your lesson for today," she said with a smile. "First, you need to learn how to reach the magic inside of you, without feeling."

What? I didn't say it aloud, but a sneaking suspicion came to mind.

"You need to learn to breathe and meditate."

Bingo. There it was.

"Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Eventually, you will find your sixth sense, your magical sense."

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my breathing. Instead, every little thing distracted me. The smell of espresso in the air, the faint breathing from the Cat, warmth from the fake fireplace. My fingers rested on the velvet of the armchair, which suddenly felt itchy.

"Ignore all the little sensations and look inward to that feeling of warmth from your chest." Her voice swept through my mind like a cool breeze, pushing back everything that I felt.

An image of the gold outlines I'd started noticing on people came to mind, and my brain focused on that. The bright shimmery color, and a feeling of warmth, pulsed from under my collarbones, and then it was all I felt.

I suddenly snapped away from it, blinking.

"What was that?" I asked, my voice coming out brittle.

Professor Eiva smiled at me, her eyes holding curiosity. "What was what? Did you touch it?"

"I did, but then lost it," I mumbled, trying to think about what had broken my concentration.

"That is superb for a first try," she said with a bright smile, her ears twitching. "You'll need to keep working on it and practice each day. Your goal is to touch the magic, not to do anything with it. Just to touch it.

The Cat stared at her, then his gaze flickered back to me. His eyes begged me to not forget.

"You mentioned you came because a friend asked you to. Do you know what happened to his lands?" My question hung in the air.

She blinked twice, and both ears turned toward me, then her eyes narrowed before they suddenly grew wide.

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