Penny practiced while Zoe read the principles of magic written out on the first page of the old book again, first picking up and moving a fist-sized rock with the wand, then making it fly in circles over their heads around the hollow.
“It’s like a school textbook.” Zoe said, setting the book down and glaring at it, as though it were being intentionally boring.
Distracted, Penny turned to Zoe and lost control of the flying rock, sending it shooting through the upper boughs and startling birds into flight.
“Yeah, but not at first. I think it changed for us because that’s how we’re used to learning.”
“How would it know that? It’s a book!” Zoe turned away from the open book, arms crossed stubbornly over her chest—but snatched it up a few seconds later, unable to resist the temptation to re
